Mouse, squirrel and robot lead digital rebranding at Sensis

Sensis has rebranded with cute animals and robots in a move to highlight the new digital focus of the directories business.

The new Sensis logo features Dash the mouse, which CEO John Allan said represents agility, adaptability and resourcefulness.

“The instantly recognisable character illustration brings a warmth and human touch to our brand while being flexible, helpful and, most importantly, encouraging,” said Allan.

Dash won’t be alone, as Sensis has also introduced friends Hazel the squirrel and Micky the robot. Sensis said Hazel “represents good value” while Micky “translates technical jargon into plain English.”

Sensis worked with Interbrand to develop the new brand. It was launched internally this week and will be rolled out across the Sensis products and services over the next few months, the company said.

A customer communications program about the new brand will commence in the next few days, it said.

Sensis, the publisher of the White and Yellow Pages, has been trying to transform itself into a digital-first company.

Telstra recently sold Sensis to Platinum Equity, though the telco retains a 30 per cent stake in the company and recently proposed 800 layoffs.

Allan said print will continue to be an important source of revenue, but that the company’s key focus going forward will be digital.

“Throughout our 134-year history, Sensis has always found ways to innovate, he said. “Some of our products have existed since 1880 and over the years we have innovated to ensure they remained relevant to Australian businesses and consumers.”

“Businesses need a partner that is able to deliver engaged customers to them, across a number of digital platforms and channels. That’s what we intend to be.

“We want to be simple to deal with, faster and continue to meet the needs of our customers in the evolving digital media market. We are investing heavily in this area to deliver our customers greater services and value.”

Adam Bender covers digital marketing and emerging technology for CMO and is the author of dystopian sci-fi novels We, The Watched and Divided We Fall. Follow him on Twitter: @WatchAdam

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