Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman launches new logo, website in milestone re-branding exercise

The Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO) has updated its branding with a new logo and website to better reflect its dispute resolution service for consumers and small business in 2019.

"The brand aligns with the TIO’s purpose to provide a fair, independent and accessible dispute resolution service for consumers and the telecommunications industry that complies with the benchmarks for industry-based customer dispute resolution," chief strategy and engagement officer, TIO, Leanne Hutton, told CMO.

As an industry body, the TIO is responsible to both small business and consumers as an information, advice and complaint-handling service, as well as telecommunications service providers, and one of its goals for the new branding was to create a new identity inclusive of all its stakeholders.

"A tired brand that has not evolved with the ecology it supports can lose relevance and get lost in the broader landscape. Our dispute resolution service needs to be accessible to consumers and small business. Part of being accessible is being visible and approachable," continued Hutton.

The old logo was developed 26 years ago, a lifetime in terms of the fast-changing tech and telco landscape, and the organisation knew it was past time for it to be modernised and reflect an entirely different regulatory, industry, market and consumer landscape. 

"While our vision has withstood the test of time, our organisation is constantly evolving to meet our stakeholders’ needs. Part of being accessible to consumers is to be visible."

"As part of the ideation process, as we visually considered the old logo among our national peers – other ombudsman schemes, consumer advocacy schemes – and the telecommunications market. The old logo simply faded into the background. To be accessible, we needed to not only stand our logo up in the market but differentiate ourselves as an independent, dependable, warm and highly relevant brand, so we can be found with ease."

The re-design has involved more than just imagery; the organisation has also overhauled its website, again, something that was needed to better serve its clients and their needs.

"... We needed to ensure our website was responsive and easier to navigate. A focus on the user experience means designing the website for ease of use so it is a tool consumers, small businesses and members can use, and we can deliver on the TIO vision and core services," explained Hutton.

To ensure it was consultative and had the input from the "pulse of the organisation", the TIO involved its frontline staff in the process from workshops to capture the essence of what the TIO stands for and defining its key personalities, to interviews and calls for feedback on design options. The process also included consulting with consumers as well as members through interviews, and agency help came in the form of broad industry research, the design process and final style decisions.

"The new brand was designed to unify the TIO’s diverse stakeholder community and represent all involved in the complaint resolution process. The visual identity blends several concepts together – the wider community and membership; authority and strength; cooperation and inclusion; growth and evolution; and helping everyone involved find a clear way forward."

The new logo and brand is intended to embody the sustainability and resilience of the organisation, and the earthy colour palette was chosen to reflect the fair, independent and grounded mindset of the TIO to resolve complaints. 

"A new brand has been a long time coming. Our last tune up was in 2012, which was more about introducing teal into our colour palette and did not change the original logo. ... We will continue to listen to our stakeholders, the industry and the market and evolve our brand to continue to be aligned to our purpose."

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