Bridge Alliance Embarks on “The Smiling Traveller” Brand Campaign to Showcase Benefits of Roaming with the Alliance Network.
14 December 2011 – Bridge Alliance launches “The Smiling Traveller”, a new regional brand campaign that shines the spotlight on how Bridge Alliance can help business and leisure travellers enjoy a hassle-free roaming experience and savings on their roaming bills when travelling across the Asia Pacific.
“The Smiling Traveller” highlights Bridge Alliance‟s wide geographical reach through the 11 Bridge Alliance member operators‟ networks and the Alliance‟s core purpose to provide innovative roaming products and services to their customers and travellers. The campaign also highlights how travellers can benefit, by using Bridge services and roaming with Bridge Alliance members‟ networks, without the fear of bill shocks from using their mobile devices when overseas.
Together with TBWA\, an international advertising agency, Bridge Alliance has created „The Smiling Traveller‟ icon to personify commitment from Bridge Alliance and its member operators to deliver greater customer satisfaction and convenience with their roaming services offering. The icon, shaped as a tall-beacon-like character, represents a friendly travel companion which is flexible and adaptable across all cultures and users. The adaptable nature of the icon makes it an ideal unifying communications agent for the 11 Bridge Alliance member operators, enabling an impactful regional and local communication and branding effort.
“The Smiling Traveller” brand campaign communicates three key messages that are delivered through a series of channels such as digital media, above- and below-the-line communications. These will also include in-flight magazines and international airport billboard ads across the 11 Bridge Alliance member operators‟ countries.
The first message aims to create an awareness of who Bridge Alliance is and its mission to make mobile roaming services accessible to travellers in this region. The second serves to remind consumers the convenience of roaming services with different user scenarios. Each scenario demonstrates the conveniences and benefits that Bridge Alliance‟s products and services bring to the travellers. The third aims to reinforce the benefit of „no bill shock with Bridge Alliance‟, whereby users can roam seamlessly and with peace of mind when they travel.
“We were looking to create a cohesive regional brand campaign for the Alliance and its members to communicate who Bridge Alliance is, and the clear value and benefits we bring to our customers. With “The Smiling Traveller” campaign, we are strengthening our brand proposition as a trusted travel companion that provides hassle-free, transparent and cost-effective roaming solutions,” said Jacinta Ong, Director of Brand and Communications, Bridge Alliance. “Through Bridge Alliance, travellers will be able to stay connected and productive wherever they may be, without worries of bill shock. Essentially, with Bridge Alliance, a happy traveller is made possible.”
AIS (Thailand), Globe Telecom (Philippines), Maxis (Malaysia), SingTel (Singapore), SK Telecom (South Korea) and Telkomsel (Indonesia) have launched “The Smiling Traveller” in their respective markets in the fourth quarter of this fiscal year. The campaign will be launched in the remaining markets – Airtel (India), CTM (Macau), CSL (Hong Kong), Maxis (Malaysia), SingTel Optus (Australia), SK Telecom (South Korea), and Taiwan Mobile (Taiwan) – in phases from 2012 onwards.
About Bridge Alliance
Bridge Alliance is Asia Pacific’s largest and leading mobile alliance group. The alliance is a current partnership of eleven leading mobile operators, namely, Airtel (India), AIS (Thailand), CSL (Hong Kong), CTM (Macau), Globe Telecom (Philippines), Maxis (Malaysia), SingTel Mobile (Singapore), SingTel Optus (Australia), SK Telecom (South Korea), Taiwan Mobile (Taiwan) and Telkomsel (Indonesia). With an extensive footprint across Asia Pacific, Bridge Alliance provides seamless connectivity and straightforward services to customers roaming on the alliance network.
With a combined customer base of over 400 million and a shared infrastructure, Bridge Alliance offers significant commercial benefits to its alliance members and partners. Through close collaboration, members leverage on the collective strengths of the alliance to develop innovative solutions for the Asia Pacific markets. Bridge Alliance operates through a Singapore-incorporated joint venture company, Bridge Mobile Pte Ltd.
For more information, visit www.bridgealliance.com
Annex –Members of Bridge Alliance
Bharti Airtel Limited is a leading global telecommunications company with operations in 19 countries across Asia and Africa. The company offers 3G voice & data services, fixed line, high speed broadband, IPTV, DTH, turnkey telecom solutions for enterprises and national & international long distance services to carriers globally. In the rest of the geographies it offers mobile voice & high speed wireless internet. Bharti Airtel has been ranked among the six best performing technology companies in the world by BusinessWeek. Bharti Airtel had over 238 million customers across its operations at the end of October 2011.
Advanced Info Service Public Company (AIS), established in 1989, is an affiliation of Shin Corporation, under the business segment of Wireless Communications. AIS is the first mobile phone service operator in the 900MHz frequency range utilizing Digital GSM systems, and is today the largest mobile operator in Thailand.
CSL Limited, established in 1983, is Hong Kong’s first mobile operator and is currently the leading mobile network operator in Hong Kong. CSL operates the world’s first LTE/DC-HSPA+ network, the next generation of mobile broadband network with significantly increased capacity and speed. CSL offers comprehensive post and pre-paid mobile services to both local and international customers. CSL provides unsurpassed international multi-media connectivity with over 550 roaming operators around the world.
Companhia de Telecomunicações de Macau S.A.R.L. (CTM), established in 1981 under the cooperation of Cable & Wireless with partners including Portugal Telecom, CITIC Telecom International Holdings Limited and Macau Post, is a full telecom service provider in Macau offering 3G mobile services, fixed telephony, Internet, and corporate solutions.
Globe Telecom is the pioneer in GSM digital cellular technology in Philippines. Today, it is one of the leading providers of wireless communications services in the country, with an ever-growing national and international network of roaming destinations.
Maxis is Malaysia‟s premier telecommunications company and market leader, providing high-quality voice and data services to its customers. Maxis’ vision is to bring advanced communications services to enrich its customers’ lives and businesses, in a manner that is simple and personalised, by efficiently and creatively harnessing leading edge technology, and delivering a brand of service experience that is reliable and enchanting.
Optus, serving more than nine million customers daily, is the leader in integrated communications in Australia. Since commencing operations in 1992, Optus has built an advanced technology platform that allows it to deliver communication, information and entertainment services across the country.
SingTel Mobile is the mobile telecommunications arm of Singapore Telecommunications Ltd. (SingTel). SingTel is Asia‟s leading communications group with operations and investments around the world. Serving both the consumer and corporate markets, it is committed to bringing the best of global communications to customers in Asia Pacific and beyond.
SK Telecom, the world‟s most innovative mobile service provider, is creating the future of mobile and delivering cutting-edge, converged wireless technologies for the global market. The company is a pioneer in the mobile industry, having been the first to launch and commercialize CDMA, 3G CDMA, 3.5G HSDPA among other mobile services, and is now leading the way in 4G and beyond. Currently, in addition to CDMA, WCDMA, and HSDPA, SK Telecom also provides HSPA+, with plans to commercialize LTE service in Seoul in July 2011 and guarantee nationwide coverage by year 2013.
Taiwan Mobile Co., Ltd., incorporated in the Republic of China (“ROC”) in 1997, is a leading telecommunications company in Taiwan offering “Quadruple Play” services – covering mobile, fixed-line, cable TV and broadband. The Company launched three brands – “Taiwan Mobile”, “TWM Broadband” and “TWM Solution” – to promote its Quadruple Play services for the consumer, household and enterprise markets. It was the first private telecommunications company to go public and the first wireless operator to launch 3G services using Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) technology.
Telkomsel, over the past decade, has grown to become the leading provider of cellular services in Indonesia, servicing more than 50 per cent of the country‟s mobile market with more than 100 million subscribers.
For media enquiries, please contact:
Ms Jacinta Ong
Director, Brand and Communications
(65) 9677 2918
Mr Raymond Tan
Regional Account Director, McGagh Communications raymond.tan@mcgaghcomms.com
(65) 9673 9029
