The Orange brand history
The short story of the Orange brand is part of a much longer history of telecommunications in France.
It began two hundred years earlier in 1794, when the first telegraph message was transmitted over the Lille Paris line. It continued with a rich history, from the nationalized Ministère des Postes, Télégraphes et Téléphone in 1930, to the Ministère des Postes et Télécommunications in 1959.
The France Télécom Group was born in 1988 and, following its autonomy in 1990, it acquired Orange in 2000, in order to develop the international footprint and multi-service offerings we know today.
1994
In the beginning: When the Orange brand launched in the UK on 28 April 1994, the mobile phone market was very different. Digital networks had just been introduced. But complex tariffs and high prices meant that mobile phones were status symbols, only attractive to business customers and city executives.
At the time, we were called Rabbit, owned by Hutchison Whampoa. Rabbit was losing money, so Hutchinson sent a team to the UK from Hong Kong to close it down.
Among them was a visionary businessman called Hans Snook who sensed a change on the horizon. He was keen to understand what people really wanted, so he began to talk to consumers, and more importantly, listen.
Listen
He realized people wanted a personal communications company. One that made mobile phones simple and accessible, for everybody.
He worked with brand consultancy Wolff Olins to lay down the foundations of the Orange brand with a set of human values at the heart: simple, friendly, honest, refreshing, and dynamic.
- A name that was warm and friendly with a color palette to match.
- A logo that didn’t look anything like the fruit, and which has remained iconic and unchanged to this day.
- A simple and optimistic language that spelt out the customer benefit rather than the technical specification.
… And the launch message: “The future's bright, the future's Orange”
Within two weeks of its launch, the brand had achieved 45% awareness. After two years this had reached 70%: 20% higher than its lead UK competitors Vodafone and BT Cellnet. Unlike its rivals, Orange never believed in technology for technology's sake, but in how it improves people's lives.
It was this “service first” insight that made Orange the leading mobile operator, much loved by its customers.
In March 1996 Orange floated on the London Stock Exchange – the youngest ever company to join the FTSE 100. By 1997, it had broken through the one million customer mark, ramping up to eight million by 2000.
The brand started to appear everywhere...
Little by little, Orange spread its wings internationally
2000
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In February 2000 at the GSM World Congress in Cannes, Hans Snook opened with the Orange World video – a mobile yet highly social vision of the world. And one we are only now seeing realized years later! |
Orange caught the attention of France Télécom and was acquired for €39.7 billion in 2000, double the value of all Orange assets, the balance being for the power of Orange brand.
The mobile telephone operations of Orange plc were merged with the majority of the mobile operations of France Télécom, forming the new group Orange SA.
On the business side, France Télécom acquired GlobalOne and Equant (which became Orange Business Services, now Orange Business) and focused on making itself relevant to the business world, by ensuring the same commitment to customers, account management and good service as it had done for consumers.
Over the years the Orange brand has also succeeded in gaining ovewhelming acceptance in markets as diverse as Spain, Moldova and Burkina Faso.
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Over the years the Orange brand has also succeeded in gaining overwhelming acceptance in markets as diverse as Spain, Moldova, and Burkina Faso etc. |
2013
Orange proved to be a brand whose name, vision and identity can cross cultural and language boundaries. So much so that France Télécom changed its corporate name to Orange in July 2013.
In recent years, Orange has continued its international expansion, particularly in the MEA zone, with the aim of being the major partner for Africa’s digital transformation to benefit citizens, develop digital services over the long term, and accelerate the company’s growth momentum.
2016
Since 2016, the launch of the Orange brand in Egypt, Belgium, Morocco, DRC, Burkina Faso, Liberia and Sierra Leone has also been an opportunity to welcome new employees and customers.
2017
Orange has continued to enrich its multi-service operator strategy through the development of new uses and investing in innovation and future growth drivers (for example, mobile financial services through Orange Money and energy through Orange Energies).
In 2017, Orange Cyberdefense launched to secure our operator systems and help businesses protect against digital threats.
Our aim is to consistently demonstrate that we are a digital and responsible company. This ranges from the work we do with start-ups (1,000+ start-ups have been supported via our various programs such as Orange Ventures, Orange Start-up, and Orange Fab accelerator etc.), through to the amazing volunteering work we do through Orange Digital Centers, Femmes Entrepreneuses, the Orange Social Venture Prize (POESAM), and for the Orange Foundation, our philanthropic arm that has been active for more than 30 years.
2020
As a trusted partner, Orange gives everyone the keys to a responsible digital world. Such is our Purpose, incorporated into our bylaws in May 2020 as one of the first CAC 40 companies to do so. Our mission is to ensure that, across our business, digital technology is designed, made available, and used in a caring, more inclusive, and more sustainable way. We are committed to strengthening the freedoms and security of people’s and companies’ digital lives. Everywhere, and for everyone, we deploy innovative technologies and services, thanks to the commitment and expertise of our hardworking Orange community.
2023
Following the successful rebrand of Telekom Romania Communications’ fixed operations (TKR) to Orange Romania in 2022, in September 2023, Swiss cybersecurity companies SCRT and Telsys rebranded to Orange Cyberdefense.
Having already acquired Business & Decision, Basefarm, Log’in Consultants, and The unbelievable Machine Company in 2018, Orange Business rebranded them under its digital services business line in 2023 to provide Data, AI, and customer experience expertise and strengthen its position as the leading European digital and network integrator.
2024
Today, it’s hard to imagine life without a mobile phone. Data, AI, and social media have become part and parcel of everyday life with real consequences for everyone. But while there may be uncertainty or anxiety around new technologies, Orange continues to be known not just for its innovation but also its brand equity: for having a meaningful and different brand that people love and trust. Ranked 8th in the Brand Finance 2024 Telecoms valuation report, the Orange brand grew by 10.2% in 2023 to $20.3 billion.
As it adapts to our constantly changing world, staying useful and relevant with each coming generation, the Orange brand is taking its powerful brand heritage forward with a new signature: “Orange is here”, reinforcing the idea that customers can rely on Orange at every step of their journey and in all circumstances.