BT reveals new logo

BT Group PLC
07 April 2003



April 7, 2003

BT UNVEILS NEW BRAND IDENTITY


BT today revealed a new corporate identity that will replace its current "piper"
logo.

The new mark is the company's first visual identity change since 1991 and
only the second since it became British Telecom in 1980. The change more
accurately reflects the wide range of activities that BT now encompasses.

Ben Verwaayen, BT's chief executive, said: "BT's business and its culture is
changing so it is important that we have a brand identity that represents the
multi-faceted nature of our business. The new logo does the job. It represents
BT as being in-tune with the multimedia age as well as communicating the
company's international reach.

"Although BT continues to change, there is still more to do and we will be
introducing the new mark over time to demonstrate that the job is far from
complete."

"We are not changing image for the sake of change. It is more fundamental than
that. There will be no big bang advertising campaign. The new brand will be
delivered through the service that customers experience every day. This customer
experience approach reflects our attitude to customers. It is top priority for
BT people to put customers at the heart of everything they do and be passionate
about what they do. We want people to experience the new BT through improved
service not through a new logo. Only then will they credit BT with having
changed."



Twelve months ago Ben Verwaayen set out the strategic priorities for BT which
included a passion for customer service. BT is acknowledged as having made huge
advances in this field. The focus on customer service has resulted in a
transformation in the levels of satisfaction over the past year.

BT has timed the unveiling of the new identity to coincide with the launch
internally of a new set of behavioural values for its people which have been
aligned to reflect the aspirations of the brand. BT believes that it is the new
values and the behaviour of all its people that will drive the change of image.

The newly launched BT promise sees the company committing to making every
experience simple and complete. Underpinning the brand promise is a new set of
values with the aim of being trustworthy, helpful, straightforward, inspiring
and acting with a real passion for what it does.

Ben Verwaayen added: "These are an ambitious set of values but I know that our
people can step up to the challenge."

Angus Porter, managing director of BT Retail's consumer division, said: "The
piper has done an excellent job for BT for the last twelve years and has become
one of the country's most recognisable marks. While it reflects many of BT's
strengths as a company, it has become associated with some outdated perceptions
of BT as simply a fixed-line telephone company. The new identity reflects a
broader world of communications, and in research, customers and employees have
reacted to it very positively. It better reflects recent changes in BT, and the
further changes we are seeking to make in the near future".

BT will manage implementation of the new identity over a three-year period in
order to minimise costs. The total cost of the project is expected to be less
than £5 million.

At the same time BT announced that its international services and solutions
business, BT Ignite, would be called BT Global Services.

Andy Green, chief executive of BT Global Services, said: "The Ignite name has
served us well, but our strategy has changed since it was first introduced. BT
Global Services more clearly conveys the products and services we provide to the
global multi-site corporate market."



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        Images of the new logo may be downloaded from www.vismedia.co.uk



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                               BT Group Newsroom

                  on its 24-hour number: [phone].

          All BT Group news releases can be accessed on our web site:

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Note to Editors:

Developed for BT by Wolff Ollins, the "connected world" globe has been used
to date as the logo for BT Openworld.

However, BT has carried out extensive market research which showed that not only
did "the connected world" convey the right messages about BT in all sectors and
countries but also that it would be approved of by all sections of its customers
base.

The project to develop the new corporate identity is being managed by BT's
in-house experts who have worked alongside the company's main advertising and
design agencies. No new external consultants have been involved.

BT's corporate identity has changed radically over the past 30 years. In 1975
the yellow and red identity was created. This was replaced by the yellow and
blue 'British Telecom' in 1980. In 1991, British Telecom became BT and adopted
the piper logo. This was slightly refreshed in 1999 when the blue and the red
colours were altered. Today sees the introduction of the new 'connected world'
identity.


                      This information is provided by RNS
            The company news service from the London Stock Exchange