Eir has launched a new “Eir for all” brand identity in the first refresh of the brand since 2015. The telecoms company said the €2 million campaign marked a “major transformation” for the business following a €1.2 billion five-year investment in its infrastructure and customer care.
Susan Brady, managing director of consumer and small business for Eir, said “Eir for all” was a “brand platform” for a modern, diverse and inclusive company that represented “the start of a new chapter”.
It was unveiled on Wednesday to more than 3,000 staff at its Heuston South Quarter offices, its four customer care hubs in Sligo, Cork, Limerick and Waterford and to staff in retail stores.
“It will be a big part of our logo, it will be everywhere,” she said.
Eir has worked with brand strategy consultants Genesis and creative agency TBWA\Dublin on its marketing push, which includes an advertising campaign running across television, radio, digital, print, out-of-home and cinema. It will feature a TikTok performer, a young hurler, a Special Olympics athlete, a family of gamers and a group of surfers, among others.
“We set out on a mission two years ago to redefine what Eir stands for and what we want Eir to be known for,” Ms Brady said.
Should banks be on the hook for access to cash into the future here?
“Coming out of the pandemic, some of the perception and reputational issues were lagging. We needed to address that.”
This is Eir’s first new brand identity since it dropped the “com” from its name nine years ago.
Ms Brady said there was still “a lot of work to be done”, but that Eir was growing its market share in both fibre broadband and mobile.
The company last week reported revenue of €1.3 billion for 2023, up 4 per cent, while earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation fell 3 per cent to €591 million as costs increased.
Its fibre broadband customer base rose 3 per cent to 869,000 as of the end of 2023, with its postpay customer base rising 12 per cent year on year to more than 1.1 million. In total, Eir has more than 1.4 million mobile customers, up 8 per cent year on year.
The company has recently invested €4 million in the refurbishment of 21 of its stores and it plans to open more. “Retail is back, it’s booming and it’s where consumers want to talk to us,” Ms Brady said.
The telecoms operator has sought to improve its approach to customer care since it was sharply criticised in 2020 for its handling of customer care issues, prompting former chief executive Carolan Lennon to apologise for its failures during an appearance at the Oireachtas communications committee.
Oliver Loomes, chief executive of Eir since early 2022, said Eir’s €1.2 billion investment underscored a “transformative journey” for the company.
“We’ve made a deliberate move to onshore and establish a new care function, ensuring our customers receive the highest quality of service,” he said.
“It’s in this spirit of transformation and commitment to excellence that we chose to reposition and revitalise the Eir brand, making a clear statement that we are here for all.”
- Sign up for Business push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Find The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Our Inside Business podcast is published weekly – Find the latest episode here
