SP Telemedia rebrands as Soul

Stuart Corner
Wednesday, 19 October 2005 19:00

IT Industry - Deals

SP Telemedia has rebranded itself Soul Converged Communications, Soul for short and has launched an advertising campaign to boost awareness of the company and its attributes.

The company claims to operate the second largest communications network in Australia, able to deliver voice and data services to 98 percent of the population.

Soul says the days of maintaining its previous low profile are coming to an end and it intends to promote its expanded service capability to retail, business and government customers nationally

SP Telemedia was effectively a start up business in 2000, beginning with a focus on marketing regional telecommunications services carried on an IP network originally constructed for the transmission of digital television services for NBN Television.

It listed on the ASX in 2001, with its then parent company, Washington H Soul Pattinson and Company offering part of its shareholding to the public, and over the past 18 months has integrated the $400 million national IP network of Comindico, which it bought from the receivers for a mere $27 million. I has also acquired 42.9 per cent of ASX listed B Digital - which has expanded its mobile telephony capability - as well as 100 per \cent of NBN Television.

Soul now bills itself as "a converged media and telecommunications business which challenges Australia's largest telecommunications providers."

To develop the new brand, Soul called on "advertising industry identity" Don Morris, the former head of Mojo in Australia who has been involved in many famous brand campaigns including "I Still Call Australia Home" for Qantas, "Oh What a Feeling" for Toyota and "Put Another Shrimp on the Barbie" for the Australian Government.