Esat denies redesign rumours

Ireland’s second biggest telecoms group, Esat, has denied reports that it intends to redesign the corporate identity of subsidiary group Digifone, after holding meetings with several leading UK design groups.

Interbrand Newell and Sorrell, Fitch, The Partners and Hildebrand were among eight groups to give credential presentations with the Irish company last month. These were held at a Heathrow airport hotel.

Each of the groups signed non-disclosure agreements about the information discussed at the meetings, and four groups are known to have been shortlisted for the Digifone project.

Esat marketing manager Edele O’Leary claims: “There was no specific corporate identity brief. We received credential presentations from a number of design consultancies because we always require a huge amount of design work. But we are not appointing any of the eight consultancies.”

The news follows this week’s £6.5m relaunch of Ireland’s biggest telecoms group, Telecom Eireann, which has been rebranded as Eircom by Dublin design group The Identity Business.

Eircom is now set to roll out new interiors to its 20 retail outlets, designed by London consultancy Design House. The first refitted Eircom store opens in Nenagh next month.