ZTE’s brand catches up with its global reach

ZTE, a Chinese telecommunications equipment and systems company, has westernised its brand by dropping the Chinese characters in its logo and introducing an English slogan with, arguably, western associations.

The company has also come up with a new philosophy: cool, green and open (CGO). ZTE is positioning itself as a modern, sustainable company with an open-minded approach. The design reflects this with a typeface that is lighter and more rounded.

The ‘open’ element of the new philosophy may be a tactic to separate the Chinese company from the general perception of the Chinese government and its strict censorship regulations.

The slogan, ‘’Tomorrow never waits”, will conjure-up images of the James Bond franchise among western audiences, but it also describes ZTE’s business goal; to define the future of the industry. The Chinese characters in the original logo have been dropped, another indication that the company is branding with its global market in mind.

In a move specifically intended to target US consumers, the new identity was launched at a basketball game in December, the launch was part of ZTE’s partnership with the Golden State Warriors basketball team in California.

The company has many international subsidiaries. It is one of the top five largest smartphone manufacturers in China, and is in the top ten worldwide. However, while the company has been operating on a global scale for some time, this is the first time it has changed its logo since it was founded in Shenzhen in 1985.

Chinese phone makers are enjoying a lucrative period, Xiaomi is China’s top phone maker and the world’s third largest smartphone distributor.