Ericsson Media Solutions gets a rebrand

Ericsson flogged the majority of its media solutions division to private equity at the start of the year and it has just got around to reflecting that in the brand.

The days of cruel, callous media are behind us, it seems, and henceforth Ericsson Media Solutions will be known as MediaKind. So happy are Ericsson and One Equity Partners with this rebrand that they celebrated with a bunch of live events today, at which a new management team was also unveiled.

There’s a unique type of language used with corporate rebrands – the kind of abstract, aspirational stuff that gets marketing people up in the morning. Here’s a sample:

Designed to embody the concept that media should inspire and unite humankind, MediaKind draws on Ericsson’s 150-year heritage of bringing communities together through pioneering fixed and mobile communications and unites a number of media technology pioneers under one common identity.

It addresses a new age where media is the fabric of society, captivating audiences, changing perceptions and bringing us together. MediaKind’s mission is to lead the future of global media technology and be the first choice for service providers, operators, content owners and broadcasters looking to create and deliver immersive media experiences for everyone, everywhere.

MediaKind CEO Angle Ruiz seems to dig all this marketing talk “We understand the power of media and how it is evolving,” he said. “It runs in our DNA and it’s our passion. With our pioneering heritage and strong foundations fueled by deep innovation, we have a single goal in mind: to enable our customers to create and deliver immersive media experiences.”

And it goes without saying that CMO Arun Bhikshesvaran is all over it. “Media has the power to inspire, influence and be truly immersive – the very embodiment of our exciting new MediaKind brand,” he said.

“Media unites us all and MediaKind is uniquely positioned to drive the human entertainment experience forward for everyone, everywhere. We have the right technologies, an outstanding team and deep media know-how – a combination that will enable us to provide the leadership our customers need during a period of great transformation to a new multi-screen, on-demand and immersive world of entertainment.”

Analyst Paolo Pescatore was there and hopes the rebrand will be more than skin deep. “Finally, the unit can get on it with business,” he said. “This represents a new start and it must deliver. No more second chances. Arguably, the unit should be well placed to exploit the opportunities in convergence underpinned by the growing demand of video usage. The equity firm can ensure a commercially minded focus, while it can still rely on Ericsson’s vast technical expertise and huge connections to thrive.

“There will be obstacles that it still needs to overcome. In particular regaining trust among existing and new customers. The new brand and future plans will go some way to restore confidence and rebuild credibility with the burgeoning media and telco industries.”

That’s about it for now, apart from the full new management team and, of course, a slick video. Here they are: