A research study submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Business Administration, Scholar of Management

Research report (M.Sc.) - Asian Institute of Technology, 2003

The purpose of my research study is to show the difficulties to build a global brand. I will talk about how the concept of the brand Orange is adapted in the countries where it is launched. To illustrate that I will present Orange in France and Orange in Thailand. Orange is originally a British company but it has been bought in 2000 by France Telecom, the historical French operator. Then Orange became Orange SA. They adapted the concept of the brand, while keeping the same key ideas but adapting it to France and French language. At the same time, there was a project of launching Orange in Thailand. Through a jointventure with a Thai company, CP Group, Orange was launched in Thailand. Once again, and much more than for France, the concept of the brand, the slogan and the key ideas had to be adapted to Thai culture, religion, economic situation and so on. I will explain the different steps of the branding or rebranding and show the difficulties. I want to see if a strong brand such as Orange can extend internationally, how, and with which difficulties.