Popular Australian betting and lottery operator Tatts Group Limited announced its decision to rebrand its wagering division, so as to turn it into a direct competitor to international companies such as William Hill and Paddy Power.
The change will most probably take place some time between January and March, 2015, and it will include the consolidation of four of the company’s brands – Tattsbet, TAB, Tote, and Tatts.com, under the UBET name. Along with the new brand, a special online wagering platform – Ubet.com, and a mobile application will also be introduced.
It was announced that Tatts’ lottery division will remain unchanged at this point. Furthermore, the company’s 1,400 betting shops will be thoroughly refurbished. The facilities have been reported to generate about 70% of the operator’s betting revenue. Apart from getting the UBET sign, the shops will also be equipped with modern devices, such as bigger video monitors.
A spokesperson from Tatts shared that the company’s planned renovation will not involve simply a new label on the front door. The operator’s betting division will be comprehensively changed.
Robbie Cooke, CEO at Tatts Group Limited, commented on these innovations as the biggest the company has ever experienced in its half-century history. He said that they needed to “evolve as a business” and the new name was part of this process of evolution. Mr. Cooke also shared that he was particularly happy with the UBET moniker, for it was quite peppy and reflected their new identity in an excellent manner.
It was also announced that special advertising campaign will be carried out to promote Tatts’ rebranding. However, executives refused to give specific information on how much it will cost.
Back in June, the company extended its wagering monopoly in Queensland. Mr. Cooke stated that due to this, Tatts will have enough finances to enhance its marketing without this drastically affecting its profits.
Penny Glasson, marketing strategist at Tatts, said that UBET’s advertising campaign will be considerably different from those of its rival betting operators. She also stated that they will be addressing mostly younger demographic. What is more, their purpose will be to stand out as innovators.
The idea for the UBET name could be ascribed to Hulsbosch, Australia’s top design company. Its founder Hans Hulsbosch shared that it took them a year to decide on that particular name. The famous designer explained that they were looking for something that contained the word ‘bet’ in it, that has not been already taken, and that would immediately become “part of the vernacular.” And according to him, UBET has already achieved this.
