Batchelor on being close to the consumer: Alex Batchelor tells Ellen Lewis how Orange is understanding and communicating with its customers in increasing effective ways.(Q&A)(Interview)

EL: When you joined in January 2002, Orange was a successful challenger brand--was your task to transform it into a global brand?

AB: The analogy for me would be--when I arrived I thought my job was like managing a hotel--but after a while I realised my job was to buy the land, clear the ground, hire the architects and build the hotel before I even started managing. In January 2002 we were only in three countries and now we're in 15--we've also done a lot of rebranding--we took business to Slovakia, Romania, the Ivory Coast, Botswana, Madagascar and Thailand. All I've been trying to do is get in place very basic brand and marketing disciplines.

We used to be a separately listed, separately quoted entity and we're now a division of France Telecom. That has subtly changed some of the things we need to do. 2002 was the last boom year in telecoms. We have to justify our commercial investment and return in a way that we previously didn't have to. I've done a lot to try and draw the links between what we invest in the brand and the choices we make and the commercial delivery and revenue. A lot of it is not sexy of exciting.

EL: You said Orange was all about …