A look at Electricite de France (EDF)

Résumé du document

There have been great modifications made in the organization of the electric sector in Europe. It is agreed that the sector management must change and must adapt to the requirements of the European Unique Market, and that the invisible power of the private market must replace the all too visible power of the European governments. The objective is obviously an improvement of the service for the final customer - consumers and producers - and thus of a greater economic effectiveness for the European productions. The European dynamism pushes towards a total opening of the markets. The ultimate objective of the Member States, determinated during the European Council of Lisbon, aims to the development of a full market opening.

EDF's creation is linked to the ambitious program of hydraulic equipment launched a few years before World War 2 by the Minister of Civil Engineering (Ministre des Travaux Publics), confirmed in a difficult time by the organization of Vichy (Comité d'Organisation de Vichy) and reaffirmed in a more ambitious perspective in March, 1946 by the “Plan Monnet”. EDF is the main company for electricity generation and distribution in France. Electricity is produced using nuclear power (74%), thermal power stations (17%) and renewable sources of energy (9%).

The company is a government corporation from that has been around from 1987. The logo was the same until it was changesd in July 2005. It represents the typical French company with the colours of its flag being blue, red and white. On July 8, 2005 the former logo was turned into a “flower bomb” or a kind of wind turbine representing dynamism and the environment. The orange emphasize the working movement and strikes the eyes.

Extraits

[...] EDF is committed to providing excellent customer service and, for this reason, the company maintains its customer contact centers by ranging customers from residential customers through to major business customers. The third step is to update the proper customer responses to this brand identification and brand meaning. In order to know how EDF is perceived in France, we decided to do a vox pop: had the monopoly of the distribution for too long now. The opening market legislation regarding electricity is a good thing for customers! We have the choice now”. [...]

[...] On July the former logo is turned into a “flower bomb” or a kind of wind turbine representing dynamism and environment. The orange emphasize the working movement and strikes the eyes. On November EDF became a limited-liability corporation under private law. EDF's capital increase through an initial public offering (IPO) led the company being quoted for the first time on November on the Paris stock exchange market. This IPO resulted in a 6,35 billion euro gross capital increase, which will contribute EDF's business development and investments, in line with the commitments made by EDF when it signed its Public Service Contract. [...]

[...] EDF's creation is linked to the ambitious program of hydraulic equipment launched a few years before the World War 2 by the Minister of Civil Engineerings (Ministre des Travaux Publics), confirmed in a difficult time by the organization of Vichy (Comité d'Organisation de Vichy) and reaffirmed in a more ambitious perspective in March by the “Plan Monnet”. EDF is the main company on electricity generation and distribution in France. Electricity is produced by nuclear thermic and renewable energy The company is a government corporation from 1987 to 2004. The logo is still the same until July 2005 and represents the typical French company with the colours of its flag (blue, red, white). [...]

[...] Competition is reduced to some great entities. The progressive reduction of the selling price erodes the benefit. The sales grow more and more slowly and reach their maximum. Competition increases and, under the pressure, the company which seeks to maintain its shares of market must decrease its selling prices. It put on an intense promotion and publicity and on a reduction of the production costs. It is the moment when the company must be called into question and invest in a revival of the product (by technical improvements, modifications of packaging, suggestions of new uses). [...]

[...] Have you used an EDF product? e. When I say EDF, what are the first associations that come to your mind? BRAND JUDGEMENTS: a. How favorable is your attitude toward McDonald's? b. How well does EDF satisfy your needs? c. How likely would you be to recommend EDF to others? [...]