WITCO unveils new logo, prepares for new era with new products on the horizon

As part of its transformation objective, The West Indian Tobacco Company Limited has made official changes to its corporate image and is expanding its business outlook with a new logo and tagline.

The new logo moves away from its inceptive insignia of the three-lobed leaf to a double-sail icon and will be accompanied by the tagline “A Better Tomorrow”. It marks the Company’s evolved business strategy involving New Category products, fuelled by the continued delivery of its traditional tobacco business which underscored that change was a necessary part of the business model

Laurent Meffre, Managing Director, West Indian Tobacco Company Limited said, “The year 2020 has demonstrated that change is an integral part of any business model and should be embraced. As a responsible company, we remain committed to building “A Better Tomorrow” for the benefit of the business, our partners, and the public. As challenging as these times may seem we view them as a period of opportunity.”

Meffre also expanded on the Company’s ethos – Bold, Fast, Empowered, Diverse, Responsible which he stated now reflects an empowered and agile business which considers an expanding range of products and risk reduction backed by scientific research. He said, “We needed to revisit our visual representation and ensure that our look echoes our evolution as a company. We also had to ensure it matches our revitalized ideology. With our new logo, tagline, and ethos, we plan to satisfy the ever-evolving consumer by providing pleasure, reducing risk, offering increased choice and stimulating the senses of adult consumers worldwide.”

As part of its expanded business outlook, the Company is seeking to become more focused on incorporating sustainability as a core part of its operations. Mr Meffre said as part of the Company’s Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities, the tagline of “A Better Tomorrow” will strengthen its relationship with all of its stakeholders, “Thus, we look forward to future engagements based on our ESG approach which will redound to the sustainability of our business, our business partners and the national community.”

Mr Meffre advised that the new visual representation would be utilized digitally and in print throughout all its business transactions and operations. He said, “Our stakeholders respond very well to change and innovation, and we do anticipate that these changes would be fully embraced by our stakeholders in much the same way as they have been embraced by employees. In our view, innovation is at the forefront of our business especially as environmental shifts can affect market and customer demands. We remain committed to presenting a greater choice and we aim to reduce the health and environmental impacts of our business.”

Accompanying the pandemic challenges of 2020, the industry also faced an increase in Excise and the burgeoning of illicit trade. The Company was able to adapt to a new way of work while ensuring products were available to all customers, testimony to our strength, people, ethos, and commitment to “A Better Tomorrow”.

We continue to embrace the current socioeconomic challenges and adapt to ensure the sustainability of our Operations, our 200 plus employees and their families. We have been in operation for 116 years and continue to be a world-class manufacturer and exporter of high-quality products to CARICOM. Over the next two years, our plans, which are already in train, are to invest TT$85 million into upgrading our Operations to ensure our continued competitiveness.

– Press release