Telecommunications
Technology
How brand can help telecommunications companies win
Globally, telecommunications companies exist at the forefront of change. They’re driving towards big goals, such as the need to progress digital transformation, exceed customer expectations around innovation, and stay ahead of ever-present cyber security threats.
It’s a complex time, and one that brings with it significant challenges around brand perception and customer loyalty. This year in Australia, the telecommunications industry has emerged as the most distrusted in the entire economy, usurping the social media industry for the first time.(1) Across Europe, a substantial 44% of consumers say they’re ready to switch providers. Among those, more than 40% intend to do so within the coming year.(2)
At Re, our work with telecommunications providers across Asia, Australia and Europe has focused on leveraging the power of brand to help companies drive transformation and rise above the competition by standing for something positive and unique in consumers’ minds.
Services
Brand strategy and identity design
A strong brand makes innovation meaningful.
Today, people wield previously unimaginable technology in the palm of their hands. Yet consumers still see telecommunications as a commodity (and are ready to churn at a moment’s notice) instead of as a valued source of innovation that’s worth their loyalty.
In our ten-year relationship with Optus, Australia’s second largest telecommunications provider, we’ve worked to build a brand that has innovation embedded at its core. This has included naming, positioning and bringing to market products such as Optus Pause, which enables families to suspend their internet connection with the touch of a button in order to reconnect with each other away from screens. We’ve helped position Optus as more than just a network, but a company that delivers innovations that are in tune with its customers’ lives. In 2023, we were very proud that Optus was named as the strongest brand in Australia by Brand Finance.
A strong brand helps build trust.
Telecommunications companies operate in an environment in which the threat of reputational damage is ever present. Data attacks are becoming more sophisticated, and significant cyber breaches more commonplace – from the T-Mobile attack in the United States which impacted 37 million customers, to the Optus data breach in Australia which impacted around 10 million.
As a consequence, trust is emerging as a major driver of consumer choice and a key focus of brand development. Our partnership with Swisscom focused on evolving the identity to express their vision to be the most trusted Swiss tech innovator creating unique customer experiences with positive impact for society. The results of this work can be seen in the 2023 Global 500 rankings by Brand Finance, in which Swisscom was ranked the world’s 3rd strongest brand.
It’s been shown time and again that a strong brand can help businesses rebound from reputational storms faster. Following the 2021 attacks on its Exchange Server software, for example, Microsoft was able to rely on swift action, coupled with strong existing brand sentiment, to mitigate the impact on customers and preserve trust in its products and services.
A strong brand drives progress.
Brand is a critical foundation for telecommunications providers. But it’s also more than that – it’s the vehicle that can take businesses towards the future.
At Re, we specialise in designing experiences that make brands come to life for customers. For Oppo that meant designing solutions to help them connect with global markets beyond their Chinese customer base. For CelcomDigi (previously Celcom) in Malaysia and Dialog in Sri Lanka it meant developing flagship retail experiences that found unique ways to engage and excite shoppers across diverse markets. For Optus, it meant showing the business’ commitment to diversity and inclusion through a World Pride campaign that starred Optus’ own employees.
Our philosophy is to ‘make progress by design’. We’re passionate about working with businesses to understand what progress means for them, and designing that future together.
For a deeper conversation, reach out to Re Global CEO Patrick Guerrera at patrick@re.design
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1. Roy Morgan Single Source (Australia). Risk Monitor, 12-month average to February 2023.
2. Oliver Wyman Analysis
