The Telco Training Academy

   

Marketing and Brand Positioning

Telco brand image management is a relatively new area for many managers. For most telco managers, the concepts of brand management and mass market advertising (television, radio, billboards, etc) were one and the same. Spending on advertising was associated with:

  • Developing a positive image in the eyes of regulators and the public in general, or

  • Driving large numbers of customers into the sales channels to boost headcount

It is only now, as telco markets mature, that managers are beginning to understand the concepts of:

  • Brand equity
     Investment made in the brand and the revenue "lift" it can generate

  • Brand positioning
    Creation and maintenance of a consistent and comprehensive brand image that serves as a foundation for all marketing, sales, and customer service activities

  • Brand management
    The formal discipline associated with maintenance and leveraging of that brand investment

 

Telco Brand Management - Lessons Learned the Hard Way

Many managers are only slowly coming to realize exactly how much power, flexibility, and leverage a good brand management program can provide. They are also learning first hand just how disastrous a lackadaisical and inconsistently executed program can be. Too many telcos are finding themselves the victims of:

  • Rapidly prepared and executed mass market campaigns that have a short term impact, but created strong and hard to erase images in the minds of the consumer of what the telco represents in the market place
    (Are you the low cost provider? The quality provider? Are you mercenary or friendly?)

  • Incredible erosion of their brand position and brand equity based caused by activities within their own companies
    (Different advertising campaigns, promotions, and customer service policies create conflicting and contradictory messages that confuse and irritate customers and erode their confidence and mindshare)

  • Market confusion and chaos in place of consolidation and reinforcement of your image in the minds of consumers

 

The Basics of Brand Equity Management

What many organizations need is a quick refresher course in the basics of brand management principles.  The entire organization must understand the value (both hard and soft values) that good brand management can provide, such as:

  • Market momentum

  • Automatic and no-cost "lift" behind every program, campaign, or policy that is initiated

  • An opening for premium pricing avenues

  • A hedge against customer defection and churn

  • Increase in customer affinity and communicativeness

  • Improved willingness on the part of the customer to "work with" the provider

In addition to these market benefits are innumerable internal benefits, including:

  • Clarification of internal corporate identity, goals, and objectives

  • Establishment of shared organizational visions and values

  • Solidification of team activities

 

 's Unique Approach to Brand Management

One of the easiest and best ways to improve sales, marketing, and churn management activities is to revisit and enhance your current brand management activities. Continued interest and investment in brand position (figuring out ways to get better leverage from existing brand management activities, or deciding that a complete brand image facelift is in order) will provide you with a payback many times more than what you put into it.

 's approach to telco brand management is unique for a number of reasons:

  • First, our brand management focus and expertise is in the telecommunications industry. While generic brand management expertise has value, it often fails to serve the special needs of telcos. Telecommunications has a unique history, and the relationship between regulators, markets, customers, and providers is a unique and unconventional one.

  • Second, our approach is based on practical application and measurement of brand equity as it applies to telco sales, market position, market share, and customer loyalty. You won't see us win many awards for "artistic" campaigns, but you will be able to understand how the branding activity relates to how the entire business is running.

  • Third, our approach integrates brand management into the other key disciplines (strategy, customer intelligence, product, promotion, and channel). Our goal is leverage, first and foremost.

 

  Brand Management Value Propositions

  can help you generate, evaluate, and revitalize a brand image and a brand management strategy that gets the results you are looking for. Brand management investments will yield benefits for you in many areas including:

  • Better, clearer, and more compelling market position and presence

  • Improved market awareness (top of mind)

  • Improved market vision and focus (for customers, channels, and employees)

  • Better understanding of your current market position, power, and capabilities

  • Better understanding of you options for improving those key areas

  • Specific recommendations for brand image rejuvenation or recreation

  • Better integration and leveraging of brand image throughout the rest of the organization's customer value management activities

  • Improved "lift" from execution of campaigns enhanced with brand image components

 

  Brand Management Offerings

  provides a wide range of offerings and services in support of your telco brand management activities. These offerings include:

  • Brand audit and analysis

  • Brand management and development

  • Creation and optimization of your brand management operations and organization

  • Creation of a brand management roadmap

  • Integration of brand image into all customer value management activities (sales, marketing, customer service, SLA, channels, etc)