Three UK’s Marketing Strategy: Navigating Turbulent Telecom Waters in 2024

Ah, the telecom industry in twenty-twenty-four. It’s a bit like trying to have a relaxing swim in a pool absolutely jam-packed with overly enthusiastic inflatable flamingo riders. Everyone’s vying for space, margins are thinner than a slice of wafer-thin ham, and customers, grappling with economic uncertainty, are clinging onto their devices like they’re the last life raft on the Titanic.

This, my friends, puts the squeeze on our beloved telecom companies, forcing them to get seriously creative about maintaining profitability. And what’s the first thing to get tossed overboard when the going gets tough? You guessed it – the often misunderstood and underappreciated marketing budget.

Three UK to the Rescue (Probably)

Enter Chris Gough, the Head Honcho of Marketing and Communications at Three UK. This guy gets it. He sees the writing on the wall, recognizes that we’re smack-dab in the middle of a “commoditized market” (telecom, in case you zoned out for a sec), and knows deep down in his marketing soul that this is precisely when you double down on building a brand that people actually, you know, like.

Gough, however, isn’t about to jump on board the “slash all marketing budgets” bandwagon just because everyone else is doing it. In fact, he’s got some strong opinions about this whole “performance marketing” trend, which, let’s be honest, sounds a bit like something you’d hear in a corporate motivational seminar. And not a good one.

Hold Up, “Performance Marketing?” More Like “Perilous Marketing,” Amirite?

Okay, maybe that’s a tad dramatic, but Gough raises a valid point. The term “performance marketing” itself is kinda problematic. It creates this artificial divide between building a brand that resonates with people on an emotional level and, you know, actually selling stuff.

This kind of thinking can lead finance departments (you know, the folks who love spreadsheets more than life itself) down a dangerous path. It’s like whispering, “Psst, brand marketing is for hippies,” in their ear and watching them happily sharpen their budget-cutting pencils.

It’s All About Talking (and Measuring) the Talk

So, how do we rescue brand building from the clutches of those spreadsheet-wielding finance folks? According to Gough, it’s all about learning to speak their language. No, not Klingon, thankfully (although that would be an impressive skill to have). We’re talking about the language of numbers, data, and those magical three letters: ROI.

Gough is a firm believer in letting the data do the talking. Marketers can’t just waltz into a board meeting armed with vague notions of “brand awareness” and “customer engagement.” They need cold, hard evidence that links brand investments to tangible business outcomes. And that’s where the magic of econometric modeling comes in.

Imagine being able to show your finance team precisely how a particular brand campaign translates into increased sales, not just in the short term, but weeks, months, even years down the line. That’s the power of econometric modeling. It’s like peering into a crystal ball, except this ball is powered by algorithms and data, not some mystical mumbo jumbo.

But it’s not enough to just have the data, you’ve gotta share it, and share it strategically. Gough stresses the importance of building alliances with key players within your organization, especially those who have the “ear of the board.” This might be your data analytics team, your commercial team, or even that one person in the office who seems to know everyone. The more advocates you have singing the praises of brand building, the better your chances of securing those precious marketing dollars.

Three UK Walks the Walk (and Talks the Talk)

Now, you might be thinking, “Okay, that’s all well and good, but how does this actually play out in the real world?” Well, my friends, let me tell you the tale of Three UK’s very own brand transformation journey.

Rewind to 2020. Three UK, like many other telecom companies, found themselves staring down the barrel of stagnant growth. Their old strategy, which relied heavily on advertising and chasing after the ever-elusive youth market, was starting to show its wrinkles.

So, they took a deep breath, channeled their inner marketing gurus, and decided to shake things up. Instead of solely focusing on acquiring new customers (which, let’s be honest, is a bit like trying to fill a bathtub with a leaky bucket), they decided to prioritize building long-term brand loyalty with the customers they already had.

Enter the “Life Needs a Big Network” brand platform, launched in 2021. This wasn’t just some flashy tagline, it was a complete overhaul of how Three UK presented themselves to the world. They wanted to create an emotional connection with their audience, to build something that would stick in people’s minds long after they saw that funny ad on YouTube.

And it wasn’t just about warm and fuzzy feelings either. They backed it up with concrete actions, like beefing up their loyalty programs, making it easier for customers to manage their accounts, and you know, actually listening to what their customers wanted (shocking, I know).

The Takeaway (Because Every Good Story Needs One)

So, what can we learn from Three UK’s bold journey into the wild world of brand building? A few key things:

• Brand Building Is King (or Queen): Even when the economy is doing its best impression of a rollercoaster ride, investing in your brand is absolutely crucial for long-term success. Think of it like this: would you rather be remembered as that generic phone company with the forgettable logo, or the one that made you laugh, made you think, and made you feel like you were part of something bigger?
• Data Is Your BFF (Best Friend Forever): You can’t just rely on gut feeling or creative intuition anymore. You need data to back up your decisions and prove the value of brand building to the powers that be. Embrace the data, become one with the data, and watch as your marketing budget miraculously expands.
• Teamwork Makes the Dream Work: Don’t try to go it alone. Building a strong brand requires buy-in from everyone in your organization. So, put on your networking hat, grab some cookies, and start building those strategic alliances.
• Embrace the Change (Because Nothing Stays the Same Forever): The marketing landscape is constantly evolving, so your strategies need to evolve too. Stay curious, stay agile, and don’t be afraid to try new things (within reason, of course. Please don’t start handing out branded socks at the office, unless they’re really, really cool socks).

By taking these lessons to heart, marketers can become true champions of brand building, even in the face of the fiercest competition and the most daunting economic headwinds. And who knows, maybe, just maybe, they might even convince a few finance departments to put down their spreadsheets and embrace the power of a well-loved brand.