Summary
The end-of-year period is extremely competitive in the telecom industry. Instead of offering a unique package for everyone, VOO decided to stand out by engaging in real-time conversations with their core audience. To open the dialogue with our core audience we opted for conversational marketing using social channels and interactive ad formats. VOO succeeded in building relationships and creating authentic experiences, making it easier for people to engage. This changed the way our customers are buying, moreover it helped to convert more and faster as we measured a sales increase of 26%.
How to stand out in an industry characterized by gifting
Telco services are requested more than ever due to the COVID19 crisis. The new influx of teleworking, students following virtual classes and binge-watchers on streaming platforms are more aware than ever to switch to another provider when they are unsatisfied. We all know the telco acquisition programs: incentivizing customers to switch by offering gifts. To be able to stand out, and to make up for the lack of customer interaction that characterizes this industry, VOO decided to stand out differently. Our clients are becoming more aware of the digital experience they should expect and this expectation differs from client to client.
This is why VOO, Semetis and Happiness challenged themselves to deliver personalised offers at scale aimed at driving higher product subscriptions.
The answer? Simply, ask our clients what they want, give them a voice and listen to their needs. To do so, we needed ads that could open the dialogue and meet our customers on the channels they spend time on. Conversational ads such as the ones provided by Cavai, allowed us to do just that. Interactivity and social networks were our solution to grow the base of customers and lower the propensity to churn for current customers.
This campaign focused on two key elements: first the richness of content VOO offers and secondly the choice in gifted hardwares. Customers could for example opt for a projector as hardware, perfectly fitted for a cosy evening during your Christmas holidays in a period of pandemic. The objective of the campaign is to bring engagement to the next level. The creative concept of our campaign was very simple: talk with our potential client base and ultimately turn these into our biggest fans and customers.
What did we do to make that happen? We translated this into a two-pillar strategy:
- Strong media planning in different interactive social media: The COVID-19 pandemic had a huge impact on the channels our customers were using daily. TikTok boomed, users were spending endless amounts of hours on Pinterest to redecorate their house, listened more to podcasts on Spotify, bread tutorials exploded on YouTube, etc. It was clear we needed to be present in their new world, and connect with them in this new reality.
- Drive dialogue with our potential customer through advertising: VOO has 22 different packs, many different options and 3 gifts offered. Instead of deciding for the users, we let them identify the combo and the gift that would fit their needs the best.
Concretely, we included interactive ad formats and social channels in all layers of the funnel:
- Awareness: We first launched the campaign using next-generation marketing, which meant for VOO incorporating booming social media networks in their awareness layer. The campaign was distributed on Tik Tok, Pinterest, Facebook and YouTube. We brought a story showcasing that with VOO you can customize your total package fitting everyone’s new reality.
- Consideration: We did not stop there. As a follow-up to the big launch, we created an interactive conversational experience on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and conversational banners on publishers websites, using personalization. Concretely, users were invited to talk with VOO using Cavai Cloud functionality to express what they would like. By listening carefully, we could bring the personalized offer directly in the ad, all in real-time, allowing customers to get their subscription directly.
- Conversion: Finalizing, the two-way conversation ended up with a custom landing page showcasing the product and the gift the user had selected. The personalized offer was used to turn the engaged user into a new client.
Conversational marketing to combat this problem
Customers in need of telco services have a wide range of interest and needs, which generally makes personalization for a telco provider pretty difficult. To combat this problem, VOO succeeded in engaging with customers outside of the buying cycle and in adapting the offer in real-time. Cavai Cloud, the central element of this campaign, allowed us to build a chat bot dynamic within the ad. 32% of the users who started the dialogue were continuing the discussion in the advertising banner. The win? It’s all about giving customers the choice through social networks and interacting with them. By listening we are adding relevancy, which is highly needed in this time of pandemic.
The conversations we were having in these ads were bringing us a lot of customer information. We scaled those learnings and used the insights to feed our A/B test methodology on all other advertising platforms. Let’s showcase a concrete example:
- Within the conversational banner the users were invited to share the combination of products they need in the current circumstances. At the end of the conversation, the chatbot then suggested (in real time) the offers that were most suitable for their needs. Throughout the discussion we could thus understand the best combination of product pack and gift to personnalise the offer.
- This crucial exchange gave, for instance, the insight that the TV & smartphone were the most suitable gift for users who selected the Quatro pack.
- Then, on Facebook, the messages including the TV & smartphone gifts were A/B tested for the audience tempted by the Quatro pack.
- The results were unanimous: ad performance, interactivity & engagement increased significantly.
Semetis helping VOO to tap into real-time consumer wants
Like most media agencies, we typically focus on multimedia campaigns built around key moments that define the calendar year. The current reality has forced all of us to be far more driven by what people need and at the time they want. Semetis supported VOO in throwing out the regular playbook and being more agile and dynamic to tap into real-time consumer wants. Semetis contributed by identifying the social channels the target audience was mostly using in this new reality. For example the rise of Tik Tok, Pinterest, Spotify and YouTube.
Secondly, we deeply researched a format that was fitting with the campaign strategy. We did not solely focus on media selection, but brought innovation to the ad formats as well. The conversational ads enabled us to bring the potential customer and VOO closer together.
Thirdly, we leveraged the learning of these conversations, to create a feedback loop of insights applicable on other online channels. For example, the conversations held through the conversational ads taught us that people redecorating their house favor a projector as a gift. These insights were then used to run dedicated creative A/B tests on Facebook. Our media choice, planning and methodology enabled us to exceed VOO’s (and our) expectations.
The results
The results were stellar. Compared to the previous campaign the bounce rate was 30% lower, indicating going into conversation was much more relevant. On the total campaign, 44% more traffic and 26% more conversions were generated during the campaign period on the website compared to the previous year.
Why does this case deserve an Amma Award?
Various elements are remarkable in this campaign:
- Agile and dynamic media planning to adapt to the evolving habits.
- Interactiviy was brought on two axes: channel selection and cutting edge ad formats
- Personalisation truly matters in advertising, yet with the cookiepocalypse this is threatened. The conversational banner is future proof, as the interaction allows to bring a personalized experience without the usage of data/cookies.
- Strong collaboration in our ecosystem (advertiser, creative agency, technology and media agency) was crucial to bring this campaign to real success.
Margaux Marien
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