AT&T’s network was down nationally for twelve hours back in February.
Though AT&T Chief Marketing and Growth Officer Kellyn Smith Kenny described the company’s reaction as exemplifying its dedication to a customer-centric strategy in a keynote address at the ANA’s “Masters of Marketing” conference, it would seem strange material for a brand case study.
She said, “Brands have to pursue innovation in service of the customer, not for its own sake.” “Did you create revenue in a manner that would get consumers pumped up to be a brand and idea superfan? When you are innovative, you should follow that, Kenny said throughout the presentation.
Although analyzing vast volumes of consumer data might be beneficial, Kenny argues that such “big data” by itself “doesn’t tell the whole story,” as it doesn’t help one grasp consumer emotional demands. She said, “What we actually need is rich data,” meaning information that helps businesses and marketers “understand [consumers’] model for the world,” and helps marketers “convey their narrative.”
“You need qualitative research, ethnography research…to understand, under it all, what is truly driving [consumer] behavior,” she said.
She stated, organizations may innovate in service of their consumers, develop better marketing briefs, and tell better stories reflective of, and connecting with, their audiences by combining “big” and “thick” data. She used the introduction of AT&T Turbo for gaming and streaming as a case study to show the idea in action.
Topline statistics on gamers reveal that there are around 215 million players with an average age of 33, with a quite equal gender split, and 60% of them use many devices. However, by knowing why individuals initially game, “thick data” might assist to paint a picture of the gaming community. She stated two of the main reasons are to find community and to escape the concerns of the world in a safe and secure setting.
Understanding latency as a main cause of annoyance for consumers, AT&T created the product to provide what she described as “the fastest, most dependable” gaming experience. Launched in May, according to Kenny, the product immediately became popular and exceeded three-month sales projections within a month of introduction.
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“Creators and gamers were uploading [unpaid] reviews of this product,” she said. “They seemed to be paid endorsements…This is the outcome of innovative service for the consumer.
Regarding the February outage, she pointed to a “massive amount of research to understand what consumers experience when connectivity is disrupted,” saying the brand’s past readiness helped them react during the crisis.
She remarked, “We understood exactly the language to reassure them we understood.” “We even knew the amount of money they would consider as just compensation for a disturbance.” Within a day after the disturbance, she said, AT&T gave consumers credit for a full day of service, therefore transforming the generally unfavorable news coverage of the event into either positive or neutral coverage.
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