PR and Marketing for Telecoms during periods of uncertainty
The telecoms industry saw a significant surge in demand during the pandemic due to the rise in remote work, leading to substantial investments in network expansion. However, four years later, the outlook is less positive with service providers looking to claw back revenue from fibre-to-the-home and 5G rollouts. This is not only impacting service providers but also many of the industry’s equipment vendors, who are facing an uncertain immediate future as their customers limit spending.
Yet, while the situation might appear bleak on the surface, the sector is likely going through another boom or bust cycle and things will soon pick up.
The deployment of AI to harness the power of automation and streamline work channels is a big opportunity for telcos looking to drive operational efficiencies and reduce costs. The adoption of cloud technologies continues to represent an opportunity for telcos to enhance operational efficiency, reduce costs, and increase agility in their service offerings. And most significantly, internet traffic continues to increase at a steady rate across networks. So, once more customers sign up for fibre services or are enticed by the prospect of 5G standalone, growth in the sector will ramp up again.
With all this potential waiting in the wings, the approach that telecoms companies take to their marketing strategies is crucial. By demonstrating their growth potential and commitment to innovation, they can position themselves to capitalise on the upcoming opportunities and drive the next wave of industry expansion.
Hunker down, or come out fighting?
This continues to be the quandary facing many in the telco sector; to make cutbacks and wait out the storm, or double your efforts to get a jump on the competition.
It’s widely understood that more investment in your PR and marketing strategies, at a point when many others are making predictable cuts, will set you in good stead for a speedy recovery, and up to 3.5 times more brand visibility when compared to brands who elected to wait out the storm. Crucial, when we consider how cautious spending in the sector has been in recent months.
However, it takes nerves of steal to go gung-ho down this big spending route, and not every telco will have either the means or the metal for it. Instead, our suggestion lies somewhere between these two camps.
Continued but considered investment in your PR and marketing campaigns will mean the difference between brand recognition and brand obscurity, buyer trust and buyer avoidance. Now, more than ever, you must be discerning with your investment choices in this area, as you cannot afford to engage a PR agency that lacks a comprehensive understanding of the sector, its opportunities and the ability to navigate tricky comms terrain.
What to look for in a PR agency
To navigate challenging times and emerge successfully, marketers should seek the following qualities in a communications agency:
Sector-wide knowledge and understanding
Look for an agency that understands the opportunities for your brand within your specific market area. The ability to be able to understand your proposition technically, and translate that into something that can appeal to a wide range of influencers – for example, trade media, national and business media, and analysts – is key.
Thought leadership as the key component of your PR and marketing activities
A good agency should guide you towards thought leadership as the primary driver of media coverage. This type of content should be neutral (non-promotional) but designed to engage your target audience with industry insights relatable to the challenges and opportunities they experience in the market. This is content that builds trust in your brand, increases traffic to your website and shunts your reluctant spenders along the buying cycle a-pace.
Integrated marketing approach
The agency should have a solid understanding of the marketing mix to ensure all activities are seamlessly integrated into its overall marketing strategy. This approach helps your brand to attract, nurture and convert prospects through your own content, maintaining contact at every stage in your buying cycle. By tailoring your content to your target audience, you can consistently deliver the same narrative at every interaction point with your prospects.
Data-driven campaigns
Choose an agency that can convert PR and marketing efforts into tangible business results, rather than just securing media coverage for its own sake. An agency should look at clear objectives and measure things such as share of voice (in the context of PR, this refers to measuring coverage versus your competitors to key terms relating to your business), share of search (your business ranking on Google using said terms), enabling decisions based on data to maximise effectiveness. If you’re conducting integrated PR and marketing campaigns (which you should be!), you can measure website clicks, social interactions, whitepaper downloads, and the success of other assets you’ve developed.
Coming out on top
Paul Campbell
Director
