Challenge and Selection

A new product launch in the telecom industry is always very challenging, many parameters should be  considered for a successful launch. There are thousands of products offered by various operators,  targeted for different consumer groups with varying demographics, and with different needs and  expectations. Coming up with a new product offering that will meet customer expectations, boost  shareholder confidence and trust is probably the most challenging issue telecom operators face globally.

The most important parameter to be considered before a product launch is understanding the customer  demand and differentiating yourself from the competitors. I find storytelling a great tool for reaching out  to the target audience in order to establish empathy and emotional connectivity. Once you establish that  connection, your customers will be willing to take part in this exciting journey together with you and also  demonstrate loyalty and ownership. That’s when you know you have a successful product that stands out.

Good stories always remain in the minds of individuals, they are always spoken about and told to others,  sometimes even to next generations. They also create curiosity and you never want the story to finish if  it is good.

Application

The first step is understanding the target audience; who they are, where they come from, what their  background is, what they exactly need and previously experienced. I believe this is the most important  step which defines success and failure. After this, the expectations and needs should be mapped against  current product offerings to understand the gaps and evaluate how these gaps can be addressed with the  new product. The new product is the hero that is here to save the day.

The next part is developing a compelling story, simple but flowing, positive, inspiring and intriguing. It has  to be credible so always tell the truth; genuine and authentic stories are the ones that really establishes  connection at a personal level. The story should appeal to emotion so it would feel relatable to customers.

There should be a clear sequence of events in the story, customers should flow with the story from  beginning to the end and left with curiosity and desire to start using the new product, as soon as possible.

Once the narrative is in place, visual storytelling elements should be used to keep the attention. The story  should ideally be told with video or animation to enrich the experience and increase comprehension. The  story can have a mix of formal as well as humorous and personal or professional inserts.

The story should not leave any doubt or question in the customers minds, otherwise they will look for  other products or wait for other users’ comments or experience.

Telecom operators often use brand ambassadors, celebrities, football superstars, mascots to represent  their brand and tell the story of a new product; this creates curiosity, emotional connectivity and loyalty.

Insight & Approach

After the product launch, we evaluate the success of the product against the defined financial and non- financial objectives. Various KPIs are reviewed to determine the success of the new product. Over the last  few years, social media response has been included as a new KPI to measure the success of the story.

Nowadays, we are witnessing that the stories communicated by famous football players instead of  mascots are more successful, customers’ response is more positive and they share the story with other  users which expands the reach to even at a global scale.

