Case Two - Telephony; Branding, Segmentation, Positioning work
| Client: | Western Wireless |
| Industry: | Cellular Telecommunications |
| Catalyst for contacting us: | Increasing competitive pressures and subscriber churn rate; customer perceptions inconsistent from region to region. |
| Point of Contact: | Director of Marketing |
| Our Approach: | Analyzed existing market research and customer surveys commissioned by client and found the data too general to be actionable. Identified nine specific issues relevant to brand perception and loyalty and constructed a systemic method to capture the "voice of the customer." Obtained customer input in five regional markets through focus groups and phone interviews. |
| What we learned: | Uncovered a sense of abandonment by customers and a perceived lack of reciprocity in their relationship with the company, which had significant implications for long-term retention. We learned existing users were very aware of the company's focus on "getting" versus "keeping" customers, and were concerned about being treated fairly. The conclusion was that the company needed to evolve from its business model of capturing business to one of establishing and maintaining superior customer relations. |
| Impact for the client: | Underlined the importance of building a business model and execution congruent with a brand identity based on values important to customers. Confirmed the client's intent to acquire exclusive rights to the brand mark and establish a unified customer-oriented identity, as opposed to ad hoc promotion and sales applied inconsistently from region to region. |