Analyze existing campaigns of any telecommunication network in Ghana; - Identify the 7 or 8 essentials for Campaign Planning in the chosen campaign

 Mobile Telecommunication Network (MTN) Ghana, one of Ghana’s most reliable voice and data network has variety of services tailored to suit specific needs, lifestyle and economic situations of its customers or subscribers. These services are specifically designed to enhance its customers/subscribers mobile experience and add value to their subscription.

MTN Ghana on the 9^th of May, 2009 built an extensive 3.5G network. The service which uses a High-Speed Downlink Packet Access (HSDPA, also known as High-Speed Data Packet Access) was made available to a large number of their valued customers.

This new 3.5G service is meant to enhance the overall network experience for its customers, and provide more efficient systems for the transmission of existing voice, text and data services. The HSDPA based 3.5G service, offers several advantages over the existing packet-switched techniques used for transmitting data. This allows support for new and exciting multimedia data applications such as broadband access to the internet, emailing, mobile TV, video telephony and video conferencing from a mobile phone, PDA, or laptop.

Marketing Challenge and Campaign Planning

Extensive research was done on availability of bandwidth, speed and technological developments prevailing in the industry.

The population demand for the voice call and broadband services has not stopped rising in the last couple of years. Not only that the number of users is getting higher, but they extensively use the newly offered services. An increasing population of residential users generates most of the aggregated traffic on network platforms due to the peer to-peer connections thus affecting the consumers’ purchase decision.

In the quest to curtail this issue, a Campaign on the 3.5G Network Services was developed focusing on Network Planning and Service Assurance. The goal of network planning is not only to define the initial network, but to keep it optimized as well. Network planning is an iterative process, involving topological design, network-synthesis, and network-realization, and is aimed at ensuring that a new network or service meets the needs of the subscriber and operator.

Service Assurance is a complex problem that can be tackled with using different approaches. Services may have different characteristics in terms of media involved (audio, video…)

In this Campaign, a detailed overview of the solutions for telecommunications network planning and network maintenance, namely service assurance was presented. Network planning is a process that leads to the optimized network design which as a result provides the users with the ubiquitous access to network and the guaranteed level of service. As it is an optimization problem, the solutions presented in this campaign usually involved widely used optimization techniques with respect to the integrated marketing communication approach such as Public Relations, Events, Sales promotion, sponsorships etc. Even though these tools proved useful, the expert knowledge in the management of telecommunications networks is required to adequately define the network planning problem and to set the important optimization parameters.

This state-of-the-art shows that telecommunications network planning and maintenance are complex issues that are in constant demand for better solutions. With the evolution of telecommunications networks, which carries heavy investments in new technologies, the research was directed to cutting the costs while providing the users with the guaranteed level of service.

Team players of the campaign are made up of MTN staff and external human resources. Also, the media through which the campaign message should be channeled was also considered.

Campaign Goals and Objectives

1.       To maintain brand loyalty

2.       To re-assure customers and differentiate between their  affordability, reliability efficient faster data services as compared to their competitors (Service Assurance)

3.      To gain the ‘viewers’ attention or induce ‘viewers’ to switch to MTN network services.

4.      It aims to short-circuit the conscious consideration of purchase decisions.

Target Audience

Though this campaign is targeted at the entire MTN subscribers and potential customers, it focuses more on the Youth, working class and researchers who are regular users of voice calls and the internet.

Funding

In drawing up the budget (upheld), the under listed elements were factored in;

·        Concept development campaign

·        Research/Planning

·        Concept development for creatives i.e. art work for billboards, TVC and radio jingles etc.

·        Event launch

·        PR strategy

·        Airtime for radio & TV

·        Print and outdoor advertising

·        Models

·        Advertising agency

Usually, the budget for the TV and radio commercials will be determinant on the number of times the commercials is broadcast per medium.

Media Strategy

Due to the vast and diversified nature of the target audience, the underlisted media were selected;

·        TVC

·        Radio

·        Public Relations

·        Fliers

·        Billboards

·        Online

The major media selection was TV (TV3, GTV and Viasat 1 to be precise). Effective TV commercials merge video and audio into a powerful sales tool. Combining sight and sound sparks the viewers' emotions and help them identify with the services product. And if they can identify with your product, you're more likely to get the sale. Also, the fact that subscribers are likely to get a clearer message when audio-visuals are used to explain the real intent of the message.

Creative Strategy

In meeting the objectives, a campaign on the 3.5G Network services was developed.

This was backed by creating the MTN Video Calling (see fig. 1) which gave subscribers the assurance of enjoying the thrill of face to face conversations in real-time wherever they are!  To make a Video Call on their 3.5G enabled handset all they have to do is:

·        Select the MTN contact they want to call. Subscribers are to note that their contact must have a 3.5G handset.

·        Select the Video Call option

·        Make the Call

The contact will receive the call and be prompted to accept the Video Call.

(Fig. 1)

Another key facet is the MTN Play (see fig. 2) which seeks to bring to life the 3.5G mobile phone of its subscribers with the coolest hits, wallpapers, ringtones and so much more! To receive data GPRS/EDGE/3.5G settings their phones, subscribers are to send a blank text to short code 686 or dial *686# followed by 'yes' or 'send' to receive the configuration codes on their phones.

To start downloading immediately, access the web browser on their phones, subscribers are to type in http://mtnplay.com.gh and press enter! This enables subscribers to explore more and turns their phone into a world of endless entertainment with MTN Play.

Download more. Instantly.

(fig. 2)

Tactically, another key component creative strategy is the development and the execution of MTN Internet Pocket (see fig. 3). It uses animation. In the advertisement, a cartoon in a multi-colored attire (colors representing MTN’s competitors) riding a motor bike moving very slowly as compared to another motor bike which  overtook the first motor bike. Later, a car also overtook the 1^st motor bike and finally, a heavy cargo vehicle moving at a very fast speed and eventually overtook the 1^st motor bike. Symbolically, the cartoon on the bicycle moving very slowly represents the other networks or its competitors whiles the 2^nd motor bike, car and heavy cargo vehicle represents MTN.

 The impression it seeks to create in the minds of its subscribers or potential subscribers is that unlike other networks, MTN data network services is the fastest source of accessing the internet regardless of the size of data being downloaded.

                 

(fig. 3)

MTN 3.5G service is available in Accra, Tema, Kumasi, Takoradi, Tarkwa, Bogoso, Ho, Koforidua, Cape Coast, Kasoa, Winneba, Tamale, Sunyani, Kenyasi, Techiman, Obuasi, Bolgatanga, Wa, Prestea, Damine, Ntoroso, Bibiani, Besomtwi, Bekwai, Aflao, Chirano and still counting. Explore more on Ghana's most reliable voice and data network with the widest 3.5G coverage.

Co-ordination

There was the availability of resources and resource personnel for planning and executing the strategic communication plan as well as efficient team workers, i.e. internal and external publics.

Evaluation

This campaign has resulted in sales growth, outstanding brand, increased the number of MTN subscribers and still counting.

References

www.mtnghana.com

Dorothy Adams-Quaye

Ghana Institute of Journalism

Level 300 (Top up)

TOPE2014001

QUESTION: DISCUSS THE AIETA MODEL PRESENTED BY EVERETT ROGERS IN “DIFFUSION OF INNOVATIONS”

Everett Rogers, a professor of rural sociology in 1962 originally introduced the AIETA model in his book, “Diffusion of Innovations”. Diffusion of Innovations is a theory that explains how, why and at what rate new ideas and technology spread through cultures.

He stated that diffusion is the process by which an innovation is communicated through certain channels over time among the members of the social system, thus, the four main elements that influence the spread of a new idea: the innovation, communication channel, time and social system.

Rogers developed a response hierarchy model for new product in an attempt to determine the process of moving from awareness to adoption; that is from knowing about the existence of the product, the purchase, preference and satisfaction. He proposed that consumers go through the steps of Awareness, Interest, Evaluation, Trial and Adoption whose acronym forms the AIETA model. This was later developed by Krugman in 1977 using the Integrated Marketing Communication. The AIETA model concerns itself with affecting the consumer in a hierarchical effect due to the fact that if the first step is appropriately created, it will affect the next step through to the last step in order to achieve the objective or task.

In the initial step of the adoption process, the potential buyer learns or becomes aware of the existence of the new product or service since there is the possibility that potential buyers would not buy products or services they are not aware of.

After being made aware of the existence of the product or services, he or she develops an interest and proceeds to acquire more information regarding the product or services. After making enquiries about the product or services, the potential considers whether to accept or reject it, its advantages and disadvantages and how it will affect or add value to his or her life.

The potential buyer then takes the next step to buy the product and experiment it. He or she then makes a final decision as to adopting or rejecting it and begins large-scale use, which hopefully leads to preference, satisfaction, and repeats purchases.

The stages of innovation affect consumer’s behaviour at every stage of a product life cycle. These are innovators, early adopters, early majority, late majority and the laggards.

These steps in the Adoption Model can progress rapidly or slowly depending on the product or services. For instance, when MTN was taking over from Areeba, they had a communication task which is to create awareness with much emphasis on their slogan, “everywhere you go” for over a year. The communication task was achieved, thus, customers became interested after which they imagined themselves using it and then trying the service and finally adopting it. This campaign has made them win over 11million customers (subscribers) to their services.

However, in later editions of the Diffusions of Innovations, Rogers changes the terminology of the five stages to: knowledge, persuasion, decision, implementation and confirmation though the descriptions have remained similar.

Some critics leveled against the model are that, technologies are not static. Also, that the communication approach process involved is a one-way flow of information; i.e. sender of the message has a goal to persuade the receiver and there is little or no dialogue.

References:

• Rogers, 1962
•   Diffusion of Innovations, by Everett Rogers (1995) Reviewed by Greg Orr March 18, 2003
•  http://www.stanford.edu/class/symbsys205/Diffusion%20of%20Innovations.htm
•  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diffusion_of_innovations

Dorothy Adams-Quaye

Ghana Institute of Journalism

Level 300 (Top up)

TOPE2014001