When it comes to digital leadership, mobile operators have stood in the shadows of the likes of Google, Amazon and Facebook for far too long. These digital giants have long set the standards, when it comes to driving digital engagement, for traditional telecoms operators to aspire to. This has prompted the global operator community to drive expansive and inclusive digital transformation programmes. The goal was simple - to be regarded by consumers as being ‘digital first’ and viewed amongst global digital leaders. Over the last 2 to 3 years, the traditional telecoms world has been turned on its head - operators have been forced to embrace unfamiliar technology and working practices to achieve this aim. For some, it has led to a new identity, a new brand, even a new culture. These operators have thought carefully about how it wants to be perceived by its existing customers and the new demographics they want to attract.
The key question is, has all the effort and investment been worth it? Are telecoms operators really transforming? Are they successfully embracing new digital identities, or are they simply talking the talk without walking the walk?
A recent global survey undertaken by Sapio Research suggests that it has absolutely been time and money well spent. As many as 70 per cent of consumers from the UK, U.S., Colombia, Indonesia and Singapore now consider their operator to be ‘digital first.’ In fact, the global consensus is that mobile operators now rank higher than the likes of eBay, Spotify and Uber in terms of digital leadership. Quite some progress, indeed.
Legere leading the way
T-Mobile US has grasped the digital leadership mantle better than most. Its CEO, John Legere, has been at the forefront of the company’s “digital first” approach, building a strong ‘customer-loving’ social media presence. His hands-on attitude to engaging with subscribers on Twitter demonstrates his accessibility; taking the time to respond to queries and even invites customers into his kitchen for a weekly live stream cooking show.
There is also a direct correlation between this fresh digital identity and T-Mobile’s growing subscriber numbers. At the beginning of 2019, the T-Mobile US announced it had added 2.4 million net customer additions in Q4 of 2018. With T-Mobile expected to be the dominant brand should the Sprint merger in the U.S. finally be approved, this digital first culture will likely permeate the additional 50 million subscribers Sprint would bring. This potentially has powerful permutations as the combined entity looks to challenge AT&T and Verizon’s current market dominance.
New identity, new culture, new opportunity
This is especially true given the raft of new opportunity that these new digital identities provide global operators. In fact, almost half (46 percent) of consumers picked their operator because of its strong and clear brand identity. The once considered utility-like providers are now seen as a credible source of digital services - this is critical as most operators search for ROI on heavy 5G investment. In the same Sapio survey, 73 per cent of global consumers would like to see more personalised digital services from their mobile operator and 69 per cent would like more interaction with them across digital channels. Operator customers around the world have spoken - we want more digital services and we want them from you.
The digital marketing war has been won, therefore. Now it’s time for operators to make good on this new perception and seize the lucrative opportunity facing them. The same digital transformation programs that have changed public perception have also seen operators deploy new enabling technology to deliver the capabilities the marketing promises. Legacy BSS stacks are no longer fit for purpose. They lack the agility and flexibility to meet these changing customer expectations. We now live in an age of digital BSS, powered by the public cloud and enabling adjunct systems to monetise new 5G services that have been defined and created, but also react to those that haven’t.
Operators that cash in on digital transformation will be those that prepare for the unexpected better than the competition. High customer expectations are the only constant in the emerging 5G digital race, and operators will need digital BSS to adequately meet them.
