In a fiercely competitive category known for customer churn, TELUS marches to its own beat. The telecommunications giant encouraged customers to do the same in a recent marketing campaign.
The campaign struck an emotional chord by delivering a personalized customer experience, of which the TELUS Rewards program is a critical part.
TELUS needed to stand out in a competitive landscape and make their current mobility customers aware of the opportunity to join TELUS Rewards and get recognized for their loyalty.
TELUS Rewards is a free loyalty program available to new and existing customers with two or more eligible services. The program awards points for every dollar spent on qualified TELUS home services, plus bonus points for things like anniversaries, survey completion and more.
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Download INCITEThose enrolled in the program can choose the rewards they want from an online catalogue that includes things like gift cards, TELUS bill credits, charitable donations, on-demand movie credits, and the latest in tech.
TELUS marketing challenge
TELUS needed to stand out in a competitive landscape and make their current mobility customers aware of the opportunity to join TELUS Rewards and get recognized for their loyalty. An additional challenge for the rewards that rock campaign was its December timing – when the market is most noisy and cluttered.
You know how important music is to the company’s story if you’ve ever seen a TELUS TV commercial or attended a local TELUS event.
They wanted a campaign that would amplify the benefits of its rewards program and the merits of bundling a TELUS mobility plan with home services.
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An integrated marketing campaign that rocked
The rewards that rock campaign cranked it to 11 by integrating direct mail with social media and email to engage recipients.
An incredible piece of direct mail
What at first glance looked like a simple postcard proved to be much more. The direct mail piece mimicked the mesh of an audio speaker, luring customers inside. Once there, they found instructions to build a functional cardboard speaker that was fully recyclable using the mail piece itself as material:
Telus used masterful branding to evoke both nature and music.
On completion, customers could insert their smartphone into the speaker and play their favourite songs:
Recipients of this direct mail piece gladly bring it into their home, turning their attention to it every time they change a song.
Other elements of the campaign included a partnership with the TELUS Friendly Future Foundation – a partnership with the Sarah McLachlan School of Music, which supports organizations that use music to help youth overcome adversity – and promotions that paired iconic song tracks with charming critters.
A targeted and sequenced campaign
TELUS used Canada Post Personalized MailTM to target existing mobility-only customers. Related messaging was then pushed out on email and digital channels, stimulating customer interaction and triggering a response. TELUS shared that, from a channel perspective, they always consider the timing and sequencing of different communications – an email followed by direct mail or vice versa – to ensure they maximize customer response.
TELUS used Canada Post Personalized MailTM to target existing mobility-only customers.
The campaign’s incredible ROI
The direct mail campaign achieved a 13 per cent increase in customers who opted to bundle home services with their mobility plan.
Better together
Followed by a reminder email, the foldable speaker functioned as an ideal “opening” act. Those who received direct mail and a follow-up email were more likely to accept the bundle offer than those who received an email alone. Results show the one-two combination produced a 30 per cent lift compared to a control group that received an email only.
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TELUS shared that it’s a combination of brand and customer-centricity that’s behind their success. They always ensure that brand and activation are closely tied together. Crafted to align with the brand, the look, feel and future-friendly message of each campaign increases relevance. At the same time, their customer experience approach to marketing brings emotional appeal and activation together with segmentation. TELUS also integrates social impact and sustainability initiatives into their core marketing activities – a truly holistic approach.
Direct mail was used as one part of an integrated marketing strategy… It allowed us to reach our customer, capture their attention and leave them with something memorable they could continue to enjoy while keeping TELUS top of mind.