The majority of challenger brands are born with singular determination — to disrupt an industry, shift the paradigm and challenge well-established perceptions.
But, when you’re a relatively unknown wireless brand in a market dominated by billion-dollar players, the challenge for the challenger brand becomes very real and the marketing becomes even more pivotal.
As manager of Public Mobile, Catalina Lopez has the important task of uncovering opportunities, shaping the brand, developing its story and telling it in a way that appeals to the elusive millennial and convinces hard-nosed consumers it’s a wireless company that does things differently.
It’s a tall order for any marketer, but one the 29-year-old handles with a sense of ease and confidence. That’s not to say Lopez isn’t keenly aware of what she and the brand are up against. Though it has the muscle of owner Telus on its side — the Vancouver-based telecommunications company acquired the brand in late 2013 — the brand is relatively unknown.
“The little awareness we do have is when it started as a startup in Toronto. We’ve changed significantly [since then],” says Lopez, who has been with the company just over a year. “The biggest challenge is getting the word out so people put [Public Mobile] in the consideration set.”
What Lopez, her team and a roster of agencies are doing to tackle the awareness issue among younger consumers 18-30 is three fold. The brand is sourcing and sharing six-to-eight pieces of “witty and relevant” content a day through its social channels, increasing its media spend and hosting on-campus activations.
Given the appetite for content, its of particular importance for Lopez and her team.
“We have an idea of what our target wants to read and we have done a lot to understand what they have an affinity for,” she says.
Knowing, for instance, the target consumer loves to travel, but tends to be frugal, the brand shares tips and tricks on how to get the most of frequent flyer miles and credit card points.
In the wireless wars, customer service is the battleground — it’s where consumers are won and lost. Public Mobile takes a different approach to customer service and one it feels differentiates it from the big guys.
The brand does not have a call centre, but a team of customer service specialists that respond to inquiries online. Lopez developed a support strategy to reduce response times from four-to-five days to less than an hour.
She doubled the size of the team, changed the compensation structure and found ways to motivate and engage the specialists so they felt valued and understood the importance of their role in the organization and their impact on the brand.
One way she did this was sharing the brand strategy and explaining why it exists. If a campaign is set to launch, Lopez ensures they are prepared and feel part of it.
“All the little things have changed the culture of the team,” she says. “They are charged and ready to go.”
Prior to joining Public Mobile in 2015, Lopez spent six years at Johnson & Johnson working on the Johnson’s baby brand, Aveeno, RoC and a portfolio of digestive health brands.
“I have so many good things to say about that experience,” she says. “I would say a big thing at Johnson & Johnson is you are expected to be the owner of your business and a GM of the brand you’re working on. That 360 view led me to this role.”
There are insights and anecdotes aplenty in our 30 Under 30 editorial package. To get the scoop on our finalists visit 30U30.ca and read full profiles of Canada’s next set of marketing leaders.
