Mobile Marketing Magazine sits down with Ericsson’s Head of Marketing, Communications & SCR for Europe and Latin America, Sally Croft to discuss the telecoms giant leveraging new technologies, current trends in the industry influencing marketing strategies and a behind the scene look at its new campaign, ‘Make It Memorable’.
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What inspired the concept behind the “Make It Memorable” campaign?
“The “Make It Memorable” campaign was inspired by 2024 being the “year of the fan” in Europe, a time when sports and entertainment mega-events are driving a significant increase in mobile data usage. With data usage in arenas skyrocketing by 67% year over year, it became clear that robust network capabilities are essential to manage this surge and enhance the fan experience.
“Our campaign aims to showcase the transformative impact of 5G upgrades, which not only improve connectivity but also open up new revenue streams for Communication Service Providers (CSPs) by offering enriched, seamless mobile experiences that fans are willing to pay a premium for.
“To connect with business decision-makers within CSPs, the campaign leverages the universal emotions experienced during live events—whether it’s the thrill of a concert or the excitement of a game-winning goal. These shared moments are at the heart of the campaign, emphasising the role of technology in making these experiences unforgettable.”
What are the primary goals you aim to achieve with this campaign?
“Many of our customers, Communication Service Providers (CSPs), have existing brand partnerships in sports and entertainment and are already closely involved with such events.
“The primary goal of the “Make It Memorable” campaign is to motivate them to recognise and capitalise on the unique opportunities presented by these events. By highlighting them as effective platforms for enhancing the return on investment in 5G technology, we aim to encourage CSPs to develop new, innovative commercial offerings that captivate their consumers.
“Moreover, the campaign strives to inspire CSP decision-makers to act by presenting creative and compelling content that underscores the transformative potential of 5G at live events. This includes demonstrating how upgraded network capabilities can lead to dynamic pricing models, service innovations, and ultimately, stronger business models in the highly competitive market for consumer mobile services.”
How does this campaign align with Ericsson’s overall marketing strategy?
“Ericsson has an established leadership position in 5G. Our investments in cost and performance leadership enable us to provide sustainable solutions for our customers. This leadership is recognised in the latest edition of the Gartner Magic Quadrant for 5G, where we have been positioned as a Leader for the fourth consecutive year.
“We are trusted by CSPs to unlock future innovation and revenue streams in both B2C and B2B sectors. Our marketing efforts aim to stay close to our customers, becoming a trusted partner to help them overcome challenges and deliver the best experiences to their users.
“From this perspective, the “Make It Memorable” campaign aligns perfectly with our goal to remain closely connected with our CSP audience and boost awareness about the capabilities of 5G technology. By centring the campaign around popular events and highlighting how advanced connectivity can amplify fan experiences, we ensure our message is both relevant and impactful, resonating strongly with the audience when they are most attentive.”
Can you walk us through the creative process behind the campaign?
“The creative process behind the “Make It Memorable” campaign began from a set of very strong insights. We had our own ConsumerLab research from October 2023 that revealed some important findings: 5G smartphone users who faced connectivity issues at event venues were three times more likely to switch providers afterward. At the same time, though, we also found that consumers were willing to pay an 11% premium for better service, like guaranteed uplink speeds. Despite this knowledge that we now have about users, we still saw many CSP customers being cautious with their tech investments—so we understood there was an important business opportunity we could capitalise on.
“With these insights, we spotted a unique moment in time in Europe, filled with major events like very high-profile concerts and important sports competitions. This was a perfect chance for our customers to make the most of their investments, especially since many had big brand sponsorships tied to these events.
“That’s how we came up with the idea to “seize the moment.” We wanted to show our customers how they could take advantage of this timing and drive business success. Our goal was to go beyond just sharing the data in a rational way. Instead, we wanted to create a campaign that really grabbed attention and inspired action.
“Since we’re committed to being cost-effective, we looked for creative ways to build this campaign without spending a lot on creative photography and artwork. That’s when we decided to experiment and use AI to help bring our vision to life—a first for Ericsson.
“We created a blue mascot to capture the fun and excitement of events, moving away from the usual tech marketing visuals. This lively character brought memorable moments to life, adding a playful and engaging touch to our message. We chose blue to tie back to our brand, highlighting our values of trust and intelligence, and making sure the campaign was clearly recognised as Ericsson.”
Were there any particular challenges or breakthroughs during the campaign development?
“Incorporating AI into our campaign presented both challenges and opportunities. AI’s ability to generate unique visuals was a major asset, allowing us to create distinctive content that stood out. However, its novelty also required careful management to ensure these visuals stayed true to our brand identity. This necessitated a tight collaboration across our Marketing, Brand, and Legal teams, along with our creative agency. Each team played a critical role: Marketing ensured strategic alignment, Brand maintained visual consistency, and Legal navigated compliance issues related to AI usage.
“The process involved iterative testing and adjustments, refining the AI to produce outputs that not only met our creative aspirations but also adhered to our brand standards. This collaboration ultimately turned our initial challenges into a success, setting a new standard for AI in our future marketing initiatives and proving its potential to revolutionise content creation.”
How did you ensure that the campaign would resonate on a global scale?
“To ensure our “Make It Memorable” campaign resonated globally, we focused on universal human emotions—like the thrill of a concert or the excitement of a sports event—experiences that transcend cultural boundaries. This strategic choice helped us create a campaign with a wide-reaching appeal.
“However, understanding the importance of cultural nuances, we empowered our local teams to adapt and translate the campaign content. This local empowerment allowed for careful adjustments to ensure that the campaign was not only universally appealing but also culturally relevant and authentic in each region.”
Did you collaborate with any external agencies or partners for this campaign and how did these collaborations contribute to the campaign’s development and execution?
“For the “Make It Memorable” campaign, we collaborated with Everywherebrand, an external agency that has been an invaluable partner for us.
“Everywherebrand brings fresh perspectives and innovative ideas that challenge us to push the boundaries of what’s possible in marketing. Their expertise was crucial in helping us design and execute a campaign that resonated powerfully across diverse markets.
“Equally important, though, is our internal team, whose creativity and courage to try new and interesting approaches have continually moved the needle forward. This internal-external synergy allowed us to blend tried-and-true strategies with bold, innovative concepts, ensuring the campaign was not only creative but also perfectly aligned with our brand’s vision and objectives.”
How do you envision the “Make It Memorable” campaign impacting Ericsson’s brand perception?
“The campaign is designed not just to educate about the ways in which our 5G technology can enhance the end-user experience, but to show how it is done in real life. A big part of our 360° approach is focused on celebrating the successes of our leading CSP customers. We want to highlight how top CSPs leverage 5G to create exceptional experiences at major events, motivating other CSPs to take similar actions. When customers see the successes of their peers, it motivates them to explore similar opportunities and rely on Ericsson’s solutions for their own success.
“Moreover, by aligning our campaign with forthcoming high-profile events, we ensure that our message is timely and relevant. This strategic approach not only captures the attention of our current customers but also attracts potential customers who see Ericsson as the driving force behind cutting-edge, memorable experiences.”
What are the next steps following this campaign?
“The campaign kicked off at the start of summer and will run until the end of the year, spanning activities across Europe and Latin America. We’re employing a holistic 360° marketing and communications strategy that includes key elements like earned media to highlight successful CSP initiatives, comprehensive website activations, and a mix of organic and paid social media engagements.
“Additionally, targeted digital advertising and direct email marketing will help us maintain momentum across the year. On the internal front, we’re enhancing employee engagement through office branding and digital advocacy tools to bolster company-wide support for the campaign.
“These efforts are designed to ensure continuous impact and visibility for the campaign throughout its duration, keeping our external audience engaged and our internal teams motivated.”
How do you see the current trends in the telecom industry influencing your marketing strategies?
“The telecom industry is evolving rapidly, with AI playing a significant role in transforming operations, customer experiences, and business models. AI enhances network optimisation, predictive maintenance, and personalised customer interactions, making it a crucial component of modern telecom solutions.
“To stay ahead, it’s essential for us to continuously elevate our marketing strategies to reflect these advancements and represent our brand effectively in such a dynamic environment.
“It’s crucial for us to demonstrate our leadership and innovation. We do this by creating campaigns that resonate with our audience and showcasing real-world applications of our technology, thereby reinforcing our position as a forward-thinking and customer-centric brand. We constantly analyse market data and customer insights to refine our approach.
“Staying agile and responsive to industry trends also allows us to craft targeted and relevant messages that capture our audience’s attention.”
How is Ericsson leveraging new technologies, such as AI and data analytics, to enhance the effectiveness of your marketing campaigns?
“Ericsson is harnessing the power of new technologies like AI and data analytics to boost the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. By continuously analysing campaign performance metrics, we can make informed, data-driven decisions that help us optimise our strategies for better results. We closely monitor key performance indicators such as reach, engagement, and conversion rates, and adjust our campaigns as needed to enhance their effectiveness.
“Overall, leveraging AI and data analytics allows us to fine-tune our campaigns in real-time, ensuring we deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.
“This approach not only improves our marketing outcomes but also reinforces our commitment to innovation and excellence in the rapidly evolving digital landscape.
“Additionally, we are also looking at AI, for example, to help us improve our internal content creation processes. While this is still a work in progress, we are seeing great initial results when it comes to time savings. I think there are more opportunities to use this technology to better personalise and target our marketing messages to ensure they hit home with our customers.”
How are mobile innovations influencing your current marketing strategies, and what future innovations do you anticipate will shape the industry?
“The rapid pace of change means we constantly need to stay ahead, always thinking about what’s coming next. One major development area is data. We focus a lot of effort on securing actionable insights that drive real results. I’ve witnessed firsthand how effective data utilisation can transform our approach. By analysing how different markets respond to various channels, we’ve gained valuable insights that help us connect more effectively with our audience. And while emotionally resonant messages are crucial, they always need to be built on the right data.
“Looking ahead, I anticipate that further advancements in AI and machine learning will continue to shape the industry. These technologies will enable even more precise targeting and personalisation, enhancing our ability to deliver the right message to the right audience at the right time.
“Additionally, the widespread adoption of advanced 5G will open up new possibilities for immersive and interactive marketing experiences, from augmented reality to real-time data analytics. I’m excited that we get to play an integral part in making that happen.”
