Airtel, one of Africa’s most popular networks, has announced the launch of its innovative “SmartaWithData” campaign across its key markets on the continent.
This campaign, led by The Partnership Africa | PUBLICIS, is driving public discourse on the affordable data needs and digital aspirations of Africa’s youth – the largest segment of the continent’s population. Airtel is taking a multi-platform approach across social media and other digital platforms to build a supportive community and drive home the message of its affordable and smart data plans.
- Airtel is leveraging an Edutainment approach featuring three prominent African musicians to educate young people on data usage, provide management tips, and build a sense of community.
- The campaign focuses on data users aged 16-35 in urban and semi-urban areas, and also targets parents and guardians who pay for family data plans.
- SmartaWithData will be rolled out across key markets in Nigeria, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, DRC, Zambia and Malawi.
The primary objective of the campaign is to empower Sub-Saharan Africa’s youth by providing them with affordable, accessible, and easy to understand data services. This involves:
- Education: Increasing awareness of data usage and management amongst young people. This includes teaching them how different activities consume data and providing tips on extending their data usage.
- Engagement & Trust: Building trust with customers through transparency and improved customer experience, highlighting Airtel’s commitment to no hidden costs.
- Increased Data Usage: Driving increased data consumption among the youth by making data services more affordable, manageable, and relevant to their needs.
- Brand Strengthening: Reinforcing Airtel’s position as a customer-centric brand that is committed to serving the needs of the youth in the region.
Like any good campaign, SmartaWithData cleverly addresses several significant challenges young people in Sub-Saharan Africa regarding data usage:
- Data Depletion: Many young people struggle to understand how quickly their data is consumed, leading to unexpected expenses and frustration. Many people unfortunately don’t know that different apps and platforms consume data in different ways, often leading to blame being placed on telecommunications companies.
- Affordability: Data costs can be prohibitive for many youth, hindering their ability to access educational resources, participate in the digital economy, and connect with others. According to data from GSMA, data costs can vary drastically between countries. For example, while 1 GB may cost $0.38 in Malawi, that same gigabyte costs $0.59 in Kenya, and $1.77 in South Africa.
- Lack of Awareness: A lack of understanding about data management practices and available tools leads to inefficient data usage and financial strain. Simply understanding the nuances of how video settings on YouTube can change how your data is used can better equip youth to maximize upon their financial resources and as the Americans say, “get the most bang for your buck!”
- Digital Divide: The digital divide remains a significant challenge, requiring initiatives to bridge the gap and ensure equitable access to digital services. As the world journeys deeper into the 4th Industrial Revolution, access to digital services and data can have a significant impact on one’s ability to learn, earn, and thrive.
- Trust & Transparency: Building and maintaining customer trust is crucial, particularly in an industry where hidden fees or unclear pricing can erode confidence. Through this campaign, Airtel aims to be more transparent to its subscribers, something which will likely prove to be a significant strategic advantage in the highly competitive telecommunications industry.
The core concept of using data efficiently is encapsulated in the campaign’s title, “SmartaWithData,” which also serves as the title for a groundbreaking song spearheading the initiative. This marked the first-ever collaboration between three Pan-African music superstars: Fally Ipupa, Diamond Platnumz, and Simi.
While it’s a song that you could listen to in a club or on the radio and enjoy, the lyrics were crafted to encourage people to maximize their data bundles through practical data usage hacks, making the learning experience both entertaining and informative.
This innovative approach pairing pop culture and insight builds upon the following strategies:
- Transparent Pricing and Data Management Tools: The campaign focuses on transparent pricing and introduces new tools, likely integrated into the Airtel app, designed to help customers monitor and manage their data usage effectively. This empowers users to make informed decisions about their data consumption.
- Multi-Platform Engagement: Airtel engages the target audience across multiple platforms, including social media, SMS, and online channels, creating a comprehensive and accessible communication strategy. This ensures maximum reach and fosters a sense of community around data management practices.
- 5G Rollout & Airtel Money Integration: Airtel’s investment in 5G infrastructure and integration with Airtel Money addresses the technological and financial barriers to access. This improves connectivity and streamlines financial transactions related to data purchases.
- Data Management Tips and Tricks: The campaign provides practical tips and techniques for optimizing data usage, helping customers get more value from their data plans.
To learn more about the strategy of what may become one of Africa’s top advertising campaigns of the year, The Kenyan Wall Street spoke with Deepesh Jha, one of the creative minds behind this unique campaign.
“Data Depletion is a challenging problem for most networks migrating from 3G to 4 and 5G as it increases the usage for consumers making them believe that networks are the culprit. We turned the problem on its head and instead of educating customers, we turned them into brand ambassadors of wiser data usage to avoid data depletion. The marriage of education and entertainment made for a musical banger that has racked up more than 30 million views in less than 20 days across all social platforms. How successful was the campaign? In the words of a consumer – ‘Did I just watch a 4 minute ad without pausing!!!”
Deepesh Jha, Chief Creative Officer @ the Partnership | PUBLICIS
In summary, “SmartaWithData” doesn’t appear to be just another marketing campaign, it appears to be a comprehensive strategy to address the unique challenges faced by young people in accessing and managing data, fostering digital inclusion and economic empowerment.
