Telus-owned carrier Public Mobile is rebranding and launching a major, integrated campaign to attract “digital native” consumers to its new 5G subscription phone service.
Developed with creative and strategic AOR Camp Jefferson, the new look dials in on insights gleaned through the company’s own market research, which showed that “Canadians are looking for change when it comes to their phone service,” according to James Rooke, VP of mobility marketing, brands and product at Public. Those findings include that 87% of digitally savvy Canadians are looking for something “different” on the mobile landscape, he tells strategy, while 90% believe a subscription phone service will set Public apart from its competitors.
To meet those demands, Public is rolling out a subscription-based 5G phone service that is similar to the more typical pre-paid model, but differs in several key respects that would be familiar to younger, “digital native” consumers in order to drive greater consideration. Among those elements are flat monthly fees, quick activation through eSIM technology and the Public Mobile app, customizable speed and premium feature (such as unlimited data) options and the ability to stop or change the plan at any time with zero restrictions through the aforementioned app.
Public is the first among the Big Three’s subsidiaries to offer 5G service, and the first to offer it in this way: customers “subscribe” at different levels based on how much data they want, with discounts offered for longer subscriptions. Users can also buy “add-ons,” such as additional data or long-distance calling.
“This was our opportunity to create a product and reintroduce a brand identity in the mobility category that could meet those consumer expectations through this new subscription phone service,” Rooke says. “We wanted an updated brand identity to better represent where we are today, as well as marking a new chapter for our Public Mobile journey.”
As part of the rebrand, Public has shed its old logo in favour of a new, smoother one that features heavily across its owned channels, website and a new app where customers can sign up for and customize their subscriptions. It is also in Public’s new campaign, called “Different is Calling,” where the brand positions itself as a digital-first alternative to existing players in the telecommunications space, “inviting customers to embrace change and try a unique mobility experience.”
The campaign includes a heavy buy across a wide array of channels, including OOH, radio, TV, digital and OLV, as well as Public’s owned social channels.
Each of the channels was selected for specific reasons, Rooke further details. TV, OLV and audio assets “tell the new Public Mobile story,” while OOH and digital assets aim to create a “big splash impact with consumers” that encourages them to try Public.
A PR launch announcement featuring a video and open letter from Jim Senko, EVP and chief product officer with parent company Telus, identified instead as Public’s “Chief of the Unexpected Officer” was run in lieu of a traditional press release to appeal directly to consumers. Meanwhile, partnerships with other subscription services such as HelloFresh, and buys on subscription platforms such as Netflix, Spotify, Uber and Twitch, all aim to appeal to consumers within their respective audiences, who are already familiar with subscription models and digital-first services.
“Our new digital-first 5G subscription model […] is uniquely positioned to empower our customers with more choice, cost certainty, transparency, simplicity and a greater overall digital experience at their convenience,” says Rooke. “We felt this was an important investment for the business in an effort to build a stronger connection between our brand, values, and our customers with a new market offering that can deliver on those needs.”
The campaign will be in market through the year, Rooke says. Jungle Media led the media strategy and audience insight, while Cossette Media handled the buying and performance strategy partnerships.
