New Telkom ad campaign emphasises convergence

Mala Suriah, executive of strategic marketing, says that while still relatively new in South Africa, convergence is a worldwide ICT megatrend. Telcos now deploy converged offers as part of their traditional business.

It is a brand's responsibility, when it takes a leadership position in introducing a new idea into the market, to educate the market on the concept before even attempting to sell products and services.

Educating change

"This campaign aims to simply achieve the educational job. The world of telecommunications has changed, as has the way we consume data and video and the company is proud to be a change agent of society and business."

"Convergence is, in effect, any combination of capabilities that come together to address a communication need. We are the only telecommunications company that truly offers any combination of solutions."

Its convergence services include data, voice, cloud, IT, fixed and mobile capabilities. With its next generation fibre and mobile networks and its world-class data centre, it is best positioned to bring this service offering to the market.

Internal customer research indicates varying definitions of the concept of convergence. "In general, people perceive convergence to be some magical gadget. The reality is that it is not simply about an all-in-one device - it is more than devices or gadgets."

Convergence is a philosophy that can be a fundamental driver for business transformation. The deployment of converged solutions in any business will yield benefits that include increased overall business productivity, cost savings and convenience.

Offering more

This campaign sets the tone for the overall group's convergence campaigns, with Telkom Business taking the lead with the kick-off message.

The journey to convergence is twofold. Thanks to constantly evolving technology, the capabilities that can feed into convergence and the different possible configurations thereof are yet unknown. "For our customers it is also about solutions, helping them to discover their optimum communications requirements. The return on investment for the customer comes in the form of cost effectiveness, improved productivity and convenience.

"Through this campaign we are telling the market that we are more than just a landline operator. More importantly, we offer tailor made fixed mobile solutions specifically for small and medium businesses.

"Even in our forthcoming product advertisements, convergence will remain a common thread throughout. It is also important that we continue to reinforce the message that we are one solution, one service provider," concludes Suriah.