2024 Gold Utilities and Telecommunications

Agency: The Gate London

Client: SMARTY Mobile

Entry Title: Less Malarkey, More SMARTY

Executive Summary

SMARTY grew by undercutting big networks on price. But when it lost its budget USP, it struggled to compete. It needed a new brand dimension that the big networks couldn’t mimic, to give it a long-term competitive edge.

Strategy

Used since the 2017 launch, SMARTY’s tagline ‘Simple, Honest Mobile’ had become a way of saying ‘no frills = low prices’. But what if the brand took on the enemies of simple and honest and turned SMARTY into a challenger brand?

But SMARTY couldn’t only swing at the unnecessary complexity of the big networks. That kind of mudslinging can damage your brand. So, it made the enemy not just the unnecessary complexity of the category, but also of the world: from ‘smart’ mugs to car door handles, the modern world is full of unnecessary complexity. There was plenty of evidence this was resonating culturally: comedian Khaby Lame was the most followed user on TikTok, mocking overly complicated ‘life-hacks’ videos.

To re-position SMARTY beyond price, the team had to understand attitudes and feelings beyond money. It realised the audience was tech-savvy, confident, curious, adventurous and entrepreneurial. They also had a funny bone, with a weakness for wordplay and surreal comedy. The challenger positioning combined with customer understanding came together in a core strategic idea: ‘SMARTY versus Shenanigans.’

Creativity

This was translated into the brand platform and endline ‘Less Malarkey. More SMARTY’. It captured the brand’s new challenger spirit powerfully and was designed for impact: the contrast served to enhance SMARTY's perception of simplicity, the rhyme boosted recall and the unusual word ‘malarkey’ created distinctiveness and stand out.

As a brand re-launch, it was crucial that all communications worked together to create and strengthen the new brand associations, so the creative activated the strategy through the entire marketing funnel. The team created a simple framework outlining the role of comms per channel. At the top of the funnel SMARTY would challenge Malarkey and let its challenger spirit shine bright. At the middle of the funnel, SMARTY would embrace its role as champions of simplicity. And at the bottom of the funnel SMARTY would lead by example, hunting out unnecessary complexity and stamping it out.

Brand-building formats and channels like 30-second TV spots, radio and OOH drove brand awareness and consideration; direct response channels such as print, social, and digital drove acquisitions; and CRM communications drove preference and retention.

Results

The campaign beat targets, delivering SMARTY the fastest growth in its history in a category that declined 20% year-on-year. The work increased prompted brand awareness and consideration, and strengthened the depth and breadth of associations.

By the end of 2023, the team had reduced churn by 7% and achieved its highest ever NPS. It also successfully embedded the new brand positioning into the fabric of the company - from keystone habits and values, to making SMARTY ‘A brand that makes things simple’ - its number 1 brand equity measure.