What: Portada talked to Vince Torres, Senior VP, Marketing at AT&T, about the company’s new “Giving you More For Your ‘Gotta Get The Best Deal’ Thing” Campaign.
Why it matters: AT&T is offering new deals specifically tailored for the three biggest U.S. cities, which are also the cities with the highest Hispanic populations: New York, Chicago, and Los Angeles.
Last week, AT&T announced a new campaign with promos specifically designed for consumers in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, the three cities with highest concentrations of Hispanic population. The “Gotta Get the Best Deal” campaign is about giving costumers “their thing” and “bring them closer to the thing [they] crave the most”, said Vince Torres, Senior VP, Marketing, whom Portada interviewed to find out more.
Portada: What motivates AT&T’s “Gotta Get the Best Deal” Thing campaign? How did the company notice the need to address the three of the biggest Hispanic markets in the U.S.?
Vince Torres: “Customers. This is about giving you more of what you already want and do. We have a rich history of offering products and services tailored to meet the needs of the Hispanic market, but this segment’s influence in the U.S. culture and community, as well as their buying power, is more apparent now than ever.
We conducted focus groups across some of the nation’s largest cities —New York City, Chicago and Los Angeles— and tailored these offers based on insights we found. What we learn here will allow us to assess future opportunities to bring integrated benefits to more customers in additional parts of the country.”
Portada: AT&T claims to give its users “their thing”, does the company have anything planned in terms of personalization? How is AT&T ensuring consumers really feel unique in the eyes of the company?
V.T.: “We’re continuously listening to our customers’ feedback and thinking about making each experience personalized and tailored to their “thing.” One way we do this is offering multiple ways and plans customers can choose to connect to rewards programs like AT&T THANKS, where we continue the conversation long after a purchase is made. Through programs like AT&T THANKS, we’re providing tailored offers to local restaurants, exclusive tickets to movies and sporting events, and access to events.”
“On top of that, we are the only carrier with more than 700 bilingual stores. But it is more than just about being bilingual, it’s about meeting our customers where they are and providing what they need right there in store; like explanations of their bills on the spot and friendly staff with whom they can relate. And then we provide a touch of what customers want, like a mix of soft rock, merengue, bachata and salsa to set off their experience in store. We’ve been doing this since 2005.”
Portada: What’s your strategy for getting consumers more engaged with AT&T and its new offer? How do you plan to measure response?
V.T.: “On March 1 we kicked off the local offers, but it was also the start of a longer-term effort to engage with customers where they are. Over the next several months you’ll see us out in each of the markets elevating awareness around AT&T and what we offer, both through programs like AT&T THANKS and hands-on helping communities. We’re measuring the success of this effort through direct customer feedback, and of course, sales will play a role.”
Portada: Which platforms/media is AT&T betting on to reach Hispanic consumers?
V.T.: “We’re using a variety of methods to engage with our local communities. We’re starting by meeting people in their neighborhoods— we have several activations planned for local barbershops and nail salons. We also want to get them to come see us too, with food trucks and special activities at some of our stores throughout the New York, Chicago and Los Angeles areas.”
Portada: Is AT&T primarily focused on reaching Hispanics? How is the target of this new campaign/offer composed?
V.T.: “Our latest offers are available to everyone in each market, but we are increasingly focused on sparking a conversation with millennials who are largely multicultural.”
Portada: Without pointing to anyone in particular, what would you say are the most important mistakes Telecom firms have made when addressing Hispanic audiences?
V.T.: “Telcos, and frankly many established companies, spend years building out a product to achieve scale, but where success can really be achieved is by going small. We’ve taken a creative approach in these three markets to use our existing products and services and really target them hyper-locally based on what customers in these areas want.”
“Additionally, we understand that communicating with the Hispanic audience means more than just putting out in-language materials. Even the Hispanic makeup in the three markets we’ve chosen for the limited-time offer differ widely. This is why we listened to their input to inform how we both integrate the services we’re offering and amplify our local presence.”
Portada: In a world that is increasingly interconnected, in which markets grow and become more competitive, how does AT&T plan to stay on top in the future?
V.T.: “We are starting with the three biggest U.S. metropolitan areas. All three cities are filled with diverse populations that all have a lot of buying power. Based on the success of these three offers we can then replicate them for other markets across the country. It’s all about giving our customers more for their thing.”
Portada: What would you say are the key things to know in order to plan a successful go-to-market campaign?
V.T.: “First you should get to know your audience, how they spend their money and what they’re looking for in the future. Once you know that you can design an offer they’ll use and ultimately rave about to their friends and family. And this becomes a continuous cycle where you’re always listening for feedback and enhancing your offer to keep up with changing needs and demands.”
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