Anna Lloyd, client solutions director at publisher NZ Media and Entertainment, put human connections front and centre in a campaign to reframe the conversation about broadband.

Working with broadband provider Chorus, NZME developed feature stories about people creating more connected and fulfilling lives enabled by high-speed broadband. Proving the powerful, emotional pull of stories, the campaign delivered a double-digit lift in sign-up rates and a profound level of engagement among older “hard to convert” customers.

In this Q&A with Margaret Hawker, general manager of integration at NZME, Lloyd shares her thoughts on telling stories to older Kiwis and how tonality can make the difference between creating a connection and being ignored.

Margaret Hawker: Why did you base the campaign around human stories rather than more product-focused features and benefits?

Anna Lloyd: Research told us that broadband fell into the “too hard, too confusing, and too busy” basket, manifesting in a passive mindset. The inertia played into the hands of legacy broadband providers, who experienced less pressure to champion available choices to an audience disinclined to request them. So, the principal job was to build credibility as a trusted advisor to help our audience understand the value of a fibre connection. But rather than promote speeds and feeds data, we tapped into their core life-stage needs — meaningful connections. 

Striking the right tone was critical and the reason why we used their peers to tell the story, rather than run the risk of sounding patronising in a bid to explain features and benefits of fibre to those who harboured little interest in a better network connection.  

Hawker: Tell us more about the campaign insights behind “connections.”

Lloyd: Empty nesters find themselves at a critical juncture in their lives. Dogged by the notion that time is running out, they yearn for relevancy and meaning in an increasingly disconnected world, even more so now in the wake of COVID-19. Keen to set their own agenda and redefine the terms for how they live their lives, empty nesters are acting less than their age, setting new goals, trying new things, developing new skills — and making new connections.

High-speed broadband is about connectivity that paves the way for meaningful connections and a life well-lived. The idea is bang-on for this audience and further validated by research [from Nielsen] showing that empty nesters without a high-speed fibre connection were 10% more likely to feel lonely, whereas those with fibre were 10% more likely to say technology made their lives easier.

Hawker: How did you go about telling the stories?

Lloyd: Our initial research uncovered several empty nesters who epitomised the idea of connectivity and its possibilities. These people were busier and leading more fulfilling lives in their so-called autumn years than in their “productive” years. Our journalists went to work, interviewing respondents to create hero stories for the campaign. Each story focused on people and the moments when online connections had changed their lives, helping our audience imagine how a fibre connection could improve their own lives.

Engaging New Zealand’s “mother of the nation” — trusted broadcaster Judy Bailey — to provide a visual cue and setup for each story was a powerful touch that ensured we set the right tone.

NZ Herald online provided the platform for mass reach with repurposed stories in NZME niche publications targeting narrower interests. In tandem, bite-sized chunks of technical information delivered across a variety of channels further boosted readers’ knowledge and confidence.  

Hawker: How did you measure success?

Lloyd: The campaign hinged on just two key metrics: traffic to client Chorus’s Web site and new connections to fibre. The results were great, delivering an uplift in new customer sign-ups and a surge in Web site traffic. The warmth and relevance of our stories were reflected in audience engagement: native articles delivered a click-through rate more than four times the industry standard.

Hawker: What did you learn from this project?

Lloyd: Older Kiwis really appreciate being asked. At a time in life when it’s easy to feel marginalised, being asked about your views is validating. Research also provided a nice steer for our approach to storytelling and offered the potential to dig deeper in a territory rich with campaignable ideas. 

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