TAXI DELIVERS KNOCKOUT PUNCH - Strategy

Taxi’s mobile workout
Koodo Mobile – Launch
The challenge
While some Canadian wireless
users appreciate the satellite
radio and movie downloads
that smartphones offer, a large
group of Canadians wanted
only the basics: talk and text.
Burnaby, B.C.-based mobile
operator Telus approached its
AOR, Taxi – and specifi cally its
progeny, Toronto-based Taxi 2
– in December 2006 to build
a value wireless brand from
scratch. Being last to the party,
it would have to be fresh in order
to stand out and compete with
the big guys.
The insight
Through research, Generation Y
(aged 21 to 30) emerged as the
perfect target. These consumers
are at a stage of life when the
only constant is change and
value is key, but they won’t
sacrifi ce staying in touch with
their social networks to get a
good deal. Exposed to thousands
of commercial messages, they
appreciate the straight goods.
Research also found an
appetite for service built around
the rate plan rather than the
phone – as opposed to the
incumbents’ “latest and greatest
technology” approach.
Silver
Cam is always thinking about, well, everything.
That’s why we promoted him to Senior Vice President, Enhancement Services.
With 20+ years of DM experience, Cam Thomson is always working to grow
our Enhancement Services business. This sector-leading Life Assistance suite
helps our clients save their customers time and money by offering superb
crisis management tools. And Cam is always pondering how to make these
products even better. Imagine that.
The B!G idea
Recognizing Gen Y’s
appreciation for irreverence,
Taxi 2 tied the Koodo wireless
experience to the workout craze
of the 1980s. Other carriers
had “fatty fees” and “artifi cial
features,” while Koodo was
“suitable for cost-reduced
diets.” The visual vocabulary
was based on neon colours,
headbands and form-hugging
spandex, while design cues
communicated transparency
and straightforwardness.
“Fat-free mobility” had arrived.
Consistency was king. Taxi
2 ensured every consumer
interaction with the brand
adhered to a cohesive thought
and execution. The agency
designed everything from the
website and video content to
call-centre scripts and music
for the customer service line.
Delving deeper into design, they
created the phone packaging,
retail bags, POS material and
retail communications, as well
as the POS touchscreens that
featured the phone models and
plans – and even elements of the
phones’ user interfaces.
In collaboration with the design
house Burdifi lek, Taxi 2 created a
mall kiosk to echo the brand look
and feel.
Recognizing the effect that
those selling the service would
have on the results, Taxi 2 also
developed a robust training
program to get sales staff excited
and educated about the brand.
The impact
While the impressive results
were provided to the judging
panel for the purposes of
evaluation, they cannot
be shared publicly due to
competitive issues.
Judges’ comments
Brent Nelsen: This case really
sings when you move past the
traditional mediums – albeit
extremely smart and consistent
– to the kiosks, bags, packaging
and street teams. It’s eye
candy worth eating in a sea of
sameness.
Although the numbers are
proprietary, I’m compelled to
take my hat off to and shake the
hands of the entire client and
agency team. In a category
that is ruthlessly price- and
offer-sensitive combined
with high churn rates, this is
a laudable accomplishment.
A pleasure to read and get a
glimpse into the inner workings
of this campaign.