Innovative telcos

4G4Good enabled Starhub users to donate their unused data and minutes to a charity every month, meaning that they helped to subsidise those people who can’t afford the running costs of a phone. This simple innovation bridged the divide between the information haves and have-nots, showing the powerful position brands can have as facilitators.

The largest telco in Brazil collaborated with Google on an innovative way to stamp out cyberbullying and improve self-esteem in Brazil. By embracing these huge societal issues and redirecting the user experience so it was more positive, Vevo showed how to deploy innovation for the greater good.

To promote the new iPhone 6, Russian telco Telenet tied in Apple’s launch with current affairs: a fruit ban from European farmers. It used stickers on Belgian pears to promote the new handset, supporting for the beleaguered farmers while also offering a promotion and the chance to win a phone. It shows how an attention-grabbing touchpoint can significantly amplify PR.

Schoolchildren in The Philippines were damaging their spines by carrying heavy textbooks. So Smart stepped in and transferred the information the kids needed onto sims and texts and inserted them into much more portable feature phones. Like Tigo-Une, providing a practical and innovative solution that makes sense to your audience builds brand equity and offers distinctiveness in a commoditised sector where it’s often hard to achieve.

Challenger telco Optus made Australian beaches safer with a clever innovation that was efficient, economical and humane - all positive brand attributes. When you’re the country’s second largest telco, identifying innovative ways to get your brand noticed is crucial, particularly when you don’t have the budget or the visibility of your market-leading rival.

Payphones were turned into rudimentary banks for low-income Colombians who didn’t have bank accounts. This enabled eight million people who had formerly been on the fringes of society to enjoy the freedoms taken for granted by those who have bank accounts. It shows how to adapt existing infrastructure to meet the needs of your audience.