The Deutsche Telekom is Germany's largest telecommunications brand. With 56 million mobile and 15 million broadband customers, it connects more people than any other. The year 2022 was marked by a resurgence of online hate speech: 24% of Germans experienced hate online (+8 % points compared to 2018). 50% of Germans hold back from expressing themselves online due to fear of encountering hate. At the same time, this hatred is fueled and normalized by the resurgence of the far-right in Germany. This poses a significant problem that Deutsche Telekom, a brand committed to societal responsibility and connections, must confront. The task was to take action against hate speech, making a positive contribution to society and our brand image.

Together against Hate Speech: Deutsche Telekom’s initiative to show the 95% how loud they can be against the 5% spreading hate. The first step was a campaign, that used the power of music in an emotional film to mobilize the 95% to be louder than hate. An anthem that led to a platform where we, together with over 40 NGOs, were able to offer support to anyone interested or in need of help. From here, we brought the issue into the real world. And initiated workshops and seminars, reaching over 4 million people directly, turning them into advocates against online hate and for the good cause.

In our quest to craft a breakthrough strategy, we've uncovered a powerful insight:

Only 5% of users are responsible for hate speech, but their loudness creates the illusion of a majority. The extreme loudness and visibility of hate creates a cognitive bias that intimidates the true majority from getting active. This insight led to our strategic approach: Help the 95% realize their potential and encourage them to take action.

Through our initiative, we not only engaged millions but also significantly enhanced our brand image.

#1 Empowering millions to become activists.

With our initiative's measures like workshops, partner collaborations, and training materials, we've engaged 4 Mio. people in real dialogue, equipping them to combat hate speech actively.

#2 Improving our core values and overall brand image.

Brand KPI: lives up to its social responsibility.

Before activation: 51,6%; after activation: 67,7%; improvement: 31,2%

Brand KPI: advocates respectful behavior in the digital space.

Before activation: 43,6%; after activation: 60,9%; improvement: 39,7%

Overall brand image.

Before activation: 51,7%; after activation: 64%; improvement: 23,7%