Musk’s stealing our customers

Farmside, New Zealand’s only telecommunications provider, specifically serving the needs of rural communities, was experiencing unprecedented churn, losing large amounts of customers annually to new provider Starlink, who had entered the market with huge fanfare (i.e. share of voice) and completely disrupted the sector. In May 2023, Farmside was experiencing a net customer trend of –20.3 per week.

The category norm

The telecommunications market, once characterised by fierce competition on price and network coverage alone, has evolved into a commoditised arena where consumers are inundated with a plethora of options, all seemingly offering the same basic functionality. In such a landscape, the battle for market share hinges not so much on product parity but on the ability to craft compelling brand narratives and deliver unique value propositions that resonate with highly targeted consumers.

The standout idea

With connectivity evolving so fast both rurally and on-farm, rural residents want to know their provider is forward thinking, agile and keeping them up-to-date on advancements. They don’t want a bumbling corporate that doesn’t care about them or an archaic telecommunications provider that is behind the connectivity evolution. At the time of the research, Farmside arguably was both, competing only on price and perceived by their customers as ‘out of touch’ with connectivity advancements.

Armed with this invaluable insight from proprietary research, we reviewed Farmside’s customer proposition to “using our rural connectivity smarts to provide progressive solutions that improve farm life.” This came to life through a strategic positioning of “The good life, made great”,
a creative expression that clearly articulated its passion for the rural lifestyle, while championing connectivity’s role in making it even better.

This transformational brand strategy isn’t just about offering better or more relevant services; it’s about redefining what it means to be a telecommunications provider – where innovation, empathy and purpose converge to create meaningful experiences for customers.

Outstanding execution

More than simply informing Farmside’s communications and refreshed identity, the brand transformation became the cornerstone of its business by reshaping it’s competitive strategy to resonate with customers, optimising operating model for sustainable growth and fostering a culture of innovation and collaboration.