Openet is Ireland’s largest privately-owned software company. It delivers solutions and services to global telecoms operators to help them launch and monetise digital services and drive customer engagement. Under the leadership of its CEO, Niall Norton, the company has leveraged its independence to challenge outdated thinking across the mobile industry and disrupt the status quo.

Challenge

Alongside its willingness to disrupt, Openet has also built a highly inclusive and personable working culture, which is reflected in all its employees. The combination of its expansive thinking and engaging culture has always engendered respect amongst its publics – including the telecoms trade media. Although the company has always punched above its weight, according to the quantity of coverage it achieves, its ability to spend facetime with the media is limited to global trade shows. CCgroup therefore wanted to create the opportunity for Openet to showcase its industry thought leadership, cultivate its healthy relationships with the press and support lead generation outside the tradeshow calendar.

Creative

Working closely with Openet’s marketing team, CCgroup felt that a Dublin press trip would provide an excellent opportunity to host influential members of the telecoms trade media. Both Openet and CCgroup thought that the creation of a new piece of research would provide an ideal hook to encourage journalists to make the two-day trip.

The resulting global research study investigated consumer attitudes to data sharing in the wake of the Facebook and Cambridge Analytica scandal. The results conclusively proved consumer confidence in digital service providers was on the wane. It also proved that the decision taken by telecoms operators to be more respectful of customer data was entirely justified. In fact, consumers actively encouraged operators to transparently collaborate more with technology companies, to create new services to offer them. It represented a turning of the tide in the ongoing battle for customer engagement between traditional operators and digital service companies, and a strong news hook to entice the media. The study findings were encapsulated in a white paper which was hosted on the Openet website to support sales enablement. The headlines were carried in a promotional press release that CCgroup leveraged for maximum effect.

Consequence

Openet hosted journalists from four major telecoms media outlets in Dublin. CCgroup also led a full-scale media pitching offensive to international press unable to make the trip. During the press trip, Openet presented the key findings of the research and provided access to CEO, Niall Norton, who provided additional industry insight to support the findings. All media activity delivered 24 pieces of high quality, editorially-led news articles that all delivered words of encouragement to the operator community to create and monetise new digital services. The articles appeared in publications from all global locations including Europe, the US and Asia. Further opinion articles are planned.

The research study paper has been downloaded more than 150 times to date, by operators and potential Openet partners (systems integrators). Most pleasingly of all, the research has directly generated one sales meeting for Openet with a notable tier one operator.

This content marketing campaign demonstrates what can be achieved through strong and effective client collaboration and strong execution.

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