TalkTalk unveils 'This Stuff Matters' positioning as it looks to return to its 'challenger roots' following hack fallout
TalkTalk is rolling out a new campaign to set itself apart from its rivals, placing its continued focus on existing customers at the heart.
The brand's 'This Stuff Matters' campaign offers a candid Google-box style glimpse into how modern British families live their lives today, and the central role that technology plays within the home.
The latest push comes 12 months after TalkTalk's image was hit hard by a cyber attack which saw hackers steal 15,600 bank account numbers and sort codes belonging to the telecom firm's customers. Although the breach cost the company thousands of subscribers and some £60m, it has since claimed that trust in the brand is higher than ever, thanks to the way its community management team handled the catastrophe.
However, the brand has noted that it's new positioning represents a turning point, as well as a departure from previous advertising within the phone and broadband category. As well as a conscious move away from the celebrity-driven campaigns from the likes of Virgin and BT, the brand said it is looking to return to its "challenger" roots by ditching separate line rental charges on all packages and moving to a single combined monthly price; a strategy that apes a similar move by Vodafone earlier this year.
'This Stuff Matters' was created by installing unmanned cameras in a real family home, filming non-stop for two weeks in order to capture authentic, unscripted footage of the life of one UK family.
Comprising 10 films, the series seeks to shine a spotlight on life's seemingly insignificant moments and show the role that TalkTalk's products and services play in them – from navigating TV dinners to texting boyfriends. The initiative will run on TV in cinemas and OOH as well as other channels, and features a real family of TalkTalk customers going about their daily business.
The campaign was created by CHI&Partners’ Danny Hunt, Dan Watts and Rob Webster, and directed by Park Pictures’ Tom Tagholm – the talent behind Channel 4’s 2012 Paralympics campaign 'Meet the Superhumans'. The casting process alone took three months, followed by a creative process which involved going through hundreds of hours’ worth of footage to find all the moments that make up the fabric of family life.
"TalkTalk is changing. Nothing matters more to us than our customers and doing right by them is the right thing for our business. We’ve listened hard to what they’ve told us and we’re acting on it," said Tristia Harrison, managing director for consumer at TalkTalk, adding: "People are fed up of confusing packages and loud advertising, they’re frustrated with deals which shoot up mid contract, and they hate seeing the best deals saved for new customers."
"TalkTalk entered the market as a challenger, and we’ve always saved customers money, but today’s changes are about more than that. We know this is an essential service that really matters to people, so it needs to be simple, affordable, reliable and fair. We’re proud to be the first to make the big changes customers expect and deserve of their telecoms provider today."
The campaign will roll out nationwide, breaking this week with a minute-long spot which can be viewed in full above.