Our approach to slow connectivity was, well…slow too. In a country that thrives on fads, and a population that has mastered the art of humor in the face of adversity, we decided to combine both.
How, you ask? Simple: create shareable content that exaggerates the perils of slow internet, cynically!
The idea was to dramatize the fact that due to our slow internet, 2 of the world’s most viral phenomena (the Harlem Shake & the Ice Bucket Challenge) finally arrived in Lebanon…just a few years late.
Execution
We created 2 unscripted films of real people - people who happened to be there at the set of the shoot - jumping on the 2 trends
The first film appears on a beach coast of Lebanon, where we see a group of old fishermen minding their own business until the beat drops...then it’s a different story as they initiate one of the internet’s most bizarre Harlem Shakes, only 3 years late!
In the second film, we see Fadi, a 50-year-old man sporting just a tank top in the icy cold mountains of Lebanon taking on the Ice Bucket Challenge thanks to Rabih’s nomination, yet, only 2 years late! With his father to his side, he pours the freezing water on himself as his goat bleats awkwardly in the background.
Both end with the call to action message “Don’t be the last to get it. Connect faster, wherever you are."
Business Growth: Unprecedented growth for a small ISP in a market of giants as sales increased by 257% (+7,692 subscribers), which in turn resulted in a 254% growth of market share (from 0.24% to 0.85%), skyrocketing our campaign ROI to 24,600%, exceeding by far the overall average social media ROI measuring at 130%.
Brand Establishment: Connect registered a 32% awareness rate. While the brand became synonymous with internet on Google Lebanon search, another testament to success was hiring an additional customer service employee to cope with the increased number of product inquiry calls.
Campaign Popularity: Connect’s films received a 180% increase in likes than any other post on the brand’s page. Beyond Facebook, the branded content films also earned recognition and endorsements from leading worldwide platforms and publications in addition to being featured in Adweek’s Top 25 Ads of 2017 placing Connect on par with global brands.
The Situation
In a market ruled consensually by 2 government-backed giants, an opportunity lied in providing people with a credible third option to ease their troubles of slow internet. The idea behind Connect's Slow Trends campaign was able to break through the duopoly of internet providers to build trust for the brand and a clear understanding of its products.
The Strategy
We simply targeted the younger tech-savvy generations who were fed up with the slow internet, and voracious for change. They were our low-hanging fruit. Social media is their go-to place and sole window of expression, which is why the snail-paced internet is one of the biggest obstacles in their lives.
Since the 2 viral phenomena were born on social media, bringing them back, we had to do it in the same medium and manner. Additionally, social media was a perfect fit for Connect’s budget capabilities (or rather lack thereof). But because our target audience had mastered their anti-authenticity radar, we didn’t launch the films conventionally. Instead, we seeded them on YouTube as if they were uploaded by the “cast” themselves. Later, Connect’s pages shared them. However, the real beauty of the approach lied in taking advantage of the slow internet to watch slow videos of late trends. Oh, the irony.