B2B Advertising Campaigns Underline Importance of SMB Market – IT Connection

Summary Bullets:

• BT, Orange, and Vodafone have launched significant multi-channel advertising campaigns targeted at the small and medium-sized business (SMB) market, underlining its importance to future growth.

• They all emphasize the evolving role of the service provider beyond connectivity, with a focus on security and digital business-enabling solutions that characterize the future of enterprise.

Traditionally, telecom companies have focused mass media advertising campaigns on the consumer market. But now major European service providers are advertising to target the enterprise market, focusing on smaller businesses (e.g., SMBs). This reflects both their strategic shift toward SMBs as offering the best potential for revenue growth, and that their portfolios of technology solutions have become far more relevant in running businesses of all sizes – the market has moved beyond connectivity.

BT Business, Orange Business, and Vodafone Business (there is a trend here in the naming conventions) have all been using adverts across TV, online, and other digital media to promote their business solutions. All their adverts cover similar messages but are also distinctive and memorable.

The BT Business campaign is based on the line ‘We’ve Got Your Back.’ It aims to “showcase BT’s support for every type of business, from the person just starting out at their kitchen table, to major multinationals and critical public services.” The focus of the campaign is to recognize that every business today is a digital business. The goal for BT is to position itself not merely as a supplier, but as a partner offering digital solutions and security alongside reliable connectivity:

BT Business campaign – screengrab

Orange Business aims to underline “the importance of network and digital integrators in the digital ecosystem.” The campaign illustrates the challenges of interconnected components in a complex digital landscape as well as underlines Orange Business’ ability to help across technology areas such as AI, IoT, connectivity, cloud, data, and cybersecurity, promoting the concept that ‘it works better when we work together.’ The campaign avoids the dullness often associated with technology by taking a comedic angle across its adverts, with the goal of making businesses think ‘maybe they should have asked Orange Business?’

Orange Business campaign – screengrab

Vodafone Business’ campaign is based on the strapline ‘Your Business Can’ (echoing Vodafone Group’s ‘Together We Can’ strapline) and is aimed at SMBs that can benefit from digital tools to help boost productivity and security. It also looks to help move the perception of Vodafone as ‘just’ a mobile company to support its strategic push into the broader business market with solutions such as cybersecurity, collaboration tools, and connectivity products.

Vodafone Business campaign – screengrab

Although adverts are often seen as ‘fluffy,’ these three campaigns absolutely underline the seriousness with which these major service providers are focused on the SMB market. Telecom companies globally have realized that the SMB market provides the best opportunity for selling additional services beyond connectivity, with the goal of adding revenues from value-added solutions, leveraging their resources to differentiate against price-focused competitors, and cementing longer-term, stronger relationships with customers. Adverts might just be seen as ‘a bit of fun,’ but this is serious stuff.