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According to father of modern marketing, Philip Kotler, “Marketing is not the art of finding clever ways to dispose of what you make. Marketing is the art of creating genuine customer value. It is the art of helping your customer become better off. The marketer’s watchwords are quality, service, and value.”
These words of the North American Professor succinctly summarizes the fact that beyond wanting to sell or profit making, brands must be willing and ready to create value and reward customers to earn their loyalty.
Like in every other industry, the demand for quality service experience, innovative products and services by customers in Nigeria’s telecommunications industry have been major driver of winning the marketplace.
Leading telecommunications service provider, Airtel has been one of the most consistent operators that have deepen its brand affinity and loyalty through innovative products and services in the last five years. One of such offerings is its SmartConnect package.
Since the introduction of SmartConnect 2.0, a package new offer which offers prepaid customers six times the value of every recharge, Airtel has continued to deliver added value that empowers and enriches the lives of its customers. In the last three years, Airtel SmartConnect has provided customers more freedom to connect more with family and friends through bonuses on calls and data.
In line with its brand positioning as Nigeria’s leading mobile Internet services provider, Airtel recently launched SmartConnect 5.0 which offers new customers on its network 100% bonus on any data bundle purchased as well as eight times the value of any recharge.
Under the new offer, new customers get 100% bonus on every data bundle of N100 and above, and also get eight times bonus on any recharge, which will be split along the following: Main account, 100%; Voice, 250%; data, 250%; social, 100% and Family & Friends, 100%.
For example, if a new customer buys 3GB data bundle, he/she automatically gets 6GB with a validity period of one month. And when a customer refills with N100 worth of airtime, he/she gets credited with N100 in main account; N250 bonus for voice; N250 bonus worth of data; N10o for Social and N100 for Family & Friends, totaling N800.
Airtel says the new offer will empower more Nigerians, improve productivity and help more telecoms consumers stay connected with their friends, loved ones and business associates.
Commenting on the newly revamped SmartConnect package, Ag. Chief Commercial Officer, Airtel Nigeria, Dinesh Balsingh, said the company is committed to sustaining the SmartConnect’s history of creating value and offering mouth-watering opportunities for telecoms consumers.
“The SmartConnect package has a rich and interesting history of placing absolute power in the hands of telecoms consumers. With the package, we are offering choice and freedom to customers – the power to do whatever they want to do at a very affordable rate and on a reliable and robust 4G Network.
“At Airtel, we are totally committed to creating innovative products and services that will enrich the lives of our customers as well as enable them to succeed in their professional and personal endeavours,” he said.
The 100% data bonus Offer is available to new customers and valid for 90 days, beginning from the day a customer joins the Airtel Network.
Speaking to some customers that have enjoyed the SmartConnect package, Helen Mefor, said she actually bought her Airtel SIM in order to enjoy the offering. “I remember I bought my Airtel SIM during my final year at the University in order to enjoy SmartConnect 2.0 when it was launch in 2016. It’s been an awesome experience with Airtel ever since”, says Helen.
“Airtel SmartConnect has really help to make life easier for me. Since I switched to Airtel, SmartConnect has enabled me to call my clients and family more. It has greatly reduced my cost on calls and data every month. Thanks to Airtel for SmartConnect”, Tijani Aliu, a businessman at Computer Village Ikeja, also said.
Based on its market insight on consumers’ preference, Airtel has maintained a steady growth in its market share through SmartConnect and other innovative products including the launch of its 4G LTE network early this year.
