J. Walter Thompson Saudi Arabia has retained the Consumer Business Unit (CBU) account for Saudi Telecom Company (STC) and additionally been awarded the operator’s Corporate Account, after a rigorous selection process across multiple international agencies. J. Walter Thompson KSA’s relationship with STC dates back to 2007 when the agency won the contract for the Al Jawal mobile brand under the STC umbrella.
STC launched an exhaustive communication pitch process in order to identify a communications partner. The review was launched to look for that would support STC on its “transformative journey from the #1 brand in Saudi Arabia to the most future ready telecommunications company in the MENA region, in line with the Kingdom’s Vision 2030,” says the agency in a statement.
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In fact, when STC was losing ground to broadband competition in 2015, JWT played an instrumental role in helping the brand by creating a branded content hub called “LaYawgif”. In under a year, STC became the market leader in broadband with a 22 percent increase in revenue and market share and LaYwagif became the most visited YouTube channel in the Kingdom and the world’s number one telco YouTube channel.
Commenting on the CBU contract award, Ahmed Alsahhaf, general manager, Consumer Marketing Communication at STC says, “JWT’s deep knowledge of the CBU, passion for and understanding of the market, elevated their proposed strategic direction for STC and the transformational journey ahead of us.”
Mohammed Abaalkheil, general manager, Corporate Communications at STC adds, “We believe that our approach in having a unified agency, especially with JWT with whom we have had an extensive relationship, will allow consolidation of our communications efforts and hence maximize our return on communications investments. This will enable us to build on proper messages that would help on consistency, serving both the brand and clarity to our consumers.”
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The consolidation of STC business with JWT that will serve the CBU and Corporate Communications is a three-year contract.
Camille Haddad, CEO of J. Walter Thompson KSA and Levant, explains: “Our initial partnership with STC began in 2007 and we love the brand. Together over the last 11 years, we’ve changed the brandscape for telcos in the region. Coming into the tender process, we didn’t view ourselves as incumbents. We fought this defensive pitch with determination, rigor and vigor, reimagining the future of the STC brand from every angle to arrive at a strategy that will keep STC in pole position and of utmost relevance and loyalty to existing and new stakeholders. We are extremely proud to be continuing our partnership on this brave, iconic, made-in-Saudi brand.”
