Consumers rarely switch their internet service providers (ISPs) due to lengthy contracts, cancellation fees, and the potential for service disruption. Unsurprisingly, only 17% of US consumers said they would be ‘very likely’ to change ISP in 2023 (Statista).
There are few moments in life that serve as catalysts for change, and one of those is moving house. However, this life stage is often short-lived, and the decision-making window is even smaller. Peak movers season is May through September – during which time they make approx. 72 brand-related decisions, of which brand loyalty doesn’t always play a significant role. As movers transition to a new area, they have limited brand loyalties and established relationships with local businesses – offering a unique opportunity for marketers to capture their attention, establish brand preferences and build long-term relationships.
AT&T Fiber has consistently prioritized its mover audience, ranking high among growth and acquisition targets. Understanding the specific needs and lifestyle interests of movers, the challenge was to identify and reach elusive ‘pre-movers’ at a precise moment in their research phase while looking for smart products and choosing providers, and use this opportunity to deliver tailored content emphasizing a best-in-class internet experience and straightforward pricing that AT&T Fiber offers.
We needed to extend product visibility, boost brand engagement among the ‘new movers’ audience through content partnerships, and align with audience interests and lifestyles, positioning AT&T Fiber as the smart budget-friendly choice in priority markets.
Where would we find the ‘pre-movers’? Dreaming up their new apartment, of course. Cue Apartment Therapy - the authority in all things “home” - a lifestyle blog and online publisher focused on home design and décor.
Our internet connection powers our lifestyle, but often the “home” enthusiast audience is overlooked when marketing a tech-focused product like Fiber. Due to the unique, relevant content Apartment Therapy’s network of sites provides, they are 2.5x more likely to reach pre-movers and 77%+ of their audience are heavy internet users.
AT&T Fiber partnered with Apartment Therapy to use its trusted voice and expansive 18.9M reach to effectively use insights and data to target pre-movers, in priority designated market areas (DMAs) with relevant content specific to their needs and interests.
Aligning AT&T Fiber to Apartment Therapy’s Smart Spending Month editorial initiative in 2023, we created a custom content program with educational content that positions AT&T Fiber as the smart spending choice; its quality and price integral pieces to powering a variety of different lifestyles, offering a best-in-class internet experience for a new home, while helping to ease financial pressures.
First, we used a combination of Zip and behavior-based audience segmentation to focus on individuals searching for smart home content with budget-friendly advice in priority markets.
Then, using custom lower funnel personalized “smart spending” banners and unique hover units, we successfully promoted AT&T Fiber by strategically targeting keywords like “money” and “budget” across Smart Spending month content and 30 relevant editorial features, driving home the message that investing in AT&T Fiber is the smart way to power your home - from budget-friendly recipes to grocery hacks to home styling, crafting and more.
We employed sophisticated targeting methods to identify “pre-movers” to ensure our message reached beyond traditional designated market area (DMA) and Zip code targeting. As an added layer, we included behavior targeting tactics to focus on specific groups such as renters, movers and smart home enthusiasts.
Finally, to illustrate the transformative impact of AT&T Fiber, we invited the viewers inside and welcomed them (virtually) to AT&T Fiber powered homes. We leveraged highly influential ‘home’ content creators (and AT&T Fiber customers) Camille Dobbins-Jackson and Andreea Gaul who lived in priority DMAs to showcase how AT&T Fiber powers their lifestyles through a series of House Tours – Apartment Therapy’s most popular video format, informative videos which showcase a range of content related to home improvement, including smart technology, décor ideas, and DIY renovation projects. We also created a series of social-first “home hacks” on Instagram and TikTok, leveraging the power of the influencers’ social handles so that a broader audience could engage with the content.
Overall, the campaign utilized a range of strategies, encompassing exclusive social content, editorial coverage and customized interactive media, to cater to the specific preferences of each audience – resulting in highly relevant and engaging content, expanding AT&T Fiber’s reach and increasing brand awareness among all target audiences.
Across all the different tactics, the campaign delivered significant results. High Impact Media exceeded the partner benchmark CTR by over 100% and content generated over +1.5x higher page views than partner benchmarks. Across our custom features, the program outperformed time-spent benchmarks by upwards of 94%.
By boosting our content on Instagram, social videos delivered an added layer of results, netting an impressive amount of additional views, impressions and positive engagements.
The custom content generated significant increases in all brand metrics for AT&T Fiber – driving significant lift in likelihood to learn more about the product as well as in recommendation intent, showing that with the right content partnership, we could engage ‘pre-movers’ to find a smart spending choice in AT&T Fiber.
