Friday 1 July 2016






             “I DON PORT OOO” Campaign: issues and service delivery as the epicenter!

The erstwhile brand character of Estisalat Network, Saka Adetoro became a media trend last week for the “I DON PORT OO” advertising campaign for the leading telecommunication operator, MTN. The campaign centered on the directive by the regulator to the operators to begin SIM portability of subscribers across all the networks. What however made the campaign a media discourse and popular was the sophistication deployed by the MTN to use a former brand identity of its competitor that sent made the “I DON PORT OO” a trending Ascription after the my “ Oga At The Top” popular jingles. 

The media commentators and brand strategists have opened up a major discussion around the consequence of the advertising campaign. While some are in awe of the timely ingenuity of the telecom operator, others are of the precept that the use of the brand personae is unethical and done in bad taste. In another forum, it was stated that the strategy was a veiled approach by the telecom operator to keep its huge subscribers relying on the wide coverage area capacity of the network.

Irrespective of the scale of advocated motives of the “ I DON PORT OO“ campaign lies the emerging paradigm where telecommunication operators see the subscribers as the engine room of their growth hence the need to tailor their service in ensuring first-rate customer service in the industry. This possibility offered by SIM portability is a novel indication that makes it possible for subscribers to switch network with losing their unique numbers.

This development coming at the time where many subscribers are of the opinion that the operators are not doing enough to evolve service that is equivalent and correspondent to the expected global practice in the telecommunication operation. The SIM portability is a veritable prospect that put the subscribers at the vanguard of all service initiatives of the mobile telecom operators because nobody wants to give its competitors the reason why subscribers on its network are “porting” to another network. The emerging trend is a welcome development which if it had been deployed at the beginning of the global service for mobile communication in Nigeria, it would have created a culture of admirable service delivery for those whose passion is tailored in providing subscribers with exception services while those that fail in that area of subscribers at the epicenter of its service take the back bench.

The onus is now more than ever on the operators to know that highly subscribers-centric operators lead their respective industries. The critical task is to build service that define subscribers’ expectations as against the predominate culture of devising brand strategies without knowing what the subscribers (both high end and low capacity) desired. The same index applies to subscribers in respect of location and context. Now is the time to understand that business strategy tailored in giving the subscribers sense of fulfillment are one of the biggest factors in subscribers overall satisfaction with experience. 

The “I DON PORT OO” phenomenon besides the talking points it generated among media commentators heralds the period where service delivered by the telecommunication operators must leave the subscribers with new experience in sheer contrast to the norm where networks have not fared better in quality service delivery, innovations, and customer service, product offers, billings and inter-network connections toward ensuring unique subscribers experience. The same appeal goes to the telecom regulator, to ensure that innovative concepts like the SIM Portability are sanctioned to facilitate and create a vibrant telecommunication sector in Nigeria. The Nigeria Telecommunication Sector has abundant capacity to grow into a pride of the country and continent at large!



By: Gbelela Olabisi Michael (Lagos)
08023974758
olabisimichaelng@yahoo.com

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