GOMO, a local MVNO (Mobile Virtual Network Operator) brand, faced its fiercest threat yet when its strongest and direct competitor launched ‘Jetpac’ - a revolutionary roaming product, available for purchase by anyone on any network - threatening GOMO’s market share and revenue stream from roaming. How could GOMO shield its territory and maintain its revenue stream amidst this seismic shift?
Since we could not “Out-Product” them, we “Out-audience” them instead.
Up against competitor's tough product and flashy ads, GOMO knew that just talking about their product wouldn't be the golden ticket to keeping users loyal. So, they shifted their focus to what local Gen Z and Y users would definitely care about - their own unique travel desires and behaviours. According to a study commissioned by the Singapore Tourism Board "Capturing the Asian Millennial Traveller", Dr Emily Ortega explains that ‘Getting likes is rewarding for the brain through an increase in dopamine similar to an adrenaline rush’.
Our Grand Plan?
Empower ordinary Gen Z + Y travellers to be ‘GOMO's Next Top Travel Influencer' on Instagram
Calling all Budding Travel Influencers!
To kick off the campaign, we invited all aspiring travel influencers to reach out to us on Instagram and share their most Insta-worthy travel photo as part of an audition with GOMO.
Giving a Masterclass in ‘Influencing’
To encourage participation, GOMO released tips on Instagram to empower any travel influencer-wannabe to join in on the fun.
‘TRAVEL INFLUENCER TIPS’ were delivered in bite-sized carousel frames and divided into 3 captivating editions - Adventurer Edition, Foodie Edition and Aesthetic Edition. Then to take these fledgling influencers to the next level, we forged alliances with the REAL KOLs to show how it’s really done.
To expand our reach beyond the field of travel, we collaborated with KOLs that specialise in other top-followed passion points like food, music, fashion, and lifestyle. They interweaved travel inspiration into their existing passions and delivered a relatable narrative through their trusted voices for GOMO.
Bringing in our hype-man base to generate buzz
Once submissions started pouring in on Instagram, we had to keep the buzz going... While we initially planned for GOMO to select and crown the next ‘Kinda Travel Influencer’ - we also saw a great opportunity to get the enthusiastic travel community involved and create some excitement.
So instead, we shortlisted 12 budding influencers, split them into the 3 interest categories (Adventure, Foodie and Aesthetic) and featured them on GOMO’s page. We then enlisted the help of the wider public to vote via the comments which in turn helped to drive organic reach of the posts.
Turning engagement into brand loyalty for GOMO
As the competition intensified among the shortlisted budding influencers, they took action to rally their friends and family to gather votes. Little did they realize that their passionate efforts have transformed them from ordinary into bona fide travel influencers for GOMO. In doing so, they not only extended the reach of our Travel Campaign well beyond our existing followers but also generated organic traffic and growth for GOMO on Instagram.
Against all odds, GOMO not only defended its roaming product revenue but witnessed an increase during March, traditionally the leanest period, thereby turning the tables to make it the most lucrative season.
While GOMO could not spread its reach across various channels like its competitor, we made sure to beat them in the shared arena we had: social media. This reinforces the notion that engaged customers are more inclined to become brand advocates, highlighting the importance of building meaningful connections
RESULTS:
20x more conversations vs competitor's campaign on Instagram
95% more brand mentions with #GOMOTravel vs competitors' hashtag on Instagram
90%+ more user-generated content submitted via #GOMOTravel vs competitors' hashtag on Instagram
15x higher engagement rate vs competitor on Instagram
21x more follower growth vs competitor on Instagram
The user-generated content from this campaign not only helped to populate the #GOMOTravel hashtag with a treasure trove of travel inspiration, but it also identified a talented group of individuals who are passionate about travel and eager to engage in our next travel campaign.
