Unprecedented: It was possibly the most over-utilised description of the Covid pandemic, yet nonetheless it was rooted in the truth of the brutality of the pandemic rather than empty hyperbole. 

It has long been a criticism of the creative industries that they exist within a London bubble. A lack of diversity exacerbates an inability to reflect consumers’ lives as they really are or understand their lived experiences. The net result is that these consumers are reduced to stereotypes, or simply invisible altogether. 

While the pandemic is far from over; another crisis is casting a cruel shadow over many people’s lives. Yet, as an industry, we discuss it in abstract terms or not at all. It’s easier to build your agency in Roblox, than understand that the ‘cost of living crisis’ is far more than an abstract concept we can remain socially distanced from. This is a social emergency that will impact almost every area of marketing communications and business. From inclusive pricing to rethinking customer service and beyond. 

This is not a niche issue. The Resolution Foundation forecasts that over the next year, the fall in incomes in real terms will mean another 1.3 million people in the UK will be pushed into poverty. A metric the Foundation defines as a household income of less than 60% of the median income level of 2010-11. 

Showing consumers that you are on their side 

It is an ecosystem in which showing consumers that you are on their side is business critical; through clear transparent pricing and honest communication. A strategy employed with empathy and understanding by Tesco Mobile and BBH in their latest campaign which has been designed to ‘help customers beat mobile price hikes and establish itself as the super helpful network.’

Tesco Mobile and BBH’s long-term partnership has been built on the belief that the brand’s promise ‘Every Little Helps’ actively supports consumers. It’s a promise that will only come under greater scrutiny over the coming months. 

The Tesco Mobile brand’s nationwide integrated campaign will run across TV, radio, print, OOH and digital video. The brand is planning to differentiate itself through humanity, with a commitment to helping consumers in a category known for poor customer service, coupled with ever-extending, opaque contracts. 

The campaign shows the different ways the network is on the customer’s side; from fixed pricing, to 99% UK 4G coverage and the ability to earn Clubcard points on every bill.

Rachel Swift, CMO, Tesco Mobile, explained: “We know how hard it is this year with the rising cost of living, so it’s important now more than ever, to provide Tesco shoppers with an unrivalled mobile experience that they can’t get from other networks – like being truly helpful and offering exclusive rewards.”

The TV spot sees the first outing of the Tesco Mobile trolley on an epic mission to save a customer from an imminent price hike. The trolley can’t help but assist people along the way - from scaring away a fox rifling in a bin, to helping a boy who’s struggling to get up a hill on his bike - before finally reaching a distressed customer, to save them from their mid-contract price increase. 

Uche Ezugwu, BBH Creative Director, added that Tesco Mobile is a ’challenger brand’ in the noisy world of telecoms. Yet this empathy-driven campaign also serves as a challenge to other brands; to recognise and reflect on the pressures that come hand in hand with the social emergency. The ecosystem for marketers is ‘unprecedented’ once more.