At a Glance
Brightspeed is a new internet provider on a mission to improve connectivity in the states. By replacing its holding company partner with Said Differently’s team at BSRB Group – an innovation consultancy that draws on a diverse and extensive network of freelance talent to assemble the precise teams needed to solve clients’ unique challenges – Brightspeed has achieved a complete understanding of the customer journey, improved nearly every customer touchpoint, and made strides in repairing customer relationships and infrastructure inherited via an acquisition. Together, we are launching an ambitious brand strategy, optimizing marketing to drive customer acquisition, and revamping Brightspeed’s call centers to improve the customer experience (CX).
Insights
→ Working with one partner instead of a holding company’s subsidiaries allows organizations to unlock a number of business advantages, including cost reduction, speed to market, efficiency, and consistency.
→ Every decision about the brand experience is connected and cannot be made in a vacuum.
→ A one-size-fits-all approach to assembling teams never works. Every company’s needs are different and requires a bespoke team of experts.
A mission of connectivity – and reputation repair
The U.S. ranks as the most digitally competitive country in the world. And yet, America doesn’t make the top ten, or even the top 20 in a recent global study of internet connectivity. That’s because 42 million Americans lack access to broadband internet, exasperating regional inequities, particularly as remote work becomes the norm. Brightspeed exists to close this connectivity gap.
As part of its mission to provide more connectivity to America, particularly suburban and rural regions that other carriers have overlooked, Brightspeed purchased Lumen Technologies’ incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC) business in 20 U.S. states. This business previously operated under the name CenturyLink.
Google “CenturyLink reviews” and you will find a sea of customer complaints and a negative Net Promoter Score (NPS). Thus, Brightspeed leadership was tasked not only with building a new brand, but also mitigating reputational damage, winning over 6,000 dissatisfied CenturyLink customers, and revamping legacy processes and systems.
“I appreciate how quickly the Said Differently team can bring ideas to life, but also, change course when needed. This pace of innovation is essential to Brightspeed’s ability to compete in a nuanced space and provide the exceptional customer service we are committed to delivering.” -Courtland Madock, CMO, Brightspeed
The advantages of Team Design
To achieve its marketing, customer experience, and service design goals, Brightspeed chose to replace its holding company partner with Said Differently. Our partnership is unique for a number of reasons. For starters, Said Differently provides a range of services not typically provided “under one roof,” including brand identity, brand strategy, content creation, call center transformation, and customer experience design.
“I don’t think you will find an agency doing everything we are doing,” says Brian Skahan, president and co-founder, Said Differently. “We are able to do this because we are not relying on the same 20 people in the office. We are curating talent from a global network of 3,500 experts.
With Said Differently Principal Sophie Dick at the helm, the consultancy has casted a precise team of talent to partner with Brightspeed on transformational projects at every step of the customer journey. These projects include reimagining the Brightspeed brand, running advertising campaigns to increase customer acquisition, and improving customer service via an expansive call center transformation project. These efforts have contributed to a significant increase in Brightspeed’s NPS in less than nine months.
Transforming a brand takes a village. Dick notes that the team Said Differently has built on Brightspeed’s behalf includes a unique combination of roles, including acquisition strategists, digital transformation specialists, comms planners, motion designers, print designers, concepting teams, brand strategists, copywriters, Salesforce Marketing Cloud experts, call center specialists, video directors, video editors, and more. As Brightspeed’s needs change, Said Differently can edit the “cast” by drawing from its diverse network of high-level freelance talent.
Friction-free solutions increase efficiency and quality
Courtland Madock, CMO, Brightspeed, works closely with Dick and Skahan to maintain a holistic view of brand initiatives and keep all teams informed and connected. Together, they make key strategy decisions and execute them, without losing time finding speciality agencies and briefing them.
“As CMO, I was tasked with a long list of objectives that historically would have required me to hire multiple agencies with multiple disciplines, or a massive holding company. By working with Said Differently, we have streamlined processes, improved communication, accelerated timelines, and reduced overhead costs,” Madock says.
Because external teams are on the same page, Madock and her team can ensure consistent communication, share data across departments and projects, and achieve a holistic view of the brand.
“Said Differently is designed to solve clients’ problems with the least friction possible. The talent we bring on are all working towards a common goal – delivering for the client. You don’t see the inter-organization competition that is so commonplace at holding companies. This internal strife negatively impacts clients, whether they realize it or not,” Dick explains.
Expected future initiatives include brand campaigns, customer acquisition campaign planning, production and optimization; customer relationship management (CRM) strategy and content creation; and continued call center transformation.
