Strategy
As the market matures it’s more difficult to differentiate on network speed and quality. Meanwhile a host of new entrants were starting to feel fresher and more progressive. Many rival networks compete on price and value. Instead KPN chose to differentiate on values. In 2023, KPN developed the #BetterInternet platform: #BetterInternet was a platform that would not only support quality perceptions, it was a long- standing commitment to making the internet a better place for all. A commitment to make the internet safer, more sustainable and more socially inclusive. We wanted to engage consumers with the idea of a #BetterInternet in a unique, modern way.
Approach: A campaign as entertainment
The problem lives deep in internet culture. The solution lay in pop culture. Sexting is a normal, private way of flirting for teens, shared in a bond of trust. But it also makes them vulnerable to online shaming, with potentially serious consequences ranging from depression and loneliness to suicide. Society often blames victims, but working with experts and those affected, it is clear the conversation needs to be opened up and responsibility shifted to those who forward. To raise awareness of online shaming and its consequences among Gen Z, we delivered our campaign as entertainment.
Solution: A powerful song
We worked with pop star MEAU, who called on her young fans, inviting them to share their experiences of online shaming. Through a sensitive and delicately managed process of co-creation, conversation and collaboration, a groundbreaking and heart-wrenching piece of music emerged, every lyric informed by those real stories. The song ‘A Piece of Me’ (Stukje van Mij), and music video brought the horrifying consequences of forwarding intimate messages to life; our message is clear: think twice before you forward, because forwarding without consent can ruin someone's life. Rather than a conventional media plan, we followed a music release, releasing the track on streaming platforms and digital stores, premiering the video on MEAU’s social channels, and promoting through PR and live performances before branded cutdowns appeared on TV, in cinema, and online. Influencers spread the word further. We provided concrete support with educational resources on owned channels and flooded TikTok with helpful content. And because Gen Z uses TikTok as a search engine to find information and answers, but where real help on online shaming is hard to find, we flooded TikTok and hacked the algorithm with the right content. Influencers reshared this with their followers. Through SEO optimisation and carefully chosen hashtags, we have ensured that proper guidance is now accessible to everyone. “A Piece of Me” turned a taboo into a hit record, lifesaving conversation, and powerful cultural movement.
#BETTERINTERNET with KPN
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