blog, brand building

Why Doing Good Is No Longer Optional for Telecom Brands

Let me start with a quick question: when was the last time you felt something about your telecom provider? Was it the price on your latest bill? The 5G coverage in your region? Or was it a campaign that made you think, “This brand actually cares about something bigger than its bottom line”? 

With the rise of mental health issues among younger generations related to digital safety & social media consumption, we see telecom brands shift toward the latter.

Telecom is no longer just infrastructure — it’s identity

Telecom providers today aren’t just delivering connectivity. They’re enabling education, careers, family connections, and (let’s be honest) a big chunk of our daily communications… and emotions. That makes them more than a service. It makes them societal actors. And with such great powers, comes great responsibility.
 
In the last 3 conferences I attended, I’ve seen a clear pattern emerge: winning telecom brands aren’t just competing on price or product. They’re competing and differentiation on purpose.
 
Not because it looks good on a slide deck or board meeting. But because millions of consumers, thousands of employees and businesses are conceding them the right to provide this essential service. As a result, we all hold these brands accountable for how they run their business, in a similar way we do with the government.
 
Following this perspective, dentsu developed the Canopy Framework, a strategic model that places purpose at the heart of enterprise transformation. It helps organisations align their core mission with business strategy by mapping out the interconnected impact on stakeholders: business, employees, society, and the environment.
 
Through a four-phase process (Reframe, Inspire, Reimagine, Activate), Canopy enables leadership teams to uncover societal opportunities, ideate purpose-led initiatives, and translate them into actionable strategies with measurable outcomes. Rather than viewing societal and environmental issues as separate from business growth, the framework highlights how addressing these challenges can support innovation, drive value, and build more purpose-driven organisations.
Infographic titled 'The Four-Phase Canopy Process' with four colored vertical boxes labeled: REFRAME (green, with a sprouting plant icon), INSPIRE (yellow, with a lightbulb icon), REIMAGINE (blue, with a circular arrow icon), and ACTIVATE (red, with a rocket icon). Each box contains a brief description of the phase. REFRAME: Shift your business purpose into a new socially relevant context. INSPIRE: Identify pressing social issues that resonate with your audience and brainstorm how consumer or customer behavior could address them. REIMAGINE: Define your company's renewed role in society and establish symbolic initiatives that foster cultural change and signal your commitment. ACTIVATE: Develop and launch a detailed implementation plan, working with stakeholders to turn ideas into real-world action.

Examples speak louder than missions statements

Let’s look at what’s happening on the ground:

  • Vodafone’s “everyone.connected” campaign is tackling digital exclusion in the UK head-on, helping more than 1 million people get access to free connectivity and devices. That’s the real impact, not corporate lip service.
  • AT&T has committed $5 billion to help 25 million Americans bridge the digital divide by 2030, funding Connected Learning Centers, digital literacy programs, and discounted broadband access.
  • KPN’s “A Piece of Me” campaign is an initiative tied to its #BetterInternet mission. It didn’t just raise awareness about online safety, but it have also helped to influence Dutch legislation on image-based abuse.
Bartho Boer, Chief Brand, Communications & CSR at KPN, is pictured in a black-and-white portrait on the right side of the image, wearing glasses and a suit, smiling at the camera. On the left side, a quote reads: “It’s important we share these insights, our cases and lessons with a broader community of professionals in marketing and marketing-procurement as we all have the ability to use the transformative power of communications and creativity for good.” The KPN logo is visible on the portrait, the quote is related to telecom brands.
  • Magenta Moments – without a catch — The benefits and gifts at Magenta Moments are hand-picked and are among the best offers on the market. They are now increasingly focusing on “shareable gifts & experiences” aiming to facilitate real connections between humans. The loyalty program is available to all Deutsche Telekom residential customers and can be redeemed with just a few clicks via the App, no catches or hidden conditions.
  • Telstra’s “Young & Connected” aims to empower 1 million young Australians by 2030 with safe, equitable digital access. Partnering with 11 charities and co-designed with youth, the program focuses on three pillars: boosting STEM skills, promoting online safety and wellbeing, and improving access to devices and connectivity. It’s a step toward digital inclusion for the next generation.

This isn’t “woke washing”, but a strategy. These campaigns are boosting brand equity, unlocking new loyalty, and in some cases, even moving policy.

And the data backs it up:
👉 High-purpose brands are growing 4× faster in value than low-purpose brands (Fortuna Advisors).
👉 66% of consumers are willing to switch brands for one that aligns with their values (Cone/Porter Novelli).
👉 And loyalty? It’s increasingly emotional — built on trust, not just transactions.

Loyalty leaders: this is your playing field.

For those of us working in customer strategy and loyalty, this opens up powerful questions:

  • How are we embedding purpose into our CRM and loyalty programs, and not just our brand campaigns?
  • Can we reward customers for sustainable behaviour, community support, or digital wellbeing, and not just purchases?
  • Are we turning our brand’s purpose into participation.

Because here’s the truth: a brand’s values don’t live in its ads. They live in its decisions and in how customers experience those decisions every day.

Final thought: Purpose Is the New Price of Admission

In today’s telecom landscape, connectivity is just the starting point. What truly sets brands apart isn’t signal strength or gigabytes, but the strength of their convictions and the impact of their actions. The campaigns from Vodafone, Telstra, KPN, and others prove that purpose isn’t a PR exercise; it’s a competitive strategy. One that drives business performance, earns lasting loyalty, and addresses some of society’s most urgent challenges.

Because in an industry that underpins how the world connects, communicates, and progresses, there’s no neutral ground. Every decision either reinforces trust or erodes it. Loyalty is no longer just transactional. It is becoming every day more emotional, ethical, and earned.

So, as telecom brands move beyond selling access to becoming stewards of digital life, the question isn’t if they should lead with purpose. It’s how quickly they can do it before consumers, employees, and stakeholders choose brands that already are.

The future of loyalty is purposeful. And the brands that act with courage and clarity today will be the ones we remember — and stick with — tomorrow.

Simon Tavernier
CEO & Co-Founder at Stampix

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