Fix Awareness-Only Telco Briefs using Get Who To By
Oh look, another telco brief asking for 'brand awareness.' Groundbreaking. If I see one more deck that says 'make them know we're a premium provider' without a single plan for what happens next, I’m throwing my laptop into the sea. Telcos are the masters of spending millions to say absolutely nothing to everyone. The Get Who To By framework is your escape hatch from the 'brand love' abyss. It forces you to actually decide who you're talking to and what you want them to do, other than just staring blankly at a billboard while stuck in traffic.
The TL;DR
Stop throwing money at 'awareness' and start targeting actual behaviors. Use the Get Who To By framework to define a target that actually exists (GET), find the specific pain point they're ignoring (WHO), deliver a message that isn't marketing fluff (TO), and give them a mechanism to act so they don't just keep scrolling (BY).
Why This Framework Beats Your Vague 'Awareness' Strategy
Telco marketing is usually a sea of blue and white logos with zero personality. This framework kills the generic 'vibe' and replaces it with actual intent.
The Four Steps
GET
Who exactly are you trying to reach?
If you say 'mobile users,' I'm leaving. Pick the smallest, most winnable group - like frustrated remote workers or gamers who would sell their soul for lower latency. Specificity is your only friend here.
WHO
What’s the critical behavior insight about them?
What are they doing right now that’s annoying them? Maybe they’re tethering to their phones because their home Wi-Fi is a joke, or they're staying with a terrible provider just because they think switching is a nightmare.
TO
What’s the message that makes action obvious?
Stop being a poet. If the message doesn't tell them exactly why their life is better with you in two seconds, it’s garbage. Make the value proposition punch them in the face.
BY
How are you going to make them actually do it?
This is the 'how.' Is it a QR code that handles the switch? A 30-day 'no-regrets' trial? A contract buyout? Give them a tool or an offer that makes the friction disappear.
Telco Marketing Facepalms
(Try not to do these, please)
- ×Defining the target as 'anyone with a pulse and a phone'
- ×Using 'unrivaled connectivity' as an insight (it's not, it's a brochure line)
- ×Hiding the actual price in microscopic legal text
- ×Making the 'BY' a 15-step form on a non-responsive website
- ×Assuming people care about your 5G map more than their own monthly bill
- ×Confusing 'brand affinity' with 'people actually clicking the buy button'
- ×Using stock photos of happy people looking at tablets in parks
- ×Forgetting that most people actively hate their telco provider
Avoid these, and you might actually run a campaign that pays for itself.
Real Examples
Home Broadband
Fixing the 'we have fast fiber' awareness brief for suburban families.
GET
Parents in 'dead-zone' suburbs who are tired of their kids screaming about lag.
WHO
They've accepted mediocre internet as a fact of life because they think upgrading is a technical headache.
TO
End the Wi-Fi wars in your house once and for all.
BY
A 'Plug-and-Play' 48-hour trial where we ship the router and they don't pay a cent unless it works.
Mobile Switching
Moving away from 'we are the best network' to 'leave your current toxic provider'.
GET
Loyal customers of the 'Big Two' telcos who haven't checked their plan in 3 years.
WHO
They know they're overpaying but the 'loyalty' trap and the fear of a 24-month contract keeps them paralyzed.
TO
Stop paying the 'Loyalty Tax' to a company that doesn't know you exist.
BY
An automated 'Bill Scanner' tool that shows exactly how much they've overpaid and offers an instant switch credit.
Enterprise/B2B
Fixing the 'we empower small business' fluff.
GET
Micro-business owners who run their entire operation off a personal smartphone.
WHO
They’re terrified of missing a client call but their current personal plan has zero professional features.
TO
Get a professional business line on your phone without the 'big corporate' price tag.
BY
A 60-second app sign-up that adds a second 'work' number to their existing SIM.
Frequently Asked Questions
But my client really wants 'Awareness'. What do I do?
Tell them awareness is what happens when people actually use the product. You can't 'aware' your way into a market share increase without a GET and a BY.
Can I have two 'WHOs'?
No. Pick one. If you try to solve two different behaviors at once, your 'TO' will be a muddled mess of corporate jargon. Pick the one that's costing you the most money.
What if the 'BY' is just a 'Visit Website' link?
Then you've failed. 'Visit Website' is a destination, not a mechanism. Give them a reason to click, like a calculator, a comparison tool, or a limited offer.
Is the 'TO' the same as a tagline?
Hardly. A tagline is for the logo; the 'TO' is for the person. It’s the one thing they need to hear to stop being bored by your ad.
Why is the 'GET' so small in these examples?
Because telcos have zero budget for 'everyone.' By being specific, your media spend actually hits people who might actually buy something.
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