Telecom ad series to offer tech tips

Photo / Dean Purcell.

Telecom is promoting generalised technology tips in an advertising campaign that could be as useful to Vodafone or 2degrees customers as its own customers.

"Tech in a Sec" is aimed at people who don't know what to do with their smart phones and online devices.

It is a growing group that was not being adequately served, said Telecom retail chief executive Chris Quin, promoting the Saatchi & Saatchi campaign yesterday immediately before the company announced swingeing job cuts.

"Tech in a Sec" is a multimedia campaign with TV ads directing customers to online clips that address the most commonly asked questions from its website.

Consumers were buying or being given smart phones or devices, but had no idea how to use them.

Overall many New Zealanders are not fully utilising their technology.

It explains tasks such as changing email passwords - a useful skill in the Xtra fiasco recently - or hooking into WiFi or an ultra-fast broadband connection. The campaign will begin with a loop of 20 tips, though more will be added as it rolls out.

The long-term campaign starts tomorrow with advertising on TVNZ linking to multimedia including videos online in mobile devices and with social media.

The campaign will include the Telecom brand but it will be aimed at competitors as much as at Telecom's customers.

"We are aiming this as being value added - that people will see it and be drawn to Telecom. In general people felt better finding out how to fix problems themselves," Quin said.

The upshot is that "Tech in a Sec" will also take pressure off Telecom's customer service operators.