BUSINESS ....................................................................................................................................................................
TECHNOLOGY
Top 5 tips to make
quadplay successful
WHAT IS QUADPLAY?
Quadplay is the merging of landline, mobile, broadband and television services into a
single customer offering. 2014 saw several big mergers and acquisitions in the UK Media
and Telco market as companies look to position themselves as multimedia providers.
Virgin Media took the lead and other providers have quickly
joined the market. Analysts have been eager to highlight
concerns around competition, customer service and
agility to change, while also referencing the large returns
Quadplay could bring. This article explores why companies
are pursuing Quadplay, what the key dangers are and our 5
top tips on how to overcome them.
the pace of the market will slow, or become any more
predictable, and so Quadplay could be seen as their
response to this, trying to ensure whichever way the market
moves, they’re covered and will continue to remain relevant.
WHO ARE THE KEY PLAYERS IN MEDIA
AND TELCO?
WHY ARE COMPANIES PURSUING
QUADPLAY?
Customer Experience – Customers now demand content
anytime, anywhere. The UK leads the world in mobile
data usage and with growth in internet and mobile traffic
continuing unabated Quadplay can be seen as ‘giving the
customer what they want.’ Customer experience (CX)
improvements can augment Quadplay to drive sustainable
top-line revenue growth. CX improvements create a
virtuous circle, increasing customer engagement and
brand loyalty, leading to greater consumption across all
platforms. It is this virtuous circle that has led to executives
targeting Quadplay. Results like AT&T achieved in 2014
when revenue from its U-verse service grew 28% after
improvements in the TV and Internet service provider (ISP)
product experiences show what is possible.
Data – There are potential big payoffs for the providers if they
can capture the whole customer spend as the ‘me too’ effect
takes hold. Quadplay providers will have a wealth of customer
data, giving them incredible insight into people’s viewing and
browsing habits and blowing open the door to upselling and
engaging customers in more high-value services
Revenue – Customers who take up the Quadplay offer
will be consuming a wider range of services, across
multiple channels. More services means more revenue
per customer. As customers become more valuable and
Quadplay companies have a richer source of data about
that customer, they should be able to offer them tailored
services and offers to keep them happy and engaged
Relevance – Previously these companies have been caught
out by the fast paced moves of the market (mobile data,
online streaming/Netflix, etc.) There is no sign that
1
http://www.telecomstechnews.com/news/2014/aug/01/can-Quadplay-take-uk/
2
Ofcom Consumer Experience Report 2014
14
CIO Magazine Autumn 2015 Issue
Comcast is leading the way in the US. However, analysts predict only 13%
of households will take a Quadplay package by 2016. The US shows that
results will not be achieved overnight. 1
WHAT ARE THE DANGERS?
Customers will expect increased levels of service from
Quadplay companies, meaning these companies will need
to truly integrate, focus on delivering what the customer
wants and ensuring positive customer interactions across
all platforms. Evidence showing, 15% of bundled television
customers, looked to switch in 2014 compared to 8% of
regular customers 2 shows that if companies don’t deliver
what consumers want they will have little hesitation in leaving.
The integration challenge (culture, people, technology).
Merging these