Lebara
Turning a label into a shared aspiration.
To retain migrants who choose Lebara on arrival and then leave it when settled, we celebrated shared migrant / non-migrant aspiration.
the challenge
Lebara, the ubiquitous budget mobile operator, is a default choice for many new arrivals moving to European countries. Its affordable long distance rates have been an established convenience for calling friends and family back home and the brand has focused on being available at ports of entry. However, Lebara faced a retention challenge, as migrants swapped to a ‘proper’ phone provider once settled. How could Lebara increase retention and change brand attitudes, while still honouring its position and heritage?
the strategic choice
Shift the identity of Lebara’s migrant customer segment from being negatively identified to being more celebrated and aspirational. Reframe the way migrants are seen by championing the attitudes and behaviours we all share with them. Create a new label – ‘Global Citizens’ that can encompass anyone who shares these values or beliefs.
my contribution
Head of Strategy at VaynerMedia EMEA.
what changed
The campaign ran as digital and social assets and a TVC in the Netherlands, launching at the same time as a new retail and visual identity for the brand.
The insight
In many European countries, migrant has become a dirty word. After Brexit and with an increase in anti-immigration news and policies, those who move to new countries face increasing challenges. Many of the behaviours we celebrate in ourselves, aspiration and chasing goals, we ignore or vilify in migrants. We even call economically upscale migrants ‘ex-pats’ to speak more positively about them.
The strategy
‘We Are All Migrants’ says that because we all have dreams and aspirations, we are more similar than you would expect. It builds on that similarity to create a new label, ‘Global Citizens’, that migrants and non-migrants can both identify with – giving the brand greater relevance after settlement.
The work
