UK telco EE reaches connected audiences via cleverly crafted audio ads

Fast and reliable broadband has benefits for everyone—including students, gamers, remote workers, and die-hard reality TV fans who just can't wait to stream the latest episode of their favourite show (and then immediately listen to the companion podcast). It's even more important if you've got each of these cohorts in a single household.

To convey that their broadband service can handle even the most connected of families, UK-based telco EE leveraged Spotify to send a memorable message: EE Full Fibre is super-fast broadband you can count on—even when your family is using many devices at once.

The Brief:

EE wanted to raise awareness of their speedy broadband service and drive consideration of their Full Fibre offering among UK residents. They planned to deploy four key target categories:

• Home is the Hub of our Lives
  
• Supporting Children's Learning
  
• Gaming Unleashed
  
• Working Well Everywhere

To do so effectively, the brand needed to cut through the noise and position EE's Full Fibre service as the fastest option out there for those studying, parenting, gaming, and working at home.

The Solution:

To reach listeners in those core categories and get their telco brand noticed, EE leveraged Spotify's rich first-party data to create and target key audiences with a combination of digital audio and video ads.

For example, they promoted the message that "Home is the Hub of our Lives" by serving EE ads to listeners as they streamed at home across smart speakers or other connected devices. And by targeting playlists that appealed to kids, EE were able to reach parents and guardians with ads conveying how the brand can help with "Supporting Children's Learning." The messages noted that EE Full Fibre can ensure faster speeds to keep the content flowing—a big perk for at-home education.

To get in front of verified gamers with their "Gaming Unleashed" messaging, EE and Spotify targeted gaming audiences in real-time as they streamed Spotify across their gaming devices. The message? EE Full Fibre is the perfect broadband choice for the fastest gaming experience.

Finally, to reach the "Working Well Everywhere" audience, the campaign homed in on remote workers throughout the week as they streamed playlists specific to themes like "focus" and "work."

The Impact:

Opting for a mix of audio and video ads proved a winning strategy for EE . With messaging like "EE Full Fibre can handle 100 streaming songs at once," the campaign achieved notable boosts in Ad Recall, Awareness, and Message Association. The "Working Well Everywhere" segment returned significant above-benchmark uplifts across the board, including Brand Preference.

The Takeaway:

This telco advertising case study highlights how targeted digital audio advertising can help brands—and especially those seeking to reach niche audiences—connect in a way that counts. Using programmatic to engage audiences with both audio and video ads can be leveraged over time to boost intent, build affinity with a brand, and home in on an optimized campaign approach.