Client Overview
Serve IT is an Internet Service Provider (ISP) that specialises in large-scale Wi-Fi networks at residential complexes and business parks.
The Challenge: Become the Number One ISP for Student Accommodation in the Vaal
When we came on board, Serve IT had an offering that was a mix of IT sales, support, and internet supply. The company had a handful of contracts with student accommodation properties and had invested a significant amount of work in developing robust solutions for these properties. Their MD at the time was looking to expand this side of the business.
Our Solution: Double-Down on Quality and Get Students Talking
Clarity & Craft
Our first step was to help clarify the brand’s positioning. Once this was defined, we began crafting their image to match. An elite internet company that provides rock-solid wifi specifically designed for student residences is what it boiled down to.
Strategy
Once the positioning was clear we developed a strategy to communicate it. There was no big ad campaign, in fact, no paid advertising at all. We helped align the brand’s image with a newly established brand positioning statement that helped form an internal culture of no shortcuts and a ‘never return to site’ approach. Over time, this approach ensured that Serve IT delivered a more stable and better-managed internet service than its competitors.
The next step was to provide excellent support and ensure that student frustrations were promptly addressed, which also alleviated pressure on the residence managers. At the same time, Serve IT invested in better core network equipment and constantly looked to innovate and improve, creating an unmatched experience for users.
Once this was in place, we enhanced the visible branding by getting student residences to display stylish signs at their entrances, advertising that Serve IT was the ISP.
Momentum
Soon, it became known amongst students that if you wanted good Wi-Fi, you needed to stay at a Serve IT-connected residence. Students at residences without Serve IT Wi-Fi.
The Results: Taking a Good Chunk of the Market and Increased Revenue
Over this period, Serve IT has grown to be the dominant force in student residence internet supply in the Vaal. Without growing their team, they’ve more than doubled the number of students they bring internet to, and their revenue shows it.