T-Mobile's Social Strategy for Connecting with Millennials

By Meghan Medlock

T-Mobile's Michael Miller. Courtesy of T-Mobile.

With 20 years of experience in the digital space, Michael Miller knows a thing or two about crafting digital experiences. Since he joined T-Mobile in 2016, the VP of creative experience and social media has led a complete overhaul of the brand's digital experiences, specifically with its "Un-carrier" campaign.

T-Mobile's evolution to an "Un-carrier" began with a manifesto to change the wireless industry by getting rid of data overages and streaming limits, as well as streamlining its plan options into one unlimited plan. Once it launched this new strategy, T-Mobile turned its focus on the millennial audience and digital natives. At the 2018 ANA Digital and Social Media Conference, Miller will explain how the brand is winning with influencers, content marketing, and digital transformation. Ahead of his presentation, he sheds some light on the three key pillars of the social strategy helping T-Mobile connect with this core audience:

1. Become a Social-First Brand.
   "We believe that focusing on social-first content and campaigns lays the groundwork for success," Miller says. "Authentically join the conversation on [your audience's] terms. Everyone wants honesty, transparency, and a two-way conversation." However, he cautions, every individual is different, so one message or platform won't work for everyone.
2. Command Insights and Engagement.
   As millennials increasingly seek direct connections with brands, it is important to have tools in place to empower that, Miller suggests. "Social media can be the best way to identify consumer issues; if one person posts about it, there are probably hundreds more thinking it. Through testing social, we are able to acquire prospects and also glean insights so we can re-invigorate into our social media strategy and creative," he says.
3. Drive a Social Fan Army.
   T-Mobile empowers advocates to share the "Un-carrier" movement by listening to them and eliminating the barriers that keep them from getting the most out of a product. "This drives loyalty," Miller says.

For brands looking to get started with creating social content, Miller suggests focusing on conversations. "We believe that conversation plants the seed for content and that is amplified by context to drive more even content," he says.

To hear more from Miller and learn how T-Mobile is driving growth with millennials, don't miss his session at the 2018 ANA Digital and Social Media Conference, July 25–27 in Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. He will be joined by leading digital marketers from companies like Wendy's, Under Armour, IBM, and Mastercard. Learn more and register here.

Meghan Medlock is a senior director of committees and conferences at the ANA.