Tell us a little about yourself. What does your job at Telefónica involve?
I am currently the Product Manager for the Smart WiFi Application, Movsitar Home and reverse logistics processes within B2C Marketing at Telefónica Spain. A product manager must know how to design and implement all the improvements that will be carried out throughout the year through a roadmap, identifying product issues with audits and customer surveys to measure and analyse customer satisfaction, and be able to improve it on a technical level with the aim of improving customer perception and use.
To do this, it is necessary to hold meetings with all the areas involved in the company: CDO (Telefónica Global), Communication/Advertising, Legal, Systems, inform them and carry out specific plans, as well as maintaining communications to review the necessary tracks and KPIs.
What is B2C marketing?
Marketing can be aimed at the general public or businesses. ‘B2C’ refers to the general public, i.e. our more than four million customers who use our services in some way: fixed connectivity, with fibre Internet, radio, satellite, mobile Internet with 3G, 4G and now, above all, 5G technology, and television, either OTT or contracted in a convergent manner with our Internet and mobile services.
Therefore, we are responsible for designing and implementing all the products that reach end customers… our family and friends who have contracted a Movistar Spain service.
How important is marketing in the relationship between companies and customers?
It is essential, as marketing is present in practically all of the company’s processes and decision-making, from pricing, promotions and product features to dates and communication, so the way in which it is known and marketed, we are directly related to each and every one of our customers.
How does B2C marketing differ from B2B marketing?
As I mentioned earlier, B2C marketing is mainly concerned with the ‘end customer’, i.e. the ‘general public’, as we often refer to it internally, while B2B marketing is concerned with the services offered to small and medium-sized enterprises and sometimes freelancers. Within these groups, there are significant differences in terms of size, territory and needs, which is why Telefónica strives to adapt to the needs of each customer based on the technology they require at any given time.
What are the main characteristics of B2C marketing?
B2C marketing is responsible for designing and implementing all the products that Telefónica offers as a company through the Movistar brand for customers. It is important to note that many new products and services are launched throughout the year, and they are tested beforehand and constantly to ensure that they satisfy customers. We also try to improve the features of our products and services to offer a high-quality service that meets our customers’ expectations.
Normally, we only see the product in a visual form once we have contracted it through the router, or the set-top box with the television, or the mobile line, and we check everything in our private area, but all of this involves many processes and teams behind the scenes ensuring the quality of the service, with maintenance at a technical level, so you could say that we only see ‘the tip of the iceberg’.
What strategies are most effective in this type of marketing?
I come from the world of advertising and social media, and it is no longer an alternative channel for ‘advertising’ the online world, but I believe it is always necessary to have a good mix of media and be able to reach all customers at the right time and in the right way to find out first-hand how they are using our products and services and how we can continue to improve them. Conducting surveys, focus groups and all initiatives that give customers a voice are extremely useful.
What is the relevance of social media in B2C marketing?
It is very important as a communication and customer service channel. As a communication channel, it allows us to quickly and economically publicise our products and services and, in turn, see whether customers have positive, negative or neutral opinions and whether they have any specific requests. As a customer service channel, it is an essential tool for reaching all customers quickly and providing them with the best possible service, trying to resolve any issues, whether technical or commercial.
What professional profile should someone working in this field have?
All teams are multidisciplinary, many have a technical background with degrees in engineering or IT, others have a business background such as economics or business administration, and others, like me, have a communications background with degrees in advertising and public relations, journalism or audiovisual communication, but it is usually also necessary to have knowledge of marketing, either through a degree or postgraduate studies.
Who would you nominate from Telefónica for this interview who you consider to be excellent at their job?
Antonio Martín París, Antonio Grande, María Ángeles Guzmán, Clemente San José and Ismael José Requena.
