In Saudi Arabia, a country with an estimated 15 million
smartphone users, the Saudi Telecommunications Company has announced the launch
of a telecom service called “Jawwy” that is going to be a game-changer for
millennials just starting to adopt new mobile devices and social media platforms.
The Jawwy system has its own state-of-the-art SIM card and
new designs for sales and customer care portals. In-app functionality provides
for a cutting-edge mobile experience, and various features and functionality
are driving a lot of interest in this new telecom service in the kingdom.
“We needed to develop a new offering for digitally-savvy
young people,” STC Group CEO Dr. Khaled Biyari said in a press statement. “The
millennials of today’s Saudi Arabia exemplify the ongoing shift in consumer
behavior and expectations. They live in an always-on, real-time world and they
expect companies to cater to them in the same way. Jawwy is a significant part
of STC’s current digital transformation and we believe this initiative will set
the pace for the telecom sector in KSA and beyond. We believe it is the future
of mobile.”
One other interesting service aspect of Jawwy is
door-to-door delivery. When the service became available in May, customers
ordered SIM cards online and got them delivered to their doorsteps.
In comments Monday, Jan Chipchase, a representative of Studio
D, which worked with the STC to create Jawwy, gave more
insight into how the new service was made.
“Studio D was brought in by the Jawwy team to challenge
their assumptions, fill in gaps in their knowledge and figure out who the Saudi youth are, their values and find a voice that was both local and unique,”
she told Gulf News Journal. “It’s a difficult task in any market.”
Accomplishing these goals, Chipchase said, took some
deliberate research work.
“We started by building a mixed-gender, local team that was
connected to the service’s targeted demographic, then conducted a deep dive
into that culture,” she said. “Spending time and interviewing people in
the everyday contexts that people use mobile services, from homes to malls and
everywhere in between. Our ability to make it work all comes down to respect
for the people we interact with, and the ability to build and maintain trust. We
don’t believe that asking people what they want will give us meaningful
insight. Instead, we explore more broadly, to understand what they are doing — and, more importantly, why. The challenge is to be able to pinpoint the key
moments and translate these into a service offering.”
Asked about the value propositions that the teams are most
excited about, Chipchase cited personal and convenient connectivity.
“The core benefits of having a smartphone are personal,
convenient and affordable connectivity,” she said. “Jawwy’s offering
allows the customer to build their own plan, ensuring they only pay for the
features that they want, and to be able to make changes to the service through
their phone. It’s connectivity on your own terms. They can also fine-tune their
plan based on their actual usage, so they can experiment with different
services to find the perfect fit. The SIM card delivery helps those that have
limited mobility, such as women.”
All of this innovation, Chipchase stated, was done for the customers — to deliver a fresh experience in an industry that’s undergoing rapid change.
“It’s the ability to surprise in positive ways,” she said.
