SIMPLE, DIGITAL, AGILE
02
: R O D A U C E I T TUEN , L A T I G I D , E L SIMP AGILE WRITTEN BY
HARRY MENEAR PRODUCED BY
GLEN WHITE
w w w.t u en t i. ec
03
TUENTI ECUADOR
Gerardo Suårez Napolitano, CEO of Tuenti Ecuador, reflects upon the Telefonica offshoot’s rapid growth, 100% digital offerings and agile methodology
T
he global business landscape is being continually shaped and reshaped by evolving customer demand. In the tel-
ecommunications space, the rise of social media 04
and digital communication is provoking radical shifts in the way that operators approach new and existing markets. Tuenti came into being in 2006 as a social networking service targeting young people in Spain. Between 2009 and 2012, it attracted more than 15mn registered users, becoming known as the Spanish Facebook. Seeking new markets and customers, the company has transformed its offering over the past decade, now operating as a private brand which operates as an independent business unit of multinational telecom giant TelefĂłnica. The firm offers mobile telephone services accessible anywhere on any device with the strong digital operation.
05
w w w.t u en t i. ec
TUENTI ECUADOR
The Tuenti brand entered the Ecuadorian market in 2015, sponsored
Ecuador’s dramatic growth, and the
by José Manuel Casas, Telefónica
company’s vision for the future.
Ecuador’s Executive President, with the
“When we were starting out with
goal of capturing the millennial and and
Tuenti Ecuador, we wondered if it was
centennial market through a roster of
possible to create a new telco brand
simple, affordable plans as an alterna-
that was different from what millennials
tive to traditional mobile carriers. “We
and centennials were accustomed to in
started out with a plan to reach 500,000
Ecuador,” recalls Suárez Napolitano. “To
customers in five years. Four and a
accomplish this, we thoroughly inves-
half years into that plan, we have more
tigated what was positive and negative
than 900,000,” says Gerardo Suárez Napolitano, CEO of Tuenti Ecuador. 06
to discuss the strategies behind Tuenti
We sat down with Suárez Napolitano
2015
Year founded
$36mn
Revenue in US dollars
27
Number of employees
9%
Share of market in telco prepaid segment
CLICK TO WATCH : ‘RECARGA BANCO GUAYAQUIL — STAR WARS’ 07 about these users’ experiences. We
have access to the same great offerings
became obsessed with their wants and
we present to our newest customers.
needs. From those inputs we created
Lastly, we don’t do small print or hidden
the Tuenti experience, which is the sum
conditions; our offering is so simple that
of an attractive commercial offering and
our customers will always understand,
a very simple product to use.” Tuenti´s
remember, and hopefully love it,” says
team operates in accordance with three
Suárez Napolitano. “When we designed
central rules for creating a superior
the product we dedicated a lot of time
telecommunications product: be data
to constantly achieving innovations that
centric, be pro client and keep it simple.
make the experience easier and easier.”
“Our target demographic wants data,
At the heart of Tuenti Ecuador’s suc-
so that’s at the heart of everything we
cess is a dedication to agility, simplicity
offer. We also value our loyal customers
and a constant focus on improving the
as much as we value our new ones, so
product. “Our User Experience (UX) is
long—term Tuenti customers will always
at the heart of everything we do.” The w w w.t u en t i. ec
TUENTI ECUADOR
simplicity of Tuenti Ecuador’s digital
The company eschews a physical
products also affords the company
presence, instead embracing a 100%
the opportunity for laser focus on the
digital offering delivered through chan-
intricacies of its offering. “Although the
nels such as Facebook, Twitter, Web
products we offer may be simple, when
Chat and the Tuenti Chat App. “We
we change and improve those projects
know that the best customer service
— offering new integrations, promotions,
is the customer service that doesn’t
etc — we work through those changes
happen because the client doesn’t
in great detail, investing time in test
need it, so we make it as easy as pos-
environments and, in many cases, we
sible for them to find the answers to their
integrate the developments in phases to
problems without having to pick up
ensure the best possible results,” Suárez
the phone. We don’t have any physical
Napolitano explains.
care centres,” says Suárez Napolitano.
Learn More
Find out how businesses like yours are growing on Facebook. Cisneros Interactive is a Facebook Authorized Sales Partner for Bolivia, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama, Paraguay, Puerto Rico and Uruguay helping brands in those countries to take advantage of Facebook’s marketing platform for real business results. LEARN MORE
N A L P A H T I W UT O D E T R A T S S R E M “ WE O T S U C 0 0 0 , 0 0 5 H F L A H TO REAC A D N A R U O F . S R A E E V A H IN FIVE Y E W , AN L P T A H T O T YEARS IN ” 0 0 0 , 0 0 9 — N MORE THA Gerardo Suárez Napolitano, CEO, Tuenti Ecuador
09 E XE CU T I VE PRO FI LE
Gerardo Suárez Napolitano Suárez Napolitano is an executive with over 25 years’ experience in several commercial assignments in Latin America. He worked in massive consumer products companies such as Procter & Gamble in Venezuela and Argentina, and Empresas Polar in Venezuela. His last 15 years has been spent working in telecommunication business in the hand of Telefónica as a Commercial Director in Venezuela, Sales Director of Telesp in Brazil and Commercial VP in Ecuador. In October 2014, he was appointed as Tuenti Ecuador’s CEO and launched the brand in June 2015 as separate business unit of Telefónica. Suárez Napolitano is an Industrial Engineer from UCAB — Venezuela, Finance Magister from Unimet — Venezuela and Telecom Business Master from Catalunya University in Spain.
w w w.t u en t i. ec
HE T G N I D E E C EX D N A G N I T E AN L “ ME P S S E N I S U RB U O F O S L A GO ING Z A M A E H T O T E U D N E E B HAS ” M A E T R U — O F WORK O Gerardo Suárez Napolitano, CEO, Tuenti Ecuador
11
w w w.t u en t i. ec
TUENTI ECUADOR
, T N I O P R E “ LESS POW ” N O I T C A E MOR — Gerardo Suárez Napolitano, CEO, Tuenti Ecuador
12
“Instead, we have an omnichannel customer service offering supported by our own proprietary chat bot that allows us to optimise our service and increase customer satisfaction.” As a result, Tuenti Ecuador has been recognised as having the best digital customer service record in the market, reaching 72% of NPS (Net Promoted Score), Internally, the company has achieved a 60% level of automation regarding customer service. Agility and innovation are impossible, however, without deep, meaningful understanding of the target market. Súarez Napolitano prides his team on being young, diverse and creative. “Meeting and exceeding the goals of our business plan has been due to the amazing work of our team,” he says. “To create this team, we sought to integrate a diverse mixture of talents, incorporate a large percentage of millennials into the company, hire people with experience inside and outside the telco sector, as well as people from different geographies of the country, and ensure an even mix of genders.” This small and diverse team has been essential to Tuenti Ecuador adopting a successful digital strategy, with the agility to evolve and w w w.t u en t i. ec
13
TUENTI ECUADOR
14
suit the needs of a market based on clear
Tuenti Ecuador has become the
understanding of consumer demand.
preferred brand for millennials and
This agile methodology is not restricted
centennials in the telco industry. The
to the company’s internal operations.
company’s brand communication and
Suárez Napolitano explains that, through
media strategy are based on awareness,
Tuenti Ecuador’s relationships — all of
consideration, performance and loyalty.
which are based on a commitment to
Continuously, the firm creates cam-
maximising agility — with a growing
paigns with direct collaboration
network of close partners, the company
from Facebook Creative Shop and
has dramatically improved the quality
Google Excellence, who guide them
of its offering and reduced delivery
in the best practices of creative
times across its supply chain.
execution and media.
15
Looking to the future, Suárez
avenues that aligns with and expands our
Napolitano sees Ecuador as a place
current offering,” he enthuses, adding
of limitless potential. “In 2020, there
that Tuenti Ecuador is a business that cel-
are three key areas we will be pursuing:
ebrates success, takes risks, learns from
ensuring that the Tuenti team continues
its failures, and constantly innovates. He
to operate with the same passion, humil-
laughs, adding one final thought: “Less
ity and individualistic spirit that has seen
PowerPoint, more action.”
us change and grow to become the preferred brand for the country’s young people; expand the capabilities — and therefore the user base — of our digital platforms; and develop new business w w w.t u en t i. ec
Tuenti Ecuador Avenida de las Américas Aeropuerto Jose Joaquín de Olmedo Guayaquil-Ecuador EC090505 T +59 34 372 606 www.tuenti.ec