Half the world without Internet: How brands can boost access to data on mobile phones

Abstract

This paper explores ways that brands can help expand Internet use worldwide. Less than half the world’s households are now connected to the Internet, in large measure because of costs. Consumers increasingly go online through phones instead of computers. Yet many people cannot afford enough data on their phones to use the Internet extensively. This paper looks at two case studies in Brazil, where clients of mobile marketing agency MUV used innovative strategies to expand data access for mobile phone users. In the first case, e-commerce company Netshoes paid major telecom carriers upfront so that consumers would get free and unlimited access to Netshoes’ mobile site and mobile app from their phones. Netshoes’ business soared. In the second case, Unilever’s Dove brand offered consumers who had run out of phone data a chance to win extra data for their phones. A Dove video was available on a captive portal for people who had used up their phone data and who correctly answered questions about the ad. Clicks and brand awareness jumped. Both cases show the power of brands to help boost Internet use.