When a close competitor unveiled plans to roll out a new generation of high-concept Experience Stores in key locations across the UK, we recognised the need for O2 to assert its relevance. Not by matching spectacle for spectacle, but by reminding audiences of the everyday value that O2 delivers.
Over a 12-month period, we led a programme of carefully staged brand protection work. Our approach was always proactive. Not about countering noise but about making sure O2’s unique advantages like Roam On, Priority and flexible tariffs were visible and persuasive in the places they mattered most.
The competitor’s initial openings in London Westfield, Cardiff St Davids, Manchester Trafford Centre and Bluewater provided a clear flashpoint. Our response was grounded in insight. O2 had something their closest competitor didn’t offer—free EU roaming—and we leaned into that with messaging that worked hard across formats.
Precision M proved a particularly powerful lever. At Westfield, those who saw our ads were 2.1 times more likely to visit the O2 store than a control group. And across all four regions, we tracked a significant uplift in store visits, click-throughs and awareness.
In summer 2024, the competitor returned to the capital with a high-profile experiential push, taking over Tottenham Court Road’s Outernet space with a circus-themed family event. The media value was significant, but so was the opportunity.
O2’s response was clean and confident. A playful in-store activation with rolled ice cream and a PS5 prize draw, designed to offer passers-by something unexpected with a clear route into conversations around fixed products.
Rather than react to the competitor’s presence, we created a parallel moment. One that felt locally relevant, rooted in utility and distinctly O2.
When a competitor brought their store concept to Birmingham’s Bullring, we expanded on what we’d learnt. This time the focus was on Why O2—Roam On, Priority and Switch Up all brought together in one cohesive campaign.
Over five weeks, our message was unmissable.
The result was a high-performing integrated campaign that avoided short-termism and focused on long-term sentiment and footfall.
Across all three phases, the objective stayed the same. Make sure the O2 brand is protected at key moments of competitor visibility. Not by copying what others are doing, but by showing confidence in what O2 already offers.
This wasn’t disruption for the sake of it. It was a strategic defence of brand equity, rooted in customer value and delivered with clarity. At every step, we reminded people why O2 remains the better choice and made sure they had every reason to act on it.
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The Quad
