Telia CEO Heli Partanen: A strong customer relationship can weather temporary difficulties
Heli Partanen, CEO of Telia, has seen firsthand how long-term reputation management pays off during the COVID-19 crisis.
CEO Heli Partanen knows that Telia and other players in the industry are now under close scrutiny.
Now that Finland has shifted to remote work and people are seeking both information and entertainment in their free time, the importance of reliable communication networks in everyday life has become even more apparent.
“The effects of reputation management often come to a head during times of crisis. We, too, have experienced a serious incident in recent weeks, but our customer satisfaction ratings quickly rebounded to their previous levels in surveys,” says Heli Partanen, CEO of Telia .
“What helps during these temporary setbacks is having a solid relationship with our customers.”
Transparency and open communication at the core
Partanen notes that Telia’s strong customer relationships and the reputation that goes with them are the result of long-term efforts.
The project began when the new Telia brand was launched.
“We realized even back then that this wasn’t just a traditional rebranding where you simply change the colors, logo, and name,” Partanen explains.
“Instead, we brought the entire staff together to discuss how we want to be perceived by our customers, how we want to interact with them, and what kind of culture we want to create in this new Telia.”
According to Partanen, transparency has been a key element in building the Telia brand.
“We’ve been open about our journey and the kind of company we want to become. We understand that this is a journey and that we won’t reach our destination overnight. It has involved a lot of communication, both internally and externally.”
Reputation management helps weather the crisis
An example of the results of Telia’s internal and external communications is the #yhdessä campaign during the pandemic, which can be seen both on screen and in newspapers.
The campaign was sparked by a discussion about how the coronavirus crisis is affecting the livelihoods of small business owners.
“At the same time, we were figuring out what to do with the ad space and airtime that had been reserved for the Liiga playoffs. Our marketing team put together a campaign in collaboration with the ad agency in just four days,” Partanen explains.
During a crisis, the ability to react quickly is invaluable, and many employees’ resources are focused on short-term measures. Partanen points out that, in addition to this, we must also keep our eyes on the future. Long-term reputation management will carry us through the crisis.
“We may have to reassess our priorities in the short term, but in the big picture, the focus of our strategy remains unchanged.”
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Text: Anu Räsänen
Video production: Vesa Koivunen, Harri Leinikka, Tuuli Pohjola, and Riku Ruokolahti.
