Safaricom's journey in rekindling its relationship with the youth segment through the resurrection of Blaze stands as a testament to the transformative power of insightful analysis and strategic data utilisation. This entry celebrates Safaricom's quest to recapture the hearts and allegiance of the next generation, showcasing an innovative approach driven by meticulous data-driven strategies.

With Kenya's population median age at 19.9 years, implying more than one in three people are youth, specifically Gen Z, Safaricom identified a vast market potential. The Gen Z universe, constituting 11 million individuals aged between 15-24 years, presented a significant opportunity. Targeting this demographic, Safaricom aimed to tap into the 10.7 million Gen Z individuals aged 10-18 years, with their current customer base standing at 5.6 million within this range.

In 2019, Safaricom's decision to discontinue Blaze (youth platform launched in 2016) triggered a series of challenges, notably a decline in Net Promoter Score (NPS) and business performance within the youth segment. However, recognizing the latent potential within this setback, Safaricom initiated a comprehensive strategy to reintroduce a dedicated youth platform.

The objectives of the campaign were;

1. To re-introduce the youth platform to the market perhaps through a new thematic that would be relevant to the current youth situation/reality & research.

2. To acquire youth to Safaricom and the Youth tariff.

3. To improve Safaricom NPS on value perception by showcasing it as an affordable brand for the youth and a brand that supports the youth towards their journey to success.

4. Excite the market with a trendy youth brand.

5. Encourage digital adoption through having a digital experience.

Blaze gained momentum as a youthful brand, contrasting with Safaricom's declining association with youthfulness, trustworthiness, and care. This indicated a potential for collaboration between Safaricom and the youth platform to bolster the brand's youthful score.

The increase in multi-siming among the youth from Q1 2018 (21%) to Q4 2022 (40%) was attributed to a lack of focused youth engagement, competitive activities, and recession. Airtel's (Safaricom's main competitor) attractiveness surged concurrently with improvements in its youthful brand attributes and care score.

To reignite engagement, Safaricom devised a dynamic youth activation platform rooted in meaningful and pertinent interactions. Insights depicted the youth as ambitious individuals yearning for opportunities, shaping Safaricom's strategy to resonate with their aspirations and preferences.

The gig economy, valued at 12 billion Kenyan shillings, became a focal point. Gen Z, being digital natives, actively participated in this ecosystem, engaging in, content creation, ride-hailing, delivery apps, Instagram shops, and gaming.

The primary strategy revolved around reintroducing a youth network explicitly tailored for this demographic. Safaricom's objective was to provide innovative, cost-effective mobile network solutions, accentuating affordability, exclusive content, and unique benefits. This approach necessitated substantial investments in rebranding, extensive marketing campaigns, and product development, forecasting conservative, realistic, and optimistic returns.

Through meticulous data analysis, Safaricom unearthed the profound impact of Blaze's discontinuation on NPS, business performance, and the brand's association with youthfulness and reliability. The opportunity lay in addressing the unmet needs of the youth segment, capitalizing on their purchasing power and reliance on digital connectivity.

Our executed strategy stands as a testament to our commitment to Gen Z's empowerment, a journey that began with an in-depth analysis challenging prevailing stereotypes of phone addiction. Prior to the launch of S-Hook, Safaricom made the strategic decision to rebrand Blaze to S-Hook.

Positioning: S-Hook emerged as the beacon for ambitious Gen Zers, offering a gateway to empowerment by bridging the gap between ambition and resources, unlocking their full potential.

Creative Expression - The Hook: Life's progress thrives on connections, both in friendships and partnerships. S-Hook, the revamped Blaze, became the conduit to manifest visions into reality, ushering in a new era of empowerment.

Our call to Gen Z was to Get Hook'd and Tap into Vision Yako (Your Future). Why? Because, with S-Hook, we delivered unparalleled executional excellence that exceeded expectations.

The revitalization of Blaze as S-Hook and as an overhauled and rejuvenated mobile network brand successfully reignited engagement, empowered success stories, and re-established Safaricom's rapport with the youth segment, ultimately reclaiming lost market share. The estimated impact projected 2.4 million new Gen Z customers, an additional 14 billion Kenyan shillings in annual revenue within three years, and a strengthened foothold within the burgeoning gig economy.