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Centurylink Marketing

To further human progress through technology by becoming the platform for amazing things in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

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To further human progress through technology by becoming the platform for amazing things in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Strengths

  • INFRASTRUCTURE: Extensive fiber network spanning 190,000+ miles
  • ENTERPRISE: Strong position in large enterprise customer base
  • PLATFORM: Comprehensive edge computing and networking portfolio
  • SECURITY: Integrated security solutions across network layers
  • TALENT: Deep technical expertise in networking technologies

Weaknesses

  • REVENUE: Continued decline in legacy services revenue (-10.5%)
  • BRAND: Low awareness vs competitors despite repositioning
  • ACQUISITION: Inefficient customer acquisition funnel and metrics
  • ENGAGEMENT: Inconsistent digital customer experience across touchpoints
  • MESSAGING: Complex solutions difficult to communicate value simply

Opportunities

  • EDGE: Growing demand for edge computing ($87B market by 2026)
  • SECURITY: Increased cybersecurity concerns driving solution adoption
  • AI: Enterprise AI integration driving network infrastructure demand
  • DIGITAL: Accelerated digital transformation initiatives post-COVID
  • SEGMENT: Mid-market expansion beyond traditional enterprise focus

Threats

  • COMPETITION: Hyperscalers expanding into edge/network services
  • COMMODITIZATION: Pricing pressure on core connectivity services
  • TECHNOLOGY: Rapid technological shifts requiring constant adaptation
  • ECONOMIC: Recession concerns impacting enterprise technology spending
  • REGULATORY: Changing regulations impacting service delivery models

Key Priorities

  • REVENUE: Accelerate enterprise segment revenue growth initiatives
  • BRAND: Strengthen brand position as platform for digital solutions
  • ACQUISITION: Improve marketing funnel efficiency and attribution
  • EDGE: Capitalize on edge computing market growth opportunity
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To further human progress through technology by becoming the platform for amazing things in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

GROW REVENUE

Accelerate enterprise segment revenue growth trajectory

  • ACQUISITION: Increase enterprise qualified pipeline by 20% through new vertical-specific campaigns
  • UPSELL: Generate $15M in incremental revenue from existing accounts via solution expansion
  • RETENTION: Reduce enterprise customer churn by 1.5 percentage points through proactive engagement
  • EFFICIENCY: Decrease customer acquisition cost by 15% while maintaining lead quality metrics
BUILD BRAND

Establish Lumen as the platform for digital innovation

  • AWARENESS: Increase aided brand awareness in enterprise segment from 65% to 78% by quarter end
  • POSITIONING: Achieve 25% lift in association with 'platform for innovation' in market research
  • CONTENT: Generate 50+ thought leadership assets across edge computing, security, and AI topics
  • ENGAGEMENT: Increase executive social share of voice by 30% across LinkedIn and industry forums
OPTIMIZE FUNNEL

Transform marketing funnel efficiency and attribution

  • CONVERSION: Improve lead-to-opportunity conversion rate from 12% to 18% through journey optimizations
  • ATTRIBUTION: Implement unified cross-channel attribution model tracking 90% of customer touchpoints
  • AUTOMATION: Deploy AI-powered lead scoring system reducing manual qualification by 65%
  • ANALYTICS: Create integrated dashboard with real-time visibility into entire funnel performance
DOMINATE EDGE

Capture leadership position in edge computing market

  • PERCEPTION: Achieve top 3 ranking in analyst reports for edge computing capabilities
  • CAMPAIGNS: Execute integrated demand gen program generating 200+ edge computing opportunities
  • INTELLIGENCE: Develop predictive analytics identifying 500+ accounts with high edge propensity
  • STORIES: Produce 15 customer success stories demonstrating measurable edge computing outcomes
METRICS
  • Enterprise segment revenue growth: +3% (2025 target)
  • Marketing qualified lead to closed-won conversion rate: 3.5%
  • Customer acquisition cost to lifetime value ratio: 1:5
VALUES
  • Fairness
  • Integrity
  • Honesty
  • Perseverance
  • Positive Attitude
  • Respect
  • Faith
Centurylink logo
Align the learnings

Centurylink Marketing Retrospective

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To further human progress through technology by becoming the platform for amazing things in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

What Went Well

  • COST: Successful reduction of operating expenses by 7% year-over-year
  • DIGITAL: 23% increase in digital channel engagement metrics versus prior year
  • PLATFORM: Quantum Fiber subscriber net adds exceeded quarterly target by 15%
  • SECURITY: Security solutions attach rate increased to 42% on new contracts
  • RETENTION: Enterprise customer churn reduced by 1.2 percentage points

Not So Well

  • REVENUE: Mass Markets segment revenue declined 8.3% year-over-year
  • ACQUISITION: Enterprise new logo acquisition fell 12% below quarterly target
  • EFFICIENCY: Customer acquisition costs increased 9% across all segments
  • CONVERSION: Digital lead-to-opportunity conversion rate declined 4 points
  • AWARENESS: Brand consideration metrics flat despite increased investment

Learnings

  • TARGETING: Mid-market segment showing highest growth potential with 11% uplift
  • CONTENT: Solution-oriented content generating 3.2x engagement vs product focus
  • DIGITAL: Self-service portals reducing support costs by 18% when adopted
  • EVENTS: Virtual events delivering 65% higher qualified lead volume than in-person
  • ATTRIBUTION: Multi-touch attribution showing 40% undervaluation of digital impact

Action Items

  • FOCUS: Reallocate 30% of mass market budget to high-growth enterprise segments
  • EXPERIENCE: Redesign digital customer journey to improve conversion by 15%
  • TARGETING: Develop targeted mid-market acquisition strategy for Q3 execution
  • MEASUREMENT: Implement unified cross-channel attribution model by end of Q2
  • CONTENT: Create AI-generated personalization engine for enterprise accounts
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To further human progress through technology by becoming the platform for amazing things in the 4th Industrial Revolution.

Strengths

  • DATA: Rich network data assets for AI/ML optimization
  • PLATFORM: Existing infrastructure well-positioned for AI workloads
  • EXPERIENCE: Internal AI use cases already deployed in operations
  • TALENT: Growing AI technical expertise across development teams
  • PARTNERS: Strategic technology partnerships with AI leaders

Weaknesses

  • INTEGRATION: Limited AI integration across marketing tech stack
  • CONTENT: Insufficient content volume to fully leverage AI generation
  • ANALYTICS: Fragmented customer data impeding AI personalization
  • AUTOMATION: Manual marketing processes limiting AI optimization
  • TRAINING: Workforce skills gap in AI marketing applications

Opportunities

  • PERSONALIZATION: AI-driven hyper-personalization at scale
  • EFFICIENCY: Optimizing marketing resource allocation via AI
  • INTELLIGENCE: AI-enhanced customer insights and journey mapping
  • SOLUTIONS: AI platform capabilities as marketable solution
  • ENGAGEMENT: Intelligent automation improving customer experience

Threats

  • ADOPTION: Competitors' faster AI marketing implementation
  • REGULATION: Evolving AI regulations impacting marketing practices
  • QUALITY: AI-generated content quality/accuracy concerns
  • PRIVACY: Customer data concerns limiting AI personalization
  • TALENT: Difficulty attracting specialized AI marketing talent

Key Priorities

  • PERSONALIZATION: Implement AI-driven customer journey optimization
  • INTELLIGENCE: Deploy predictive analytics for customer insights
  • EFFICIENCY: Automate core marketing workflows with AI
  • PLATFORM: Develop AI capabilities messaging for enterprise solutions