T-Mobile and tms take the stage at ANA Brand Masters

Mike Belcher, SVP of Business Development and Partnerships at T‑Mobile, and Ryan Hedges, SVP of Strategy & Experience at tms (formerly The Marketing Store), presented at ANA’s Brand Masters hybrid conference in San Diego, CA.

Their first in-person event since the start of 2020, Belcher and Hedges took the stage to outline T‑Mobile’s mission to change wireless for good and turn the loyalty model on its head, building lasting brand love through the award-winning customer appreciation program T‑Mobile Tuesdays. Designed and developed by tms (formerly The Marketing Store) five years ago, the user-driven app rewards customers every Tuesday with free products and experiences — called “Thankings” — from top brands.

Belcher and Hedges also spotlighted how T‑Mobile, and T‑Mobile Tuesdays in turn, has been able to pivot in response to Covid, leaning into community and CSR initiatives that their customers craved and staying on top of what’s happening to give customers the experience they need.

Here are the key takeaways from their presentation:

• Putting customers first, treating them right, and changing the rules in their favor will significantly demonstrate your brand’s customer commitment.
• Programs like T‑Mobile Tuesdays work so well because they center customer appreciation and are constantly evolving to give customers the products, services, and experiences they want.
• Covid demanded a hard pivot, as everything from the economy to media and culture and customers’ work and home lives changed. In moments like this, consider shifting your brand’s rewards.
• For example, T‑Mobile shifted from offering Thankings like free movie tickets to telehealth care and donations to Feeding America, the CDC Foundation and more.
• Looking to the future, brands must continue to pivot as the world reopens and people return to traveling, dining out, and attending events — make sure to stay tuned in and tailor your experience to the moment as much as possible.