Don’t Disconnect Us Mark Schmid, TalkTalk
Jul 13, 2015
About
TalkTalk
Launched in 2003 as part of
Carphone Warehouse
Pioneered free broadband in
2006
Acquired AOL in 2007 and Tiscali
in 2009
De-merged as a separate, FTSE-
250 listed company in 2009
4.2m broadband and phone
customers
What the
Digital
Economy
Bill
proposed
Rightsholders identify IP
addresses allegedly responsible
for illegal downloading
What the
Digital
Economy
Bill
proposed
Rightsholders identify IP
addresses allegedly responsible
for illegal downloading
They then force ISPs to write
threatening letters to customers
matching these IP addresses
What the
Digital
Economy
Bill
proposed
Rightsholders identify IP
addresses allegedly responsible
for illegal downloading
They then force ISPs to write
threatening letters to customers
matching these IP addresses
Customers get ‘three strikes’ to
comply before potential
disconnection
Problems
with the bill
It won’t stop illegal downloading
It will punish and frighten
innocent victims
Problems
with the bill
It won’t stop illegal downloading
It will punish and frighten
innocent victims
Why should we threaten our own
customers?
Our
challenge
Harness mainstream support
against the bill
Persuade the government to
make amendments
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/dontdisconnectus
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/dontdisconnectus
Detailed explanation of our stance
Petition clearly
linked to
TalkTalk
spokesperson
Petition clearly
linked to
TalkTalk
spokesperson
Detailed explanation of our stance
Fourth-
largest
petition
on the
site
http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/dontdisconnectus
www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3jkUhG68wY
What
happened
next
The election and the wash-up
Controversial passages kicked
off into the long grass
What
happened
next
The election and the wash-up
Controversial passages kicked
off into the long grass
Judicial review
Statistics 14,037 clicks following Stephen
Fry’s tweet after Sing Our
Petition competition
40,000+ posts on websites,
consumer forums, blogs and
message boards
Statistics 14,037 clicks following Stephen
Fry’s tweet after Sing Our
Petition competition
40,000+ posts on websites,
consumer forums, blogs and
message boards
Improved online sentiment
towards TalkTalk – increased
number of positive mentions and
recommendations
What we
learnt
Branding is important – but so it
transparency
Online hubs help give coherence
and direction to a campaign
What we
learnt
Branding is important – but so is
transparency
Online hubs help give coherence
and direction to a campaign
Different channels do different
things
What we
learnt
Branding is important – but so it
transparency
Online hubs help give coherence
and direction to a campaign
Different channels do different
things
Your lead spokesperson is your
flag-bearer