TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICE DELIVERY AND STRATEGIC COMMUNICATION: EXPLORING CUSTOMER-CENTRIC HEDGE IN OSUN STATE, NIGERIA

Abstract

In Nigeria’s highly competitive telecommunications sector, brand communication strategies play a vital role in brand differentiation, consumer engagement, and market positioning. However, despite substantial investment in marketing efforts, customer dissatisfaction, service switching, and engagement challenges persist. While scholars have examined competitive strategies and their impact on the performance and consumer satisfaction, there is a dearth of study on service delivery and strategic communication from the consumer perspective. This study thus, examined brand communication strategies use by telecommunication companies in Nigeria with a view to assessing the level of influence that the strategies have on consumer engagement and brand loyalty. Guided by Porter’s generic competitive strategies model, this study adopted a descriptive survey research design. A structured questionnaire was administered to 345 respondents across selected local government areas in Osun State, Nigeria, with responses analysed using SPSS. Findings showed that SMS was the dominant communication strategy used by telecommunication companies to reach their customers, followed by mobile ads and social media. Promotional discounts were the most engaging strategy, while celebrity endorsements and sponsorships were the least effective. Further findings indicated that most respondents found telecommunication advertisements informative.  The study concluded that while telecommunication companies in Nigeria employ aggressive marketing strategies, network quality and customer service are stronger drivers of consumer loyalty than promotional efforts. Companies must move beyond over-reliance on SMS marketing and adopt a hybrid communication approach that integrates personalised digital engagement and traditional media to maximise customer satisfaction and retention. It is recommended that telecom firms improve service delivery, refine marketing strategies to reduce message fatigue and adopt more customer-centric communication techniques for long-term competitiveness.