CircleTel Promotional Campaigns
Create promotional campaigns that drive customer acquisition while maintaining ≥25% gross margin discipline. React strategically to competitor offers with counter-positioning or value-add responses.
When This Skill Activates
This skill automatically activates when you:
- •Create promotional campaigns for CircleTel products
- •React to competitor offers or pricing moves
- •Plan seasonal promotions (Black Friday, tax season, back to school)
- •Need counter-campaign strategies against specific competitors
- •Design special offers or limited-time deals
- •Calculate promotional pricing to ensure margin compliance
Keywords: promo, promotional campaign, special offer, competitor offer, react to, counter campaign, price match, seasonal promotion, Black Friday, back to school, WiruLink, Rain, Afrihost, MTN, Vodacom, discount, limited time, bundle deal
Quick Reference
| Need | Action |
|---|---|
| Create a campaign | Campaign Creation Framework |
| React to competitor | Competitor Response Framework |
| Check margin impact | Pricing Guardrails |
| Get templates | See references/campaign-templates.md |
| Competitor playbook | See references/competitor-playbook.md |
Campaign Creation Framework
Step 1: Define Campaign Objective
| Objective Type | Goal | Metric |
|---|---|---|
| Acquisition | New customer sign-ups | Net new MRR, CAC |
| Upsell | Existing customers upgrade | ARPU increase |
| Win-back | Reactivate churned customers | Reactivation rate |
| Referral | Customer referrals | Referral conversion % |
| Seasonal | Capitalize on buying moments | Campaign period revenue |
| Competitive | Counter competitor moves | Market share defense |
Step 2: Select Target Segment
| Segment | Product Focus | Messaging Angle |
|---|---|---|
| SME (2-50 staff) | SkyFibre SMB | Productivity, reliability |
| SOHO/Freelancer | WorkConnect SOHO | Work-from-home, video calls |
| Office Parks | ParkConnect DUNE | Shared infrastructure, premium |
| Healthcare | ClinicConnect | Reliability-critical, compliance |
| Budget-conscious | AirLink FWA | Affordable entry point |
| Mobile workers | CircleConnect | Nationwide coverage |
Step 3: Design the Offer
CRITICAL: Never discount below COS + 25% — See Pricing Guardrails
Offer Types (Best to Worst for Margin):
| Type | Example | Margin Impact | Use When |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value-add | Free installation worth R2,500 | Neutral (bundled cost) | Acquisition campaigns |
| Extended trial | First 2 months free (10mo commitment) | ~17% revenue dilution | High LTV products |
| Speed boost | Free upgrade for 6 months | Low (minimal COS increase) | Upsell/retention |
| Bundle discount | 10% off when adding Managed IT | Offset by additional MRR | Cross-sell |
| Price discount | 15% off monthly fee | Direct margin hit | LAST RESORT only |
Step 4: Validate Margin
Before finalizing ANY promotional price:
code
Effective Price = (Standard Price × Discount%) OR (Standard Price - Free Months Amortized) Gross Margin = (Effective Price - COS Floor) / Effective Price × 100 IF Gross Margin < 25% → REJECT the offer IF Gross Margin 25-30% → Requires MD approval IF Gross Margin > 30% → Proceed
Example Calculation:
code
SkyFibre SMB 50/25: R1,899/mo Offer: 2 months free on 12-month contract Effective revenue: 10 × R1,899 ÷ 12 = R1,582.50/mo COS Floor: R175.43 Gross Margin: (R1,582.50 - R175.43) / R1,582.50 = 88.9% ✓ Even with 2 free months, margin is healthy — PROCEED
Step 5: Create Campaign Assets
For each campaign, generate:
- •Campaign concept - Name, positioning, key message
- •Marketing copy - Use
copywritingskill - •Visual assets - Use
brand-designskill for image prompts - •Landing page brief - Hero, benefits, CTA
- •Sales enablement - Talking points, objection handling
Competitor Response Framework
Step 1: Analyze the Competitor Offer
| Question | Why It Matters |
|---|---|
| What's the actual price/offer? | Verify claims (often marketing spin) |
| What segment are they targeting? | Does it overlap with ours? |
| What's their technology? | Can we differentiate on capability? |
| What's the catch? | Fair usage, contract lock-in, hidden fees? |
| Is it sustainable for them? | Aggressive pricing may be short-term |
Step 2: Choose Response Strategy
| Strategy | When to Use | CircleTel Action |
|---|---|---|
| Differentiate | Technology gap exists | Lead with Tarana latency, reliability |
| Value-add | Price-sensitive segment | Bundle extras vs. matching price |
| Ignore | Different segment/geography | Focus on our strengths |
| Match | Direct competition, strategic account | MD approval required |
| Flank | Can't win head-on | Target adjacent segment |
Step 3: Execute Counter-Campaign
For detailed competitor-specific playbooks, see references/competitor-playbook.md
Quick Response Template:
markdown
## Competitor: [Name] ## Their Offer: [Description] ### Our Counter-Position: - **Lead with:** [Technology/service advantage] - **Avoid:** [Don't compete on price alone] - **Talking point:** "[Single memorable statement]" ### Recommended CircleTel Offer: - Product: [X] - Standard price: R[X]/mo - Promotional offer: [Value-add, not discount] - Campaign period: [X weeks] - Target accounts: [X customers in segment] ### Margin Check: - Effective price: R[X]/mo - COS: R[X] - Gross margin: [X]% ✓
Pricing Guardrails
Cost of Sale (COS) Floors
| Product | COS Floor | Min Price (25% margin) | Standard Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| SkyFibre SMB | R175.43 | R234 | R1,899-4,899 |
| BizFibreConnect | ~R150 | R200 | R1,699-4,373 |
| AirLink FWA | ~R100 | R133 | R599-1,699 |
| ParkConnect DUNE | ~R500/tenant | R667 | R1,299-4,999 |
| CircleConnect LTE | ~R300 | R400 | Package-dependent |
| ClinicConnect | ~R300 | R400 | R450 |
Note: COS excludes installation, CPE, and tower/site allocation. Full margin models in product specs.
Non-Negotiable Rules
- •≥25% gross margin on ALL products — no exceptions without MD written approval
- •Installation revenue ≥ installation cost — never subsidize installation
- •Hardware amortization included in margin calculations
- •Value-adds preferred over price discounts
- •Contract term extension acceptable to offset promotions
Discount Approval Matrix
| Discount Type | Max Without Approval | MD Approval Required |
|---|---|---|
| Free months (12mo contract) | 2 months | 3+ months |
| Price discount | 10% | >10% |
| Installation waiver | Full waiver allowed | N/A |
| Speed boost (temp) | 6 months | >6 months |
| Bundle discount | 15% | >15% |
Seasonal Campaign Calendar
| Period | Trigger | Focus Products | Typical Offer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jan-Feb | New year, budget planning | SkyFibre SMB, Managed IT | "New year, new speed" - installation waiver |
| Mar-Apr | Tax season | SkyFibre SMB | "Tax season speed" - 1 month free |
| May-Jun | Mid-year | AirLink FWA | Entry-level campaigns |
| Aug-Sep | Back to school | WorkConnect SOHO | WFH setups, student discounts |
| Oct-Nov | Black Friday | ALL | Major seasonal push |
| Dec | Quiet period | Retention focus | Loyalty rewards |
Output Templates
When creating campaigns, structure output as:
Campaign Brief
markdown
## [Campaign Name] **Objective:** [Acquisition/Upsell/Win-back/Seasonal/Competitive] **Target Segment:** [Specific persona] **Product(s):** [CircleTel product line] **Campaign Period:** [Start] - [End] ### The Offer [Clear description of promotional offer] ### Margin Validation - Standard price: R[X]/mo - Effective price: R[X]/mo (after promo) - COS floor: R[X] - Gross margin: [X]% [✓ or ✗] ### Key Messages 1. [Primary message] 2. [Supporting message] 3. [Urgency/CTA message] ### Required Assets - [ ] Landing page copy (use copywriting skill) - [ ] Social media posts - [ ] Email sequence - [ ] Sales one-pager - [ ] AI image prompts (use brand-design skill) ### Success Metrics - Target: [X] new customers / [X] MRR - Tracking: [How we'll measure]
Integration with Other Skills
| Skill | When to Invoke | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| brand-design | After campaign concept | Generate visual assets with correct branding |
| copywriting | For all campaign copy | Headlines, body copy, CTAs |
| competitor-alternatives | Deep competitive analysis | Detailed competitor positioning |
| email-sequence | Nurture campaigns | Multi-touch email flows |
Examples
Example 1: Black Friday Campaign
User: "Create a Black Friday campaign for SkyFibre SMB"
Response:
markdown
## SkyFibre SMB Black Friday 2026 **Objective:** Acquisition **Target:** SMEs (2-50 staff) in Gauteng **Product:** SkyFibre SMB 50/25 **Period:** 15 Nov - 30 Nov 2026 ### The Offer - FREE installation (worth R2,500) - FREE router upgrade to premium Tarana unit - First month at R999 (standard R1,899) - 12-month commitment required ### Margin Validation - Standard price: R1,899/mo - Month 1: R999 - Months 2-12: R1,899 - Average: (R999 + R1,899×11) ÷ 12 = R1,824/mo - COS: R175.43 - Gross margin: 90.4% ✓ ### Key Messages 1. "50Mbps. Sub-5ms latency. Your Zoom calls will thank you." 2. "Enterprise-grade connectivity at SME prices" 3. "Black Friday only: R2,500 installation FREE"
Example 2: Competitor Response
User: "Rain is offering R399 unlimited 5G. How should we respond?"
Response:
markdown
## Competitor Analysis: Rain R399 Unlimited 5G
### Their Offer
- R399/mo unlimited 5G
- Network congestion issues widely reported
- No SLA, best-effort service
- Limited coverage (metro areas)
### Our Strategy: DIFFERENTIATE (don't price match)
Rain targets price-sensitive mobile users. Our SkyFibre SMB targets
businesses needing RELIABLE connectivity. Different segment — don't
compete on price.
### Counter-Position
- Lead with: "When your business depends on it, best-effort isn't good enough"
- Technology advantage: Tarana G1 = sub-5ms latency vs. 5G congestion
- Target: Businesses frustrated with 5G unreliability
### Recommended Campaign: "Reliability Over Promises"
- Product: SkyFibre SMB entry (50/25)
- Price: R1,899/mo (NO discount — we're premium)
- Value-add: Free installation + 30-day satisfaction guarantee
- Message: "Your video calls. Your cloud backups. Your business.
Don't leave them to network congestion."
### Talking Points for Sales Team
1. "Rain's 'unlimited' has fair use caps at 50GB/day"
2. "5G tower sharing means congestion at peak times"
3. "We guarantee sub-5ms latency — can they?"
4. "Business SLA vs. consumer best-effort"
Related Files
- •
references/competitor-playbook.md- Detailed competitor response strategies - •
references/campaign-templates.md- Ready-to-use campaign templates - •
references/pricing-guardrails.md- Full pricing rules and COS data - •
products/solution-design.md- Master product/competitive reference
Version: 1.0.0 Last Updated: 2026-03-01 Maintained By: CircleTel Product & Strategy