T Challenge 2023: Web3 Powered Customer Loyalty Program for DTAG

For the past three years, Deutsche Telekom, a long-standing Accedo customer, has been at the forefront of innovation with its T Challenge initiative. This global platform brings together talented developers, creatives, and researchers from around the world to collaborate on groundbreaking ideas. This year's focus, titled "Web3 in telecommunications," aimed to harness decentralized technologies for telecommunication and envision a human-centered internet. Participants were encouraged to explore innovative approaches within the segments of customer engagement and loyalty, wallet and ID management, network and security, media, entertainment, experiential, and sustainability.

At the heart of the T Challenge was the notion of Web3, a decentralized and inclusive framework built on blockchain technologies. Its bottom-up design philosophy ensures equal access for all. With a concept that originated in eyecandylab before its acquisition earlier this year, Accedo put forth a compelling vision for Deutsche Telekom centered around "customer engagement and loyalty". The concept aimed to leverage Web3 and decentralized technologies to foster customer loyalty and transform TV consumers into dedicated fans.

The result? The Watch & Earn concept for Magenta TV, aimed at revolutionizing loyalty relationships by allowing customers to claim digital collectibles as rewards for spending time on the platform. 

Accedo assembled a highly talented team comprising designers, engineers, and iOS developers who collaborated to bring this concept to life during the T Challenge's development phase. Led by Lucy Trang Nguyen, who joined Accedo in March 2023 as Business Development Director - Emerging Technologies with the acquisition of eyecandylab, and working together alongside Mattias Höglund and Per Aronsson, the group engaged in intensive brainstorming sessions. On the 23rd of May, the T Challenge culminated in an exhibition featuring 20 finalists. A distinguished jury comprising management teams from Deutsche Telekom and T-Mobile US witnessed compelling demos before the teams advanced to the final pitch session on stage. Following the presentations, an award ceremony and dinner celebrated the remarkable achievements of the participants.

We had the opportunity to ask Lucy Trang Nguyen, Accedo's Business Development Director, a few questions about her overall experience with the T Challenge. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation:

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Q: What was the Watch & Earn concept about?

A: With Watch & Earn, we are bringing Web3 to a user journey that the customers are already familiar with. It is a concept with the goal of turning viewers into fans by allowing them to claim digital collectibles for spending time on Magenta TV. It allows Deutsche Telekom to engage with its customers and increase retention, while generating a new dimension of user insights and unlocking new revenue streams.  

Watch & Earn opens up Deutsche Telekom’s ecosystem to Web3, enabling smoother and scalable collaborations with more brands that customers love. For example, Magenta TV users would be able to claim limited-edition NFT rewards for watching an entire European championship game. And because the Watch & Earn solution is built on the blockchain where everything is transparent and publicly verifiable, other partner brands like UEFA or Adidas, could look up all owners of that specific NFT and directly grant them access to exclusive offers and experiences. This creates an appealing cross-brand offering for customers.

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Q: Could you share your experience transitioning from eyecandylab to Accedo and taking a project that originated in one company to another?

A:  The transitioning process was very seamless and smooth. I was impressed by the team's agility and expertise, everybody inherently knew what to do.  With our engineers rapidly setting up the entire demo application on Accedo Control, it exceeded my expectations of a simple prototype as it took the demo to a next level. We were able to show Deutsche Telekom stakeholders how simple it is now to configure the Watch & Earn campaigns including NFT trivia questions on Accedo Control.

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Q: What was it like pitching on stage during the final stage of the competition?

A: I was really nervous at first, but Mattias and Per were so encouraging and supportive. Both helped me rehearse and finalize the pitch presentation. As soon as I came on stage, it actually felt really good, because I think the idea that we had was really easy for the audience to grasp. 

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Q: Can you elaborate on the feedback the team received for the Watch & Earn concept?

A: The top management at Deutsche Telekom provided positive feedback, recognizing the value the concept could bring to the existing services and customer base. While we were pitching our idea, both in the booth and on stage, the jury was already coming up with more ideas on how to involve existing Telekom assets, such as the Magenta Moments (an app with exclusive benefits for Magenta customers). They even suggested that we should continue with this idea in the European Championships 2024. 

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Q: Could you tell us about your experience participating in the T Challenge Innovation competition?

A: The entire setup - from the demo day to the pitch sessions, and the gala dinner event in the evening - was meticulously planned and executed. The hosts, the jury, and the finalists all experienced a seamless event, completed with a delightful culinary experience, insightful speeches, and the grand announcement of the winners. The level of professionalism and attention to detail demonstrated by the organizers was truly commendable, making the entire experience truly memorable.

In conclusion, the T Challenge proved to be a remarkable platform for innovation, bringing together talented individuals from around the world to push the boundaries of Web3 in telecommunications. The success of Accedo's Watch & Earn concept for Magenta TV showcased the collective expertise, dedication, and seamless collaboration of our team, setting a strong precedent for future endeavors. This is also a great opportunity to mention the rest of the Accedonians who played a vital role in this remarkable achievement: Balint Halasz, Gergő Daróczi, Istvan Hilgert, Varun Panesar, Daniel Eneström, Sascha Ahmann and Alexey Chernetsov. Their contributions were instrumental in the success of the project.

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