KUALA LUMPUR (Nov 15): The telecommunications industry needs to look at engaging with consumers who are traditionally underserved, said Maxis Bhd head of branding and partnerships Tai Kam Leong.

During a panel discussion at the CMO Conference 2019, Tai said: "There are lots of underserved and potential consumers out there."

He explained that real change in the telecommunications industry would be moving beyond looking at millennials or Gen Z and existing customer segments, to also looking at those beyond these generations to ensure that everyone is connected.

To that end, Axiata Group Bhd head of group marketing and brand Fernie Jasmine Abdul Ghani said the rules of engagement are changing.

"The world is changing and consumers are changing, and we have to break the mould if we want to move forward," said Fernie.

However, Telekom Malaysia Bhd's unifi marketing and communications vice president Lai Shu Wei said the needs and wants that drive consumers have not changed.

"The consumer has not changed, the mode by which they engage [with businesses and brands] has changed," said Lai.

For Digi.Com Bhd's head of marketing services Bernard Lee, the industry is now not solely concerned with market share alone.

"Market share is important, but it also about growing our share of customers' lives," said Lee.

All the panellists concurred that the telecommunications industry has moved beyond the point of "growth at the expense of competitors" and that all telecommunications players are going through similar processes and are open to pursuing collaborative opportunities.