Three things stood out for me here; People, Process and Perception (The brand triangle).

I am definitely going to #dobusinessbetter.

According to the company,

“Our unique symbol is an interpretation of the ‘a’ in Airtel. The curved shape and the gentle highlights on the red colour make it warm and inviting, almost as if it were a living object. It represents a dynamic force of unparalleled energy that brings us and our customers closer. Our specially designed logo type is modern, vibrant and friendly. It signals our resolve to be accessible, while the use of all lowercase is our recognition for the need for humility.”

The digital platform business model is far more valuable than the basic telco network connectivity model, which is why telcos all over the world are trying so hard to create digital platforms of their own.:

Of course, there is much to say on this subject, especially as it concerns MTN, but I will send that Microsoft Word document to you on Whatsapp and via email.

MTN’s brand strategy is referred to as BRIGHT. MTN sees this strategy as six pillars on which the brand is built upon.
• B – Best customer experience
• R – Returns and efficiency focus
• I – Ignite commercial performance
• G – Growth through data and digital
• H – Hearts and minds of employees, and
• T – Technology excellence

With due respect, based on the marketing definition of “brand strategy”, what MTN states above is not a brand strategy.

Moreover, MTN’s brand purpose articulation hardly meets the criteria above for an effective brand purpose. It seems to me a “bland purpose”.

“Bright” may be a simple, familiar word to the average consumer, but it is not immediately associable with classic telecommunications portfolio (products, services and solutions). In other words, “bright” does not resonate with consumers in the context of telecommunications products and services.

If MTN were a light fittings provider, for example, “BRIGHT” would easily resonate with customers because there are at least three connections between “light” and “BRIGHT”:
A. “Light” and “Bright” rhyme;
B. “Light” and “Bright” connote luminosity, as light fittings could produce “bright” “light”;
C. “Light” or “bright” may alternatively be used to describe moods or emotional states. So the fittings may be touted as producing light that brightens not only the ambience but also the mood of consumers.

So, instead of concisely clarifying within its first statement how the MTN brand makes the customer’s life a whole lot BRIGHTER, MTN ’s current brand purpose forces the customer to have to read some relatively technically worded “passage” for an explanation of “BRIGHT” and its relationship with MTN’s business.

The explanation itself begs the question: do the words in the BRIGHT strategy resonate with the average customer or are do they aim to impress business majors, the management board, shareholders or the stock market? How many ordinary customers readily understand the significance of terms like “Returns and efficiency focus”, “Ignite commercial performance”, “Hearts and minds of employees”, for example?

A possible, albeit still inferior remedy
Since, however, MTN is NOT a light-fittings provider but a telecoms company that provides network connectivity to first connect devices and thence people, its current brand purpose might have been better-worded thus:

MTN makes the lives of its customers BRIGHT, or BRIGHTens the lives of its customers, by providing the connectivity/connectedness by which they pursue and attain goals, reach out to friends and family, are inspired to express themselves and empowered to be more productive, influence their world and do even more.

Needless to say, my company has created a comprehensive value proposition to address addresses the flaws in MTN’s current brand purpose and brand strategy. Obviously, it is not the “remedy” above, and the details in my value proposition are not given here.
The problem in this kind of situation is that MTN may never see my value proposition or give me audience for presenting it, since my company will not disclose it without a duly executed NDA protection.

We can’t tell if they will grant your request but asking is the first step. Send them an email. Send a physical letter. Call the numbers on their product. Give it the shot. We wish you luck!