With T-Mobile set for Un-carrier 11, WOTW offers some advice on how the carrier can position the event as a great follow up to Binge On
Hello! And welcome to our Friday column, Worst of the Week. There’s a lot of nutty stuff that goes on in this industry, so this column is a chance for us at RCRWireless.com to rant and rave about whatever rubs us the wrong way. We hope you enjoy it!
T-Mobile US late this week announced plans to hold its next “Un-carrier” event on June 6. This is set to be No. 11 in the carrier’s ongoing un-carrier saga, which we can all hope has no end. (Need a refresher on previous events? Check ‘em here and here.)
Seeing as this will be No. 11 of these shindigs, two thoughts popped into my mind: how will No. 11 stack up to No. 10, which is also known as the Binge On announcement that shook the world; and that the carrier made just a slight reference in the media announcement to the only other mention in recent history to that number.
Before splashing this page with more awesome “This is Spinal Tap” clips, I will tackle the Binge On follow-up issue first, though as you will see there are more connections with Spinal Tap.
While predictions on what will be included in the event have so far been muted, my guess is it will need to basically be a free everything deal or an announcement from T-Mobile US CEO John Legere that the carrier is going to acquire AT&T for it to have a greater impact on the industry than “Un-carrier X” has had. With Binge On, T-Mobile US tackled the biggest challenge facing the mobile industry – streaming video – and dared its rivals to match its program. The only carrier to even attempt such a move has been AT&T Mobility, which now offers “unlimited” cellular data for customers also selecting parent company AT&T’s DirecTV package.
Sure, T-Mobile US has had to dance a bit in fine tuning the Binge On service to assuage some critics. But, despite claims it would never fly, Binge On remains a significant achievement in the mobile telecom space.
Thus, whatever “Un-carrier 11” is, it will have a lot to live up to, and except for my two previous suggestions there is really no chance it can. I predict it will suffer the same fate as the inevitably poorly received second album released by many bands that while excellent in its own right, always seems to pale in comparison to the impact provided by the first.
Perfect examples include Nirvana’s “In Utero” follow up to “Nevermind,” the Beastie Boys’ “Paul’s Boutique” follow up to “Licensed to Ill,” and of course anything from Spinal Tap after “Listen to the Flower People.”
Though it must be said that song did manage to shine even after the band’s initial success with “Gimme Some Money,” though that one was performed under the group’s previous incarnation as The Thamesmen.
(Let’s not get started on The Originals fiasco.)
Those two singles were so great they basically overshadowed all of the group’s follow up albums in the minds of critics.
Now the question for T-Mobile US becomes how will it handle the Binge On follow up? Will it be “Shark Sandwich” or “Smell the Glove,” which despite initial reviews have shown to be stellar pieces of work.
My suggestion for T-Mobile US is that if it really wants Un-carrier 11 to stand on its own it needs to look into some stage props to help alleviate the pressure. What could possibly go wrong?
https://youtu.be/X-9cFQJCCKE
Just leave the drum kit at home.
Thanks for checking out this week’s column. Here’s a quick extra to get you through the weekend:
–Industry trade association CTIA recently released results of a survey conducted by Harris Poll that may just reverse my negative feelings towards surveys.
The survey of nearly 2,100 U.S. adults found – you may want to sit down for this – consumers want free wireless data. That’s right, it took someone to pay some people to ask some other people if they wanted something for free. I would go out on a limb and say asking anyone if they want anything – bar a punch in the face – for free will result in a positive response.
In cutting CTIA a bit of slack, the survey was more around the use of sponsored data offers being used to lure consumers into trying new services, something CTIA carrier members are attempting to the skeptical eye of some consumer groups. And, I know trade associations are often under the gun to show they are publicly doing something in order to justify their existence. But, asking people if they want something for free is not really uncovering anything everyone already knows.
I welcome your comments. Please send me an e-mail at dmeyer@rcrwireless.com.
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