It’s all about connecting.
The notion that telecommunications exists to connect people is no longer a simple yet catchy idea, but an obvious cliche that does little to sell communications services. Advertising agencies and wireless companies are looking to connect with consumers on a different level, one that speaks to intangible ideals that move people to communicate in the first place.
“Branding has to become more personal. It has to say `this is why you need me,”‘ said James Florez, vice president of account services at M/C/C Inc., an advertising and public-relations firm in Dallas.
Consumers are becoming more and more familiar with the nuts and bolts of wireless service and are faced with an abundance of choices. Promotions about new pricing plans, services and devices will always be necessary, but this familiarity with the mechanics of wireless also gives companies more room to maneuver when trying to establish a reputation and overreaching message.
The key differentiator will be how well a carrier can customize the choices a consumer makes to his or her particular lifestyle, and carriers can do this, Florez said, by making that person feel like they know exactly what he or she needs.
Perhaps the most recent and prevalent of this type of branding and positioning campaign in wireless comes from Cingular Wireless, the company created when SBC Communications Inc. and BellSouth Mobility combined last year. Cingular debuted its ad campaign during the AFC National Football League playoff game Jan. 14, and further advertised during the 2001 Super Bowl, a global extravaganza that reached people who will never have the access to or need for Cingular wireless service.
“We made a decision early on that we would advertise nationwide in order to raise brand awareness throughout the United States,” said Clay Owen, spokesman for Cingular. “No one wireless company covers every city in the U.S., but all buy national advertising. Being the No. 2 carrier in the U.S.-with plans for becoming No.1-we want to make sure everyone knows who we are.”
Cingular also recognized early on that everyone basically has good technology and rate plans, said Owen. Cingular wanted to be the provider of tools that help individuals better express themselves.
In addition to raising consumer awareness, positioning a brand in the collective public conscience is a way of showing the company is stable and promising enough to invest in, said Florez.
“You’re either prepping the ground for a coming service introduction or you’re building general awareness of the brand” by advertising in markets where the service is not offered, Florez said.
Cingular’s message, “What do you have to say?” challenges people to think less about communicating, and more about what they are trying to communicate. Verizon Wireless, which also has a fairly new brand campaign, asks consumers to “join in,” suggesting having Verizon Wireless service is an opportunity not to be missed.
“The new ads are designed to break through the clutter and not only deliver on the promise of more, but to serve it up to customers in a way that brings peace and simplicity to a complex wireless world,” Verizon said.
Cingular’s move to position itself as the only wireless provider dedicated to enhancing individual expression falls in the same line.
“Wireless is evolving into a more emotional category,” said Virginia Vann, chief marketing officer for Cingular. “Choosing a wireless carrier will become more of a branded decision as technologies blur and purchases are rooted in deals. As the newest player in the field, we see an opportunity to separate ourselves from the pack by being the first company to emotionally bond with our consumers and present Cingular as a more inspirational choice for their communication needs.”
Florez said we increasingly will see the brand defining the types of services provided, and not the other way around. It’s not enough to inform people about the types of services a company offers, but the company must show how that service is relevant to a certain segment of consumers. Florez thinks campaigns from Cingular and Verizon have attempted to free the market from the “death spiral” of dollars-per-minute advertising.
“Brand is getting away from selling based on price, but rather based on promise,” Florez said.
Another prime example of this on the vendor side is Alcatel, which found itself in hot water last week with the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People because of several current television and print ads that feature Martin Luther King Jr. and his moving 1963 “I Have a Dream” speech.
Julian Bond, chairman of the NAACP, told The Washington Post that the Alcatel ad presented a “sad situation.” He said the ad was “proof that in America even the most sacred icons of the civil-rights movement are not immune to exploitation and commercialization.”
Alcatel did not return calls for comment by RCR Wireless News press time, but upon launch of the campaign two weeks ago, the company said the purpose of the campaign was to emphasize its role in connecting the world by bringing to life poignant speeches, songs and events in history.
Alcatel said new creative themes will be introduced throughout the campaign.
Cingular’s Owen said the company will continue to seek opportunities that fit within its theme of self-expression.
