What do the phrases “digital world”, “digital identity” and the color orange have in common?
For starters, they are all part of AT&T’s new marketing initiative, and what seems to be a shift in their brand positioning at large.
There are a number of things that I feel AT&T is doing right, but before I get to that, let’s talk about what the one thing they have gotten wrong.
Here are a few quotes from Cathy Coughlin, AT&T senior executive vice president and global marketing officer.
“The AT&T brand is one of our most important assets,”
“The new campaigns highlight AT&T's leadership in wireless and our
extensive portfolio of communications services that keep our customers
connected.”
Obviously Coughlin has not actually used AT&T wireless’s EDGE network lately, and is not aware what people really think of the brand…
Okay, so that was a bit harsh, sue me :) !
What I am really getting at is the fact that AT&T neglected the power of the wildly popular young and hip brand, Cingular, in favor of the stodgy old bell, AT&T. They are now attempting to siphon elements of the brand people loved, into the brand their parents may or may not have loved.
Am I missing something here? If the goal is to go young, hip and fresh, why did they not go with the brand that already captured that market?
That is old news, on to the present…
Friend and fellow metaverse connoisseur, Jerry Paffendorf recently left The Electric Sheep Company in an attempt to turn the World Wide Web into a World Wide World. While I don’t really know exactly what he is talking about (I am sure whatever it is he is working on it really cool) I feel as though AT&T is after a similar goal (at least in essence. I am sure what Jerry is doing will manifest in a wildly different manner than what AT&T would ever do).
Catchy Slogans Are All a Brand Ever Needs
“Your Seamless World”
This is the new war chant that AT&T is going to rally behind and I have to admit,
I LOVE IT!
It remains to be seen whether or not they live up to this promise, however this is where the world has already begun to head (ubiquitous computing) and I applaud AT&T for recognizing this movement.
AT&T is also plotting some interactive plays that will align them with current web trends such as the web as platform and the ever popular web as social network.
Finally, and most important, AT&T has hired one of my favorite directors, Wes Anderson to create their new TV spots (okay, maybe this is not the MOST important).
This should be fun to watch unfold!
Tags: digital identity, digital world, AT&T, att, positioning, branding, Cathy Coughlin, EDGE, Cingular, Jerry Paffendorf, The Electric Sheep Company, Wello Horld, Wes Anderson, Web as Platform, TV