802.11me

Nextel is the Gerald McBoing Boing of Mobile Operators

Just a couple of years ago, I remember how everybody assumed that when the great mobile operator consolidation took place, that Nextel was going to be one of the first to go, because of their laughably deficient and dead-end IDEN network. Oh how the other kids laughed at Nextel's dopey technology decision, and boy weren't they going to be in big trouble when WAP really took off. Cut to 2003, and Nextel is the only operator to have clearly established a distinct brand. This is critical, because in America, it's no fun being the number 2 brand, regardless of market share. Already we're seeing Verizon, who must have triple Nextel's markets share, launching 3rd-rate versions of Nextel offerings. This allows Nextel to dictate the conversation (i should soooo be a marketing professor....dictate the conversation? that's good stuff!), and further, it forces the other players to attempt to gain the high ground through sheer force of marketing spend. Nextel, now with a very clear customer base, can target its spend very accurately and further look to lock up this base.

When you have brand distinction, your path to market is clear and everything becomes about 'simple' execution: you throw the ball, you hit the ball, you do whatever the coach needs you to do. Without brand disctinction, you try catchy ad slogans, you change your marketing campaign a lot, and you hope to sink your teeth into an image somewhere along the way.

Finally, hey verizon, your ad campaign "hear me now?" is widely mocked by teenagers in my town, who will constantly say to adult passersby "hear me now?!" while toting their Virgin Mobile and Nextel phones around. When your ad campaign is centered on the message: "does my service not suck right now? Oh Good! What a surprise!", you've got some marketing issues, whether you're number one share or not.

Nextel, meanwhile, ridiiculed for its nonconformist technology a mere two years back? well, now Nextel is rich, it has friends, it's well fed, cause it didn't speak data, it went boing-boing instead. ok, i forced that metaphor a bit too much. must go back to creative writing class....wait i never took a creative writing class...oh, how i laughed at those kids with their journals. Blast.