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Brand Management Final Project - Sprint Brand Audit
The University of Texas at Austin
McCombs School of Business
9654467111 Call Girls In Mahipalpur Women Seeking Men
Sprint Brand Audit
1.
2. Historical Perspective
1899: Brown Telephone
is founded in Kansas
1986: GTE Sprint and
US Telecom merge
1983: Southern Pacific
Communication Corporation
acquired by GTE and
renamed GTE Sprint
1988: US Sprint
completed third
transactional route
1992: United Telecom
completes acquisition of GTE
1997: Sprint’s customer
base grew to 7 million
1998: Began advertising
ON-Demand Network (ION)
1999: First ION sell to
residents in their home
of Kansas City
1999: WorldCom offered
$115 billion to Sprint
2005: Rogers Communications Inc.
acquires Sprint Canada's, Call-Net
2004: Sprint
Corporation and Nextel
Corporation
2013: Sprint and Softbank
announce completion of merger
2015: Sprint takes over Radio Shack
1984: United Telecom enters
long-distance phone market
2000: Sprint backs out of
merger with WorldCom
Merger
Acquisition
Expansion
3. Target Market
LIGHT CELLPHONE USERS
• 52 years old and up
• Use basic functions only (phone, data, good
network, coverage)
• Willing to give up getting the highest quality of
internet and phone services for a lower prices
• Do not require the best quality of services
• Do not want to pay more for extra services they
may not use
HEAVY INTERNET USERS
• 14 – 55 years old
• Have very high usage data (e.g. >10G)
• Choose plans with unlimited high speed data and
good rural coverage
• Look for the best value since plans with high data
limit are very expensive
• Feel insecure and annoyed about being
disconnected from the internet
4. Customers: 142.75 million
Revenue: $16.74 billion
Target: Affluent young
professionals in metropolitan
areas
POD: Highest quality cellphone
service in terms of coverage.
Offers multiple services such as
TV and Internet
Customers: 131.81 million
Revenue: $14.91 billion
Target: Young, white collar
families in and around
metropolitan areas
POD: Bundle services (internet,
cell phone, cable/satellite) offer
value when ordered together
Merger with DirecTV creates
synergy by offering unlimited
data for streaming if you buy
DirecTV and AT&T cell phone
Competitive Brands
Customers: 67.38 million
Revenue: $6.89 billion
Target: Value conscious consumers
who seek uniqueness
POD: Act as a disruptor in the market,
looking for new, innovative ways to
improve and help their customers. This
provides excitement around the brand
as a whole.
5. Current Market Situation
Threats: Negative ads
from competitors can
tarnish reputation
Opportunities: The new
“contractless” market can
incentivize value seeking
consumers to switch to the best
value network - which many
consider to be Sprint.
Sprint has been operating at a loss for a while because:
- High spending rate on building “network vision”
- Low margins in order to offer a lower price
6. High internet users
For the smart phone user who is increasingly mobile and needs excellent
high speed data, without overpaying
Sprint is the optimal choice, providing high quality coverage for a
fraction of the cost
Among top tier cellphone providers
Because they offer unlimited high speed data and better coverage in rural
areas by focusing on cellphone services exclusively and constantly
improving their network
7. Light cellphone users
For the cellphone user who needs reliable talk, text, and data
but is tired of paying for extra services they don’t use
Sprint provides basic quality functions while allowing users to opt
out of unnecessary services making it the best choice
Among top tier cellphone providers
Because they offer cheaper plans with enough data and better
coverage in rural areas by focusing on cellphone services
exclusively and constantly improving their network
8. Brand Challenges
• 95% of US population already have a cellphone
• Customer acquisition comes from convincing
consumers to switch from existing service
Zero Sum Game
• Dependence on price advantage is short term
• Lack product or niche advantage
Price Advantage
Unsustainable
• No brand resonance
• Little emotional benefits
Loyalty Can be
Bought
10. Brand Identity
“Sprint's vision to be a world class company, the standard by which others are
measured, includes a commitment to developing a world class supplier base that is
reflective of the communities we serve.”
Yellow was used to differentiate
from other cellphone companies
Black and yellow part of
merger with Nextel
Signature ‘pin
drop’
Paul Marcarelli; new face of
Sprint
11. Brand Identity
The Store:
-open environment
-uses mobile app Qminder as a waiting list for customers
-goal of store is to allow for a personal experience for the
customer
The Employees:
-all wear black with the signature sprint logo on the left hand side
-there to help with the personal experience of each customer
12. Consumer-Based Brand Equity
Feelings
ImageryPerformance
Judgments
Salience
Resonance
+well known basic characteristics of service by price,
data, customer service, reliability, coverage
+included in the core four of cellphone service
providers
-lack of knowledge in depth of services provided
+low price
+only cellphone provider with unlimited high speed
data
-Ideal characteristics (ex. Coverage and reliability)
not found in Sprint network
+logo and yellow are easily recognizable
characteristic of Sprint
+”can you hear me now guy”
-lack of depth in imagery
+high customer service ranking
-perceived as a budget brand
-lack of trust in ad claims
-lack of overall feelings towards the brand
-only emotional connections had are negative
+low resonance in the market due to logical consumers
-people not willing to switch to Sprint even with the
knowledge of better quality and prices
13. Salience
+ -Cheapest of the big
four
Lack of knowledge in depth of
services provided
One of the core four
cellphone providers+
Music
Streaming
•47.83%
Unlimited High
Speed Data
•65.22%
Unlimited
Data
Roaming
•45.65%
Unlimited
International
Call and Text
•28.26%
Unlimited
Call and Text
•89.13%
Bundle
Packages
•30.43%
Consumer Responses:
What services does Sprint provide?
X
X
14. Performance
Rank Ideal Sprint
1 Reliability Price
2 Price Data Limit
3 Data limit Customer Service
4 Coverage Reliability
5 Speed of Data Coverage
Sprint is the only way I can get unlimited
data for my family of 5 without spending a
lot.
Switching for better coverage would only
be slightly better and then I would have to
pay extra for going over data limits.
“
”
+ -Perceived low price Ideal characteristics not found
in Sprint network
Only cellphone provider with
unlimited high speed data+
15. Imagery
+ -Logo and yellow are
easily recognizable
Lack of depth in imagery“Can you hear me now” guy
+
“Sound so clear you can hear
a pin drop”
When you think of Sprint…
16. Judgments
+ -High customer
service rank
Lack of trustPerceived as a budget
brand
-
Of Sprint characteristics, customer
service ranked #3
18%
74%
8%
Belief in Current Campaign:
Do not believe at all
Somewhat believe
Believe
17. Feelings
-Only emotional connections
had are negative
Lack of overall feelings
toward the brand
-
I don't know what is going on with Sprint. I am so sorry i changed to
them, I can't wait for my contract to be over. Service is bad, horrible
and almost non existent. 4g does not work, 3g sometimes, even with a
wifi in site it is ****. When i need it the most it will drop my calls. I live in
Texas and drive a lot to Oklahoma, there is no signal in more than half
of the trip. I have heard they fired 300 employees, service is the worst
ever. Had to vent.
– Customer from Sprint’s online community board
“
”
18. Resonance
Current Provider Willing to Switch
AT&T 10
T-Mobile 0
Verizon 6
Current Provider Willing to Switch
AT&T 0
T-Mobile 0
Verizon 1
Current Provider Willing to Switch
AT&T 10
T-Mobile 2
Verizon 10
Yes, if it’s the same or lower than my
current bill:
No, I would not switch to Sprint under
and circumstances:
Yes, even if the price is higher than
my current bill:
+ -Low resonance in the market
due to logical consumers
People not willing to switch to
Sprint
Sprint anticipates by 2018 their new network vision will provide a more coverage at a higher speed than
any other network. Given this information, would you be willing to switch under these circumstances?
19. Advertising Campaigns
2012-2013 “Everything’s
Important” with James
Earl Jones & Malcolm
McDowell
2013-2014 Framily Plan, with
quirky family called the
‘Frobinsons”
2015-2016 Bring in T-
Mobile, AT&T, or Verizon
bill and we will “Saw
your bill in half”
2016 The “Can You
Hear Me Now” guy
says Sprint is ‘within
1% quality for half
the price
$709 Million
on Advertising
in 2015
Consistent emphasis on lower prices over time has evolved to now include product
features such as network which is now within 1% of the other big networks. Overall
feel of ads is mostly goofy and lighthearted, but does not feel cohesive.
20. Product
• Service within 1 % of competitors
• Unlimited Freedom Plan (data, talk, text)
• International plans, hotspots, wifi cards, and accessories
Place
•Sprint Stores- sell phones, plans, repair, and service
•Authorized retailers- sell phones, limited service.. Include: Target, Best Buy, Walmart, Amazon, Mall kiosks, and
more
Price
• 50 % cheaper on most plans from ‘big 3’ competitors
• ‘Unlimited Freedom’ talk, text, and data $40
• Lower than ‘big 3’ , higher than pay as you go
• Offer frequent discounts on phones to get customers to switch or offer to pay you fees to leave other companies
Promotion
• Mainly focus on comparison to other brands in advertising
• $1.4 billion in ads in 2014
• Focused on features, do not reach ‘emotional’ side of Brand Pyramid
22. Expansion
2016: Providing great cellphone service at a great price
2020: Allowing you to connect to the world
Virtual RealityHome SecurityVideo Calling Bundling
23. Social Responsibility
3% of all profits go to charity
• Different charity chosen every month based on customer votes
• Estimated 480 million dollars donated to charity every year
The 1million Project
24. Line Extension
• Urban areas
• High data users
• Millennial generation
Brand Positioning
• Extra services and benefits
• Higher price point