As the mobile wars heat up, and AT&T, Sprint, and Verizon beat each other up, while Apple, Google, and RIM engage in hand-to-hand combat for dominance, the marketing they’re using say a lot about where this space is moving.
Verizon’s new campaign ought to resonate for radio people because it focuses on our inherent strength and DNA – the wireless signal – and who’s best:
Their “Rule the Air” marketing is all about letting the world know that no matter where you go, the Verizon network is best.
It started with “Can you hear me now?” featuring that nerdy guy walking around with his flip phone, but now is hitting a crescendo with the current campaign that lauds the company’s great wireless reach.
It sounds an awful lot like those “100,000 watt blow torch” promos that radio used to run, trumpeting the fact that the station’s invincible signal could be heard just about anywhere on any radio. For free.
I’ll bet some agency guy on the Verizon account remembered those promos growing up in Chicago, Omaha, or Des Moines.
Maybe those promos ought to be dusted off and run again.
If it’s about signal coverage, wireless communication, and free, I’m checking off all those boxes for radio.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Well, this blog is timely. Just last night, sitting by the TV with daughter (23), talking. The Verizon ‘Rule The Air’ spot starts, (which is arresting – it looks like a ‘social responsibility in action’ ad until the last 2 seconds when Verizon is identified), she stops talking, we watch, it ends:
She (verbatim) – “That was cool. That made me want to get a new phone. Can I get a new phone?”
Me – “Hey, let’s see what’s on Discovery Channel.”
When satellite radio became an issue, I started including the language “a FREE listener service of (company name)” into legal IDs. My successor eliminated that language. It’s surprising that radio stations don’t do a good job of promoting this obvious benefit.
The simplicity of broadcast radio remains an advantage. Thanks for the comments, guys.