If it seems like T-Mobile has been taking over the wireless industry by storm over the past couple years, it’s because it has been. With a major makeover and re-branding effort the carrier (dubbed the “un-carrier”) recently and surpassed Sprint in Second Quarter earnings reports, putting it in the third rank position of the big four network providers – Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile and Sprint. Although third place isn’t the top spot, this shift is a monumental victory for the company who has long sat in last place.
Sprint, the former third ranker reported Q2 numbers—675,000 new connections with a total of 56.8 million customers. T-Mobile on the other hand showed a drastic contrast, gaining two million additions last quarter, thus putting them at a total of 58.9 million subscribers. The exponential growth and momentum marks a huge impact T-Mobile has had amongst the competition.
Much of this success can be pointed to the change in leadership that has resulted in a highly effective switch of brand positioning within the industry. Since John Legere took over as CEO in September 2012, T-Mobile has undergone a complete strategic revamp in marketing that has caused sales to skyrocket.
By re-launching the brand as an “un-carrier,” T-Mobile has defied all things wrong with traditional mobile service carriers. The fresh take on wireless service includes offering a series of consumer-friendly features such as free music streaming, free 4G LTE for tablets and phablets, data rollover and continent-wide phone service, not to mention free messaging in-flight.
To promote all the greatness that comes with jumping on the un-carrier bandwagon, a strong marketing and PR splash has been implemented to generate buzz. In large urban cities, ads have taken over public transportation stations and vehicles, announcing T-Mobile’s differentiating factors and encouraging passer-byers to participate in social media with the brand. Social media has become a major platform for T-Mobile to voice the benefits of having an un-carrier and building a huge brand personality.
One strong social media campaign that convinced potential customers to “break-up” with their current provider and switch to T-Mobile relied heavily on user-generated content. The un-carrier helped dissatisfied customers of other competitors write a “break-up” letter that could be shared via social media pages. It’s these viral methods of promotion that have caused exponential increase in the brand’s visibility in the digital landscape.
Additionally, customer service and interaction via social platforms has been strongly maintained through the brand’s Twitter. Quick response times and communication through social has allowed T-Mobile to become number one in providing the highest customer satisfaction among U.S. carriers.
The provider has also formed strong partnerships with tech innovators like Samsung, known for putting out top-performing mobile devices in the telecommunications market. To further boost selling points, T-Mobile has become the first U.S. carrier to make permanent price cuts for Samsung devices including the Galaxy Note 4, Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge. The move gives the brand a competitive edge against other mobile service providers and their customers.
T-Mobile will continue to improve and leverage this ever-growing presence to provide customers with more coverage and lower costs. The company has set out to significantly expand its areas of LTE coverage, installing more towers in places of need to fulfill execution and recently it unleashed a new fee-free “Mobile without Borders” roaming plan for Mexico and Canada. T-Mobile’s ability to engage its customers through social platforms and encourage participation in the movement to break the unsatisfactory mold other carriers hold has led to a greater connection and investment in customer loyalty. All efforts are going in the right direction for the un-carrier and it will be a force to be reckoned with now and in the future.
