Sprint opened for business today under a new brand, designed not only to increase the loyalty of its 40 million customers, but also to aggressively capture new customers by offering choice and flexibility. The resounding answer to virtually all of their questions will be, "Yes you can."
Launching with unequaled market presence, Sprint will reach customers in innovative new ways, with new advertising, new media, groundbreaking sponsorships, a transformation of more than 1,600 retail stores, and pricing plans that appeal to every segment of the consumer and business population.
"Today customers are being introduced to the new Sprint," said Len Lauer, Sprint's chief operating officer. "Sprint intends to deliver choice and flexibility in ways that no other communications service provider can match, and we're introducing it with an aggressive approach to the market."
Lauer added that the customers will witness this new level of choice in terms of both the number and diversity of devices and the extent and breadth of applications and content, along with new, compelling pricing plans.
New Brand Campaign
Heralding the arrival of the new Sprint is an aggressive, innovative brand advertising campaign expected to saturate the market over the next several weeks. From strategic print and broadcast placements, to dynamic outdoor buys, to direct and online elements, Sprint will be hard to miss in September and into the fourth quarter. Unveiling its new tag line to the public for the first time, the company will begin to make pervasive the answer "Yes you can."
"This brand campaign paints a compelling future of the new Sprint, while communicating the strong individual heritages of Sprint and Nextel," said Mark Schweitzer, chief marketing officer at Sprint. "The new campaign captures the vision of Sprint as the only company capable of offering customers the broadest choice and flexibility of wireless and wireline communication products and services, so they can do whatever they want, whenever they want."
The campaign promises the new Sprint will challenge the rules, end limitations and stand against restriction. The new Sprint will make digital life simple, instant, enriching and productive. The campaign promise will be proven in the market with new plans and a new customer experience. The company did not disclose its spending on the campaign.
Retail Brand Makeover
Also across the nation today, an unparalleled retail brand makeover will be taking place that will re-brand the interior of company-owned retail stores overnight. Starting tonight, the interior of more than 1,600 stores (equal number of Sprint and Nextel stores) will be largely transformed by Sept. 2 - marking one of the fastest and largest retail branding efforts in the nation. Customers will be able to walk into a new Sprint Store and be able to purchase both Sprint and Nextel-branded products and services.
New Sponsorship Strategy
Sprint will take sponsorship to the next level, driving true revenue through meaningful and relevant content directly to the wireless device. Content-driven deals are just one element of the added marketing muscle that Sprint's unparalleled sponsorship portfolio brings to bear for the customer.
Watch for Sprint to continue its aggressive position in maximizing its sponsorship assets. Already, the new Sprint is in the enviable position of being at the center of the nation's top two spectator sports with the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series and most recently its exclusive content deal and league-wide sponsorship of the National Football League. The combined company's sponsorship reach is unequaled as it includes: deals with the National Hockey League, the PGA of America, the US Ski and Snowboarding Team, US Open Tennis, countless individual team and athlete deals with the NFL, Major League Baseball, the National Basketball Association, the NCAA and key venues and events nationwide. Beyond sports, Sprint also is a sponsor of numerous entertainment properties locally and nationally, including the Emmy Awards, the Tony Awards and Live Broadway. Talk about choice and flexibility.
New Consumer and Business Plans
Highlights of Sprint's new and unrivaled go-to-market offers include:
Sprint Fair & Flexible. A plan that includes nationwide roaming and allows customers to use their phones as much as they want with no huge overages - the plans adjust automatically to meet a customer's usage month to month.
Sprint Free Incoming. Free incoming calls - anytime, from anywhere on the Nationwide Sprint PCS Network or Nextel National Network - including unlimited nationwide walkie-talkie service.
Sprint Mobile to Mobile Calling. Unlimited minutes for just $5 a month for customers on the Nationwide Sprint PCS Network and the Nextel National Network.
The Ability to Turn Back Time. With a new plan, the customer can choose when their nights begin: at 6, 7 or 9 p.m. All plans include unlimited night and weekend minutes starting at 9 p.m., but for $5 more - the unlimited clock starts at 7 p.m. and for just $10 more it can start at 6 p.m.
Business customers of all sizes and the public sector will soon see aggressive promotions such as free high-speed wireless laptop connection cards, risk-free trial programs on wireless email solutions and discounts for large volume purchases of Nextel network handsets and PCS smart devices. Sprint's unmatched wireline and wireless assets and diverse portfolio of business devices give Sprint business customers a whole new level of choice and flexibility.
The New Sprint: A Compelling Reason to Believe
"No matter how strong our presence in the market is, Sprint's guidepost will be the customer experience," Lauer said. "Sprint's future will be about turning promise into reality and delivering on a differentiated communications proposition for our investors, customers, employees and partners."
"Beyond the mass-market presence, new campaigns, new offers and a bold new customer experience, Sprint comes to market today with a fresh plan: to provide customers the most innovative wireless voice and data services driven by compelling media and entertainment content -- augmented further by a global IP network that provides consumer, business and government customers integrated communications solutions. That is choice defined. That is flexibility in action," Lauer said.
