Sprint's Controversial Ad Campaign

Sprint made a bold decision by hiring the old Verizon “Can you hear me now?” guy as their new spokesman. This unconventional ad campaign certainly got people talking, but will it translate to more customers? So far I think the campaign has fallen flat but it has the potential to really resonate with consumers if Sprint tweaks its message.

On paper the ad campaign sounds like it has the makings of a huge success. By hiring the old Verizon guy they get people talking about their commercials, which makes the message reach more people. And they have a clear message: millions of people are switching to Sprint because the service is now within 1% of Verizon and only costs half as much. So if Sprint can generate the buzz and get their message across, where’s the problem? It’s in the story they are telling.

All great marketing tells a story to the consumer, elicits an emotional response, and ultimately persuades them to purchase the product. In the case of Sprint’s new campaign, the story they are telling is completely wrong.

Sprint is telling a story of inferiority. Their message comes across as saying, “We’re not as good as the competition but we’re almost as good. And we’re cheaper! So switch to us!” Now there’s no doubt that some people will see past the message and focus on the fact that they get a good deal for the service. However, I believe most people inherently want to feel like they are getting the best product and, for these people, Sprint’s message is a big turnoff.

Sprint can learn a lot about how to present the right message from a 1962 ad campaign by the Avis car rental company. At the time Avis was second in the car rental market behind Hertz and they used that fact to their advantage. Instead of saying they were almost as good as the competition, like Sprint is trying to do, they highlighted why being number two makes them better. Their message told a convincing story of how the company has to try harder because they are number two. How they can’t afford to not be nice or offer a friendly service. It painted Avis as an underdog that works hard to prove itself to its customers while Hertz is able to rest on its laurels. This is the kind of positive message Sprint should be communicating.

Another issue Sprint’s message has is focusing on abstract numbers. They have been pushing the idea that their service is within 1% of Verizon’s but this is meaningless to consumers because numbers and percentages are abstract and people need to connect with them on a more personal level. A great example of doing this effectively is Apple’s original iPod slogan “1,000 songs in your pocket.” While other mp3 devices were advertising how many megabytes of storage they had, Apple made this abstract value more relatable. People couldn’t visualize what 128MB looks like but they had no problem picturing 1,000 songs on their device. Sprint needs to take a similar approach to explaining what it really means when their service is within 1% of Verizon's.

So now that I’ve pointed out where Sprint’s message goes wrong, what can they do to tell a more engaging story? In order to tell a better story and persuade more consumers to switch, they should change their message to something like this: “Hey, I’m Paul. You might remember me from Verizon but not anymore! Since making the switch to Sprint I’ve been able to use a reliable network while saving a ton each month. I still have great service but now my bill is half as much.” Something along these lines has a much more positive tone than their current message of coming across as an inferior service. And instead of talking about an abstract value like being within 1% of Verizon’s coverage, it conveys this idea in a more relatable way: a reliable network.

Of course I think they should also run some ads that have a similar message to Avis’s 1960’s campaign. As the fourth carrier behind Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, Sprint is in a similar position to Avis. If their service truly is as comparable to the competition as they claim, then now is a great opportunity to start highlighting the strengths that come with being an underdog who has a great product. This kind of story will really resonate with the American people, as we love a good underdog, and gain a new following of consumers.

There’s no doubt that Sprint has a unique marketing opportunity after hiring Verizon’s old icon as their spokesman but, unfortunately, their ad campaign has fixated on telling the wrong story. However, after a few tweaks, I know they can hone in on a message that really resonates with consumers. It’ll be interesting to see if Sprint does make these changes and truly capitalizes on their opportunity.