This is the April 2009 edition of the Luckie & Company produced Telecom Trend Tracker newsletter. It is a quick topical snapshot of general trends, social media and traditional advertising in the telecommunications marketplace for April. For more information or back issues, visit www.luckie.com

2. Boost Mobile hasn‟t been hugely successful in the advertising
department, according to Adweek. Just witness the mobile provider‟s
recent horrifying attempts at humor, in an ad featuring a bunch of
pigs sitting at a restaurant eating ham and a coroner who digs a
breakfast burrito out of a corpse...and then eats it.
But now, the company has turned the dial back for bus-stop ads in
Chicago and Boston. Two feature a hose and a screw – you can get
hosed and screwed by other mobile companies. But it‟s actually the
third one that‟s most clever: A real live paper shredder encouraging
you to destroy your current
contract. Granted, destroying your contract won‟t release you from
your obligations to that service provider, but the ad is clever
nonetheless.
Source: FastCompany.com via Adweek.com
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3. Chinese manufacturer ZTE is teaming up with Jamaica's Digicel Group to roll out one of the world‟s first mass-
market solar cell phones to folks with “limited or no access to the power grid,” which represents some 2 billion
people around the globe.
The phone gets its juice via an integrated solar charger – that is, there‟s still a battery lurking in there, you just don‟t
need an outlet to charge it – and should be available by June of this year.
Source: engadget.com
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4. Sprint Nextel is benching its CEO as pitchman in favor of hipper advertising. The new campaign highlights the growing
volume of data coursing over cell phones.
The telecom company just launched the new campaign that highlights all the mobile Internet and data services that cell
phone users can access on its network. In one 60-second TV spot, a voice-over runs down a list of information that passes
through Sprint‟s 3G broadband network, boasting that “1,041,667 e-mails are now en route, and 7% of them contain the
words „miracle banana diet,‟” that “two million people are sending a text message during a business meeting, most popular
subject: diapers,” and that “233,000 people just Twittered on Twitter – 26% of you viewing this have no idea what that
means.”
The “Now Network,” the new campaign‟s slogan, “stands for the crazy amount of data that gets pushed through these cell
phones now, such as Twitter, Google and GPS,” said a company spokesperson. “It‟s no longer just about calling.”
Source: The Wall Street Journal
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5. The laptop comes with an at-home DSL connection, along with access to the
company‟s 3G wireless network. The promotion, which AT&T is calling a
“limited trial,” is only available in the Atlanta and Philadelphia areas. The
telecommunications company has not said whether it will expand the offer to
other cities.
While using heavily subsidized smart phones and mini-laptops, also called
netbooks, to lure people to long-term data plans is not new, AT&T‟s latest deal
takes the model a step further. While most offers involve only a wireless data
plan, AT&T is looking to entice potential customers with a plan that includes an
at-home DSL connection, along with access to the company‟s 3G wireless
network.
“Pairing mini-laptops with AT&T‟s home, Wi-Fi and mobile broadband offerings
enables consumers to get the most from their new devices, virtually anywhere,
anytime,” David Christopher, chief marketing officer for mobility and consumer
markets at AT&T, said in a statement.
Source: InformationWeek.com
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6. DIRECTV recently announced its DVR Scheduler App has been downloaded more than 100,000 times since its launch on
March 30, 2009, and has vaulted into the top 10 free apps in the Apple App Store after just one week. The new app allows
customers to tap the DIRECTV icon on their iPhone or iPod touch to begin remotely scheduling and recording DIRECTV
programming on their home DVR – from wherever they are.
The new app combines the innovative multi-touch user interface of iPhone and iPod touch with an improved search function
that enables users to quickly browse the entire programming guide by channel or date and time and schedule programs up
to 14 days in advance. A keyword search option also lets the viewer search DIRECTV shows by actor, title, and description,
and the guide can be customized for easier viewing and program selection. Once a program is located, viewers have detailed
information like air date, duration and description at their fingertips. The most popular shows will display a colorful graphic
that can be tapped to view more images of the cast. DIRECTV customers can then easily set a remote recording with
additional options and settings, and simply touch to record.
Source: virtualpressoffice.com
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7. “ ”
Virgin Mobile USA recently announced that it will cover monthly service
charges (includes taxes and fees) for up to three months for customers who
become unemployed.
In order to be eligible for unemployment assistance, customers will have to be
with Virgin for at least two months and will have to prove eligibility for state
unemployment benefits.
Any plan at $30, $40 or $50 will be eligible. New customers will automatically
be enrolled in the program, while existing customers will need to enroll by
June 30.
Source: Phonescoop.com and action.citizen.org (pic)
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8. Verizon Wireless customers from coast to coast will have more opportunities to experience a high-tech, hands-on experience
with the latest wireless voice, data, music and video services as Verizon Wireless rolls out its Evolution Store design in 560
additional locations nationwide in 2009.
“We will continue to make the best wireless shopping experience in the industry even better by introducing our Evolution
Store design in new stores and converting additional existing stores throughout the remainder of the year,” said Jack
Plating, executive vice president and chief operating officer of Verizon Wireless. “Our Evolution Stores are a hit with new and
prospective customers who can get a hands-on experience with our innovative products and services and take advantage of
our award-winning customer support, all in one convenient retail location.”
Source: Verizon.com
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9. One of the brands using interactive in a really wise way lately is Comcast.
The awareness they‟ve gotten since their 2005 fantastic Comcastic and
other pieces like Tripleslanguage has helped the brand become better
known (even in places where Comcast services are not available).
Comcast recently launched a new campaign called Dream Big. Presenting
a fantastic Web site using a look-alike of isometric-view Sims-style
games, users can join the Comcast Town. They choose a neighborhood
and build their own space, using the capabilities of the Triple Play feature
(TV, phone and internet). A really smart way to insert the product inside
the experience.
Users can interact with others in the Web site and also through social
networks like Facebook, via Facebook Connect, to get users logged onto
the site in a pretty non-disruptive way.
Source: Adverblog.com
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10. Cable provider Cox Communications plans to launch and operate wireless service in the U.S. The company indicated that it
feels the need to compete with wireless companies and wants the ability to offer bundled services that include wireless.
Cox, which mostly serves the South and Southwest regions, said that it will offer post-paid and pre-paid cellular phone
service as well as wireless data service in those areas. It will forge roaming agreements with the other wireless carriers to
provide roaming capabilities.
Cox also indicated that it hopes to push mobile video services to its customers. The company did not discuss pricing or
timeline details, nor did it say what types of phones it expects to offer.
Source: Phonescopp.com via The Wall Street Journal
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11. Previous editions of this newsletter can be found at
www.luckie.com
If you wish to be added to the monthly distribution list for this
newsletter, please send an e-mail to dstutts@luckie.net
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