Campaign demonstrates Boost is listening and signals continued commitment to consumers
IRVINE, Calif. (BUSINESS WIRE), April 12, 2011 – In 2009 Boost Mobile, a leader in no-contract wireless, launched the “Unwronged” campaign depicting humorous situations that most would consider “wrong.” The campaign used these “wrongs” to point out shortcomings of their competitors in the wireless industry while launching the nationwide $50 Monthly Unlimited offer and in 2010, Boost unveiled the first loyalty plan from a no-contract carrier that rewarded customers by shrinking their payments. Now they’re taking it a step further.
This week, Boost Mobile, the top carrier in the 2011 J.D. Power and Associates Wireless Non-Contract Customer Satisfaction Index StudySM(Vol. I) will bring people’s ongoing frustrations about the industry to life with its new brand initiative, “Be Heard.”
It’s no secret that people are frustrated with the wireless industry, and those complaints can be seen on Facebook®, Twitter® and in blogs. These individual frustrations will be the foundation of the new Boost campaign. National TV commercials and print advertising will surface individual gripes found on Twitter and Facebook: while online advertising will highlight social media posts in banner ads and homepage takeovers. Ultimately resolving each piece of communication with the assurance “We hear you,” each spot shows what Boost Mobile has done to make right what the wireless industry has again and again gotten so wrong.
“Many wireless consumers continue to feel like they are part of a one-way relationship and as such are forced to make compromises,” said Bob Stohrer, vice president-Marketing, Boost Mobile. “They deserve more than just a discount rate; they deserve an advocate. We’ve listened to our customers and worked to build a brand that’s more responsive and more dedicated to satisfying their wants and needs.”
The “Be Heard” campaign made its debut last month when Boost Mobile’s sponsorship of the New York Knicks and partnership with Carmelo Anthony was highlighted by a 128-foot tall billboard featuring the athlete and the new tagline in Manhattan.
A key part of the campaign will be the “Aggravator,” an online aggregator that scours the Internet for comments about the wireless industry and displays them for the world to see. Unlike other brands that might use this tool to showcase fan-based content, the “Aggravator” will show real people’s frustrations. The Aggravator is expected to launch as part of the digital advertising element in mid-May.
“Working Man” is the first of three national TV spots that begins airing today. The spot shows a man juggling multiple jobs, from taxi driving to window washing to scrubbing toilets, and poses the question – How many jobs do I need to pay a cell phone bill? Boost Mobile offers this consumer a solution – the $50 Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage plan so he doesn’t have to work overtime to pay his cell phone bill. The TV spots are directed by award-winning director Stacy Wall and will air on more than 20 networks and cable TV stations including ABC, NBC, CW and Fox.
The creative concept comes from Boost Mobile’s advertising agency of record, 180LA which also developed the “Unwronged” campaign.
“This is a consumer letter writing campaign for the digital age, happening in almost real time and all published for the world to see, negative or otherwise,” noted William Gelner, executive creative director for 180LA. “We confront the top consumer gripes head on, making them the foundation of every ad and each one is resolved with a great Boost Mobile product or service.”
Boost Mobile offers no-contract products and services including the soon-to-launch Samsung Galaxy Prevail on the Nationwide Sprint Network. Available exclusively from Boost in late April for $179.99, the Galaxy Prevail is the first CDMA Android device from Boost.
With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Prevail, Boost is again responding to its customers’ needs. The phone will be available later this month on Boost Mobile’s $50 Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage plan, where the longer you stay, the less you pay simply by making on-time payments. For every six on-time payments, a Boost Mobile customer’s monthly unlimited payment amount will shrink by $5, eventually getting down to as low as $35 a month for unlimited nationwide talk, text, Web, e-mail, IM and calls to 411. Payments do not need to be consecutive to qualify for the next savings milestone. The first wave of Boost customers will be hitting their first six-on-time milestone this month, and will be paying $45 per month for Monthly Unlimited service until they reach their next six-on-time milestone.
About Boost Mobile
Boost Mobile, one of Sprint’s prepaid brands and recently recognized by J.D. Power as Highest-Ranked Non-Contract Company in Overall Customer Satisfaction Performance, offers wireless phones and services with no long-term contracts. Boost Mobile redefines value for wireless consumers with its $50 Monthly Unlimited with Shrinkage no-contract service where the longer you stay the less you pay with on-time payments for unlimited voice, text messaging, Web, e-mail, IM and calls to 411. Boost Mobile offers nationwide service on the Nationwide Sprint Network, reaching more than 277 million people, and on the Nextel National Network, reaching more than 278 million people, with no activation or long-distance fees. Boost Mobile offers a selection of quality handsets from Motorola, Sanyo, Research In Motion (RIM) and Samsung, ranging from entry-level to high-end devices available nationwide at nearly 20,000 major retail stores, including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart, Sprint retail stores, independent wireless dealer locations, and on HSN, a leading TV home shopping network. Re-Boost® cards are available at approximately 100,000 locations throughout the United States. Experience Boost Mobile on the Web at MySpace, Facebook and Twitter; and purchase products at www.boostmobile.com.
About 180LA
180 is an international creative agency with offices in Amsterdam and Los Angeles. A part of Omnicom Group Inc. (NYSE: OMC), 180 employs 225+ people from over 32 countries. 180’s client roster includes adidas International, Sony Consumer Electronics USA, Sony Corporation, Boost Mobile, Mitsubishi Motors North America, HBO, Eli Lilly, Sauza Tequila, Western Union, DHL and Omega Watches. 180 specializes in consumer, brand and product strategy, and offers a spectrum of expertise, including: content creation, digital marketing, retail marketing, design and advertising. For more information, visit our website at www.180LA.com or follow us on twitter @180LA.
Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/cgi-bin/mmg.cgi?eid=6679276&lang=en
Contact(s):
Boost Mobile
Danielle Alvarez Babbington, 949-748-3418
Danielle.Babbington@sprint.com
or
180LA
Michelle McSorley, 310-463-8286
michellem@180LA.com
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