Never a Lack of Ideas

"But will my new cell phone get a good signal in my home?" That's the first question you should ask when you see those coverage maps from the major wireless providers.  Sure, it's great if your phone works in a ton of places around the US, but what matters most is if it works perfectly in your home. How can you be sure that it will? That's easy: have a "wireless signal party" and test it out. Invite a bunch of friends over for a party. Have your friends who use Verizon dress in red. AT&T friends dress in blue. T-Mobile friends dress in pink. You get the idea.  Then, have them show you how good their signal is in your house. Make phone calls from their phones to check how good their reception is. Put Your Money Where Your Coverage Map Is If wireless companies are so sure that they have the best network, then I think they would be willing to sponsor these types of parties. Imagine if Verizon said: We're so sure our coverage is the best ...

An Independent’s Day According to its website, www.BillShrink.com is “an independent service providing unbiased and personalized recommendations to save you money.” From what I can tell, BillShrink is like Consumer Reports, but focuses exclusively on cell phone plans, credit cards, and gas prices. Recently, T-Mobile started running prime-time television ads that encourage viewers to visit BillShrink.com for a “mobile makeover” (see the ad above). The underlying message of the ad is simple: T-Mobile provides the best value for your cell phone dollars, and an independent website proves it. It’s Not Us, It’s Them This type of advertising is not new. The auto industry is filled with ads touting cars as winning awards from Motor Trend and JD Power & Associates. Restaurants tout their Zagat ratings, and movies advertise critics’ reviews. The reason we see this type of “don’t just take our word for it” advertising is because it has proven to be effective. And the reason that it’s effecti...