AT&T New Brand: Hoping Rethinking is Possible

About two weeks ago, AT&T started a new initiative called “Rethink Possible”. Through this new campaign, the company hopes to revamp its brand and image to be more than just a wireless or phone service; they want it to be a lifestyle. AT&T’s Senior Vice President for Brand Marketing and Advertising Ester Lee commented in The New York Times, “AT&T has not tried lately to define the totality of who we are,” adding that research among consumers found that “people understood we had evolved, but there wasn’t enough acknowledgment of us being an innovative company.” So this new attitude towards AT&T’s business ventures has not only been designed to reach consumers, but to also stakeholders and employees.

AT&T has planned to execute this integrated campaign though several facets including print, outdoor, and in-store signs, as well as digital and non-advertising marketing. The first commercial was aired during the broadcast of the Master’s Golf Tournament. As expected, it is definitely not a “typical” AT&T commercial. It is colorful (not just blue, white and orange), whimsical, animated, and typographic. There are five of these commercials. Have you seen the one with the kids who all won a spelling bee? I sware every time I heard the kid spelling “admirably” I was not looking at the TV, because I had NO idea it was an AT&T commercial. I think this is the point though. AT&T has ditched their old Luke Wilson’s ads for a new, settle approach. The company has also begun removing the “at&t” from under their new colorful globe logo. In a New York Times article, Craig Stout, the senior creative director at Interbrand in New York, an Omnicom agency that is leading the brand design aspects of the campaign, remarked:

“ Most times, the globe will be seen without the letters in a change that is meant as a leadership move. Recognition of the logo as the symbol of AT&T is in the high 90 percentage among consumers and displaying it without the “AT&T” echoes the way Nike is recognized by its swoosh and Target by its target. The globe will frequently be displayed in different colors and styles”

Is this new approach a good move? I mean, I would think so. I do agree that the blue globe is highly recognizable, and will not be mistaken for any other company but AT&T. In addition, I think this new ad campaign is worthwhile for the company. AT&T’s brand focuses on serving its customer’s wants and needs, making their lives easier by having only one telecommunications provider for wireless, cable, and internet services. AT&T’s retiring of the explicit “our maps have more coverage than you” ads against Verizon can allow AT&T’s consumers and stakeholders to see that it is an innovative company that is growing and expanding its horizons. The whole point is for consumers and stakeholders to believe that new ideas are possible, and that these ideas could come to fruition through AT&T.

As a Verizon consumer, however, I have to wonder if there is a hidden message behind “Rethink Possible.” Could AT&T be possibly asking its consumers and stakeholders to “believe” in them again? From what I hear, their coverage in major areas is not spectacular leaving several consumers unhappy and complaining about dropped calls. So I wonder if this “re-branding” will change people’s perception of the company as the company hopes it will. In a company statement , AT&T said "Rethink Possible will highlight how AT&T is delivering meaningful innovation that’s changing how people live, work and play. It conveys our desire to push the limits of what’s possible to make life better for our customers. We rethink possible so our customers can rethink possible." After reading some of the comments posted after several news articles, I do not think people are “rethinking” their thoughts on the company just yet.

What else does the company have to do to change consumer’s feelings on the brand? By viewing their new “Rethink Possible” page on their website, AT&T seems to be introducing and telling its consumers the ways they are “rethinking”. On the main page of “About AT&T”, the company has made bigger links to their social networking sites, therefore showing that they are communicating these messages through their social media sites. When clicking on the “Rethink Possible” link, AT&T introduces six ways they are “striving to have its consumers stay connected to the people and things that mater to them most”. Check them all out! They all are pretty cool to think about! The one I found the most interesting is the “Monitor your health at home” tab which talks about a device called “life slippers.” This device can supposedly “help indicate a likely fall before it happens”. This indicates how AT&T is thinking “outside the box”. Could it be possible to have internet access in our shoes? Don’t know how feasible that will be but the whole point of this campaign is to think the impossible right?

It will be interesting to see if this new innovative campaign will actually change consumer’s perceptions of the company. Only time will tell. With all the money AT&T is spending, I hope it will pay off for them in the end!