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!

Dealing with Crises: The Good and Bad for AT&T

Crises are something that every corporation tries to avoid, however sometimes they are unavoidable. When I hear about some crises and the organization’s actions, I often say to myself, “How could they have been so dumb?” It seems pretty simple: when something bad happens, immediately acknowledge it, explain your plan of action, and whatever you do, do not say, “No comment”! How come some organizations/people simply “brush” things under the rug and refuse to admit to their actions (hehem Tiger!)?

AT&T has unfortunately not been crisis free. But let’s be honest, it is virtually impossible for any large corporation not to have some type of crisis on their hands every now and again. In doing some research, I found two major crises in which AT&T was tested; in one case they acted profoundly yet in the other they failed to properly manage the issues at hand .

Let’s take a look at the first crisis…On June 15, 1990, a computer malfunction caused damaged a portion of AT&T’s long distance network, and therefore about half of AT&T’s consumers were unable to make long distance calls for nine hours. Within the first 20 minutes, the Network Operation Center Manger, Jim Nelson, knew a crisis was erupting and immediately called AT&T’s CEO at the time, Robert Allen, and the public relations managers. Thirty-five minutes into the crisis, media coverage had begun because a reporter from CBS radio had interviewed the media relations director.

Marilyn Laurie, AT&T’s senior VP of Public Relations at the time, explained in a publication that her staff instantly knew how to react. She was quoted saying, “Acknowledge the problem, assume responsibility, volunteer the facts, minimize speculation, and correct inaccurate information”.

This is the mentality that all corporations should have when encountering a crisis. AT&T communicated with the press as soon as they had clear and accurate information to give the public. If at the point in time they did not know what caused the network failure, they would have simply admitted that and told the reporters that as soon as they knew more information they would let the media know. They acted completely transparent which is how you want to act in a crisis situation. In addition, AT&T’s PR staff let each reporter know that the organization is taking appropriate actions to fix the problem. AT&T made sure that a media spokesperson was always reachable. I believe the reason AT&T was so successful is because its PR people had the autonomy and power to speak on behalf of AT&T and did not have to ask lawyers or other executives how they should respond to the situation. The PR staff did a great job because they knew, through AT&T’s culture, how the organization would want them to respond and handle the crisis. To read about this case click here.

AT&T should have maintained this mentality in September 1995 when the company announced that they were restructuring the organization by breaking apart from some its affiliated companies, leaving thousands of employees in fear of losing their jobs. AT&T and its CEO at the time Robert Allen, did do the right thing and immediately issued an employee memo stating that each member of the staff would “follow their work” and that the marketplace would determine if layoffs in those businesses were possible. However, at the time, it was too early for AT&T to tell when or even if this transition would need to take place. Major press (Wall Street Journal) instantly picked up on the story, making speculations of how many employees were going to be laid off, increasing stress and the feeling of uncertainty for thousands AT&T’s employees and damaging their public reputation. In November, AT&T decided to offer 77,000 buyouts to managers and these managers were given the task of deciding which of their employees should be laid off. All and all, roughly 303,000 employees were in fear of losing their jobs.

By the time January rolled around, finally AT&T announced that 48,500 jobs would be eliminated as part of the restructuring. These announcements lead to an even bigger media frenzy and had employees and investors worried about their jobs and money. Newsweek’s headline read, “Chairman Robert Allen will soon fire everyone but himself and AT&T will stand for Allen and Two Temps”. Unlike the long distance malfunction, AT&T did not interact quickly with employees, leaving them absorbing all of the press’s stabs. Finally in late February, Allen wrote another letter to his employees, explaining how he understood how hard it was to do one’s job when reading the newspaper. He also gave the employees a heads-up that AT&T’s annual report would be released the following day and would generate additional press. The report included Allen’s compensation of $2, 677,000! If I was an employee of this company I would be furious! If the CEO cared about more than just himself, he would forgo his salary and allow his employees to keep their jobs! By doing this, the CEO would express concern for his employees and further better his and the organization’s reputation in the media.

As expected, the media had even an even bigger frenzy with this latest development, generating more negative press for AT&T. This was a public relations nightmare for the company with press hits like calling Allen a “corporate hit man”. In attempt to restore its image, AT&T took out advertisements in multiple newspapers urging companies to hire laid-off AT&T workers. In September 1996, Allen notified shareholders that the company’s third and forth quarter earnings would be below the expected.

All and all, this crisis kept spinning out of control and the media took every opportunity to bash the organization every time they had new information. Why were they able to do this? AT&T did not listen to its own advice from 1990. They failed to communicate with the media and rebuttal their comments, further damaging how they were perceived by consumers and media during that time. In addition, they did not promptly act in regards to their employees. They constantly left them in the dark, unsure of what their fate was. As soon as the announcement was made, the organization should have explained the layoff procedures to the employees, that way they were not lingering in limbo. It is unfair and unethical to have each employee wait roughly four months to find out how many of them would be laid off.

If I was the PR person for AT&T at this time, I would have been open ,honest and transparent with the media and the employees from the get-go. I would let them know approximately how many employees we would be laying off, and insure their confidence by letting them know that if they were let go, we would help them secure another job. Hopefully AT&T has learned lesson 15 years later to listen to its own advice!

To get a full report on this crisis, read this article that was published in Public Relations Review in 2005.

AT&T's Connection with Investors

To view AT&T's entire Investor Relations page, please click here.

AT&T’s Complete 2009 Annual Report displays the company’s accomplishments in the past year in a very creative way. Instead of just listing their results (which they do at the very end), it starts with Chairman Randall Stephenson’s well-written letter to the investors. This letter invoked a very positive and motivational tone yet was still straight and to the point and believable. I especially like the section that focused on the future and AT&T’s strong position looking forward because it shows that AT&T is continuing to be innovative and grow. If I was an investor in the company, after reading this letter I would feel confident and satisfied that my money is strongly invested in a company that has a good growth strategy and is proactive, ambitious and strategic.

AT&T’s annual report is clearly more than just numbers and statistics; it is a well laid-out and highly effective marketing communications piece filled with appealing pictures, customer and business testimonials, company year accomplishments, anecdotes, community relations stories and more. Although a bit long, at least the first 30 pages are an “easy” read. I have not read many several annual reports, but I’d assume some are rather unbearable to read! The remaining 70 pages are AT&T’s “2009 by the Numbers”, something I, to be honest, had a more difficult time paying attention too. I think the goal for the first 30 pages is to present all of AT&T’s information in a user-friendly and easy to understand format which is attractive and informative not only to current investors but to AT&T customers, everyday consumers and even prospective future investors. These pages are also what is available in AT&T's online version of the annual report. By just reading these pages, these people can get a good idea of how well the company did in 2009. If the reader wanted to continue on to see the exact numbers, they could!

Something that I thought which added a lot of “color” to the annual report was a section titled “An Hour in the Life of the AT&T network,” (p. 26-27). This entertaining consumer-focused story showcases many of the practical daily applications of AT&T products and services and how they enhance the lives of AT&T’s consumers by simplifying their daily tasks. As someone who is not an AT&T customer, by reading this story I learned about products that I didn’t even know AT&T carried. One example was the “AT&T Family Map” which allows parents to keep track of the location of their children via phone GPS capabilities- a little creepy to think about but a nifty idea! Therefore, this proves to be effective in educating both investors and consumers about the real-life applications and benefits of AT&T’s products.

Similar to AT&T’s annual report as a whole, I feel that the press release announcing their fourth quarter earnings was very user-friendly and easy to read as well as interesting and engaging. The quote from AT&T’s CEO Randall Stephenson summarizes the very positive, upbeat and forward looking tone of the whole release. Stephenson said “We had a solid 2009 and led the industry in the biggest growth driver — mobile broadband. Looking ahead, customer demand for connectivity, particularly mobile broadband and IP data, continues to be strong, and AT&T is well positioned at the center of this growth." I believe that this quote would definitely instill confidence in investors. It is both innovative, forward looking and ambitious in terms of where AT&T sees itself in the future by continuing to grow and expand.

All and all, I believe that AT&T annual reports are proof of how the company truly believes in their mission to connect all people to their worlds. I think that the report’s first 30 pages, because of their straightforward tone, easily understood language, and positivity are aimed at reaching a wider audience than simply AT&T investors; they speak to anyone who uses AT&T products or has an interest in the company regardless of their affiliation. Thank you AT&T for making a long, never-ending report fun with attractive photos, inspiring customer stories and cute anecdotes. It made the hard-stuff less painful to get through and more interesting to read. For those interested, AT&T is holding a web cast announcing their first quarter earnings on April 21 at 10:00 a.m. ET.

AT&T's Communication via Community Relations

Just like with social networking, AT&T dives its feet into several community relations endeavors. AT&T has one primary charitable foundation, the AT&T Foundation, that supports several different initiatives including AT&T Cares, AT&T Pioneers and AT&T Aspire. I will examine each of these initiatives in this blog but first here is a little background...

In 2009, nearly $152 million was contributed back into the community through AT&T's corporate, employee and Foundation giving programs. The AT&T Foundation’s main focus is to enhance the communities AT&T reaches and serves with their services. This ties into AT&T’s mission statement because they continuously attempt to make a difference in each of the local communities they serve and therefore make each customer feel like they are a valued consumer.

Now let me teach you a bit about some of AT&T’s community service initiatives:

AT&T Cares

AT&T Cares is an interesting and unique concept; the goal of which is to get AT&T employees engaged in community service for causes that they are passionate about. The AT&T Cares Council is made up of one ambassador from each business unit to make sure that all departments of AT&T’s busines are involved and that all employees have the opportunity to become engaged in the initiative. The areas of volunteerism the company focuses on are education, social services and the environment. Last year, AT&T employees and retirees, donated more than 8.5 million hours of time, worth more than $170 million, to community outreach activities (CNN). Pretty impressive!

One example of how employees get involved is through the Share Our Strength Campaign, the leading national organization that strives to put an end to childhood hunger in America. Through this cause, AT&T employees and retirees (who coined the name “AT&T Pioneers”) join together to make a difference in the community by encouraging consumers to take part in an innovative texting campaign. The campaign helps raise much needed funds for Share our Strength. If you’re reading this blog and you have an AT&T phone, all you have to do is text “SHARE” to #20222 to donate $5 to the cause!

AT&T Aspire

Another way AT&T gives back to the community is through the AT&T Aspire, a philanthropic commitment to address high school success and workforce readiness. The initiatives mission is to give grants to school districts and foundations that focus on preparing students for the college and workforce.

The reason that this is such an important cause for AT&T and one of the company’s key inititiaves is because AT&T with their strong community focus sees young people as the future and wants all young people to have a chance to succeed. One way they do this is by addressing the high school dropout epidemic. AT&T is committed to advancing education, strengthening communities and improving lives. The foundation supports projects that create opportunities, make connections and address communities’ needs that affect employees and their customers. To address the high school dropout epidemic, AT&T started the Job Shadow initiative where members of the AT&T Pioneers volunteer to job shadow young students and help teach them and enhance vital job skills. Here is a video that explains AT&T’s strive to help students through job shadowing.

AT&T Pioneers

While I touched upon the AT&T Pioneers program above as the AT&T Pioneers play a crucial role in all of AT&T’s community initiatives, is it is important to further explain who makes up the AT&T Pioneers and what they do. The AT&T Pioneers consist of over 325,000 employees and retirees completely on a volunteer basis. Not only do they support the Share Our Strength campaign and the Job Shadowing initiative, but they are also there in times of critical need. For example, AT&T Pioneers regularly supply troops and victims of natural disasters like Hurricane Katrina and Haiti with online video chats with family at AT&T phone banks. They have set up multiple phone stations overseas for soldiers to be able to call home. This directly plays into AT&T’s company strengths as they are using their products and services to provide valuable and much needed good will to the community. In addition, AT&T Pioneers have launched a text messaging campaign with proceeds benefiting the Red Cross. Here is a commercial that advertises AT&T disaster relief efforts.

Final Thoughts

AT&T’s community work has not gone unnoticed. This active community of employees and retirees has been recognized regularly for their good work and community service focus. Just recently, Ladies’ Home Journal honored AT&T with the “Do Good” Stamp for their community giving programs including AT&T Pioneers. Here is a list of other awards AT&T has earned.

It is clear that these community relations support groups do nothing but enhance AT&T’s reputation as one that cares about the communities they serve. If I was an AT&T customer, I would be proud to know that I am part of a community that is bigger than just telecommunications.

Just as with AT&T’s social networking skills, it is hard to see what the organization is “lacking” from a community relations perspective. They are involved in several fascists that suit their origin.

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Going Android: A look at AT&T’s Media Relations

In this blog I will take a look at AT&T’s media relations strategies and what a better way to do this than looking at AT&T’s recent announcement about the companies first device on the Android platform. If you haven’t heard yet, AT&T announced on February 18 that the company will soon be releasing the new “Motorola Backflip,” the first offering from the company that runs on the Android network. Exciting stuff, huh? I guess so but I’ll admit I had to a little more research to find out what exactly the Android platform actually is. Basically, it boils down to this: while the iPhone is Apple’s smartphone, the Android platform is google’s attempt to jump on the smartphone bandwagon and allow companies and developers to use the Google software to create cool phones. One of the unique things about Android is that Google is actively developing the software but gives it away for free for hardware manufacturers and phone carriers who want to use Android on their devices. To learn more about Android, check out this article.

Okay, so now that we know what Android is let’s take a look at AT&T’s media relations strategies and see what they did to generate “buzz” for this new product announcement. The most obvious and basic way the company helped get the word out about the Backflip (think PR 101 day one) was to release a press release about the new phone offering. The press contains all the basic information that you’d expect such as the name of the device, some its key features as well as pricing and availability. Just when I was getting bored reading through phone’s technical features in the press release, aha a link. In addition to all the technical information and lingo, AT&T through their press release directs consumers and media to their Motorola Backflip Website which contains additional information on the phone as well as a very hip, catchy video which does a good job in making you think the Backflip is basically the next best thing since sliced bread…Okay, all kidding aside, the interactive video does do a good job at showing off some of the phones cool features as well as it’s unique, visually appealing design. From a media relations perspective, the press release and product website work well together to give a pretty comprehensive look at the new offering from AT&T and generate some hype and excitement for the phone. Are you ready to run to your local AT&T store to try be the first of your friends to get the new Backflip? Hold your horses as the devise won’t hit shelves until March 7, 2010. Taking a media relations perspective once again, it’s important to note how the press release and product website were unveiled about 3 weeks prior to phone’s actual release date, to help begin the process of “getting the word out there” and generating buzz.

Another cool and unique feature of AT&T’s press release which most certainly speaks to the power of today’s bloggers and social networkers is the little “Sharethis” icon at the bottom of the release. If you’re not familiar with “Sharethis”, it’s a great service that lets you share virtually anything online with your own social networks including Facebook, MySpace, Twitter, personal email accounts and more. So basically at the simple click of a button, you can help advertise for AT&T through online word of mouth marketing. While only a small segment of consumers will actually use this feature, it’s another creative way to help extend the life of a press release and get the word out to consumers and the media.

In addition to the press release and product website, another way that AT&T helped get the word out about the Backflip to the media and consumers was through their own social media sites including Facebook and Twitter. While one might only think of Facebook and Twitter as a way to get in touch with consumers, there’s been more and more evidence of late that Twitter in particular is not just a great way to reach consumers, but also a good way to reach reporters, who in this age of online social networking are using Twitter more and more to “follow” companies that fall into their line of reporting (or “Beats” as we say in the industry). AT&T used Twitter and Facebook to help generate additional exposure for the product announcement by posting status updates such as “Don't Miss a Minute of Action with AT&T's Latest Mobile TV Device” with a link to the company press release. You can bet that among AT&T’s 22,000 Twitter followers, some of these people are technology reports, technology bloggers etc… who use these social networking sites as a way to stay on top of the major mobile phone service providers and other technology companies. By using Twitter and Facebook to further draw attention to the company’s press releases, AT&T helps increase their own visibility and make sure their exciting product announcements do not get missed.

Furthermore, it seems like these strategies work. Not only does AT&T’s Facebook page have hundreds of comments & posts about the Backflip (mostly from consumers who are interested and excited about the phone) but there have been literally hundreds of articles written about the product announcement in the last week. Some examples include articles in: USA TODAY Examiner, Dallas Morning News, and NBC Bay Area ,

Overall, I think AT&T has done an amazing job creating “buzz” about their upcoming release. I only have one criticism for them and it may be “minor”… isn’t it proper PR etiquette to put a media contact on a press release? Maybe for major corporations it is not needed, but that is the only thing I see as a “flaw”. In the end, I think AT&T has achieved what they wanted: media hits, and consumers longing to get their hands on the newest piece of technology out there! With about two weeks to go, let’s see what else AT&T has up their sleeves to generate long lines outside stores (like they did once before, with the release of the iPhone!). Drivers beware of manic technology geeks the morning of March 7^th!

A-lways, T-alking T-echnology: AT&T is a Social Media Powerhouse

Social Media is the newest and rapidly growing phenomenon amongst corporate America. As a communications company, AT&T is on the forefront of connecting with consumers on a personal level through social media. When doing some research, I was bombarded with so many of AT&T’s social media websites. Enough is enough! I’d be here for hours on end talking about what they are doing. I think it would be easiest to talk about what they are NOT doing. Is it okay for me to call them social media “whores?” By all means, it surely is not negative! They have multiple accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Flikr for consumers, small businesses, enterprises, corporate and community relations. In this blog, I will attempt to analyze AT&T's social media practices and see what they are doing well and what they could be doing better from a social media public relations perspective.

For a list of all AT&T social media links, click here.

Because AT&T does so much with social media, I have decided to break down my thoughts into categories based on the type of social media use! I hope this reads easily for all of you!

Facebook

So we all know Facebook is used by what seems like EVERYONE on the planet for peer-to-peer communication. But now, shrewed businesses are starting to jump on the Facebook band-wagon to enhance their relationships with current and potential consumers.

With over a quarter of a million fans, AT&T has multiple tabs peeking different types of consumer interests. These include: ATTCustomerCare with photos of who is responding to consumers questions, discussion boards that are separated by region, an exclusive AT&T “Olympic Section", where customers can download one of a kind soundtrack and ringtones with the proceeds benefiting the USA Olympic team, an iPhone news section for you iPhone users out there and MANY more.

One of the most interesting and cool features of AT&T's Facebook page is that it is constantly being monitored by AT&T's Customer Care team, who responds in real-time to customer inquiries, complaints, questions etc. If you look, some responses are answered as quickly as within 5-10 minutes of their original post time. Now that's what I call good customer service!! And as an FYI to Verizon who doesn't do this (but more on this later...) it not only helps customers with their questions, it looks REALLY good to prospective customers visiting AT&T's Facebook page to see the level of staff resources right at their fingertips, literally.

In addition, they take the "typical" Facebook layout to the next level; AT&T uses their own color scheme and template throughout their various Facebook tabs. The page is even more interactive and engaging by the use of macromedia flash/shockwave with celeb endorser Luke Wilson talking about what AT&T offers.

Twitter

Twitter is the "new kid" on the block that is quickly gaining momentum, and AT&T seems to "tweet" all day long... with an average of 3-5 tweets per day. With 4,165 followers, the corporation posts everything from random tips on how to use your phone, how to better utilize phones features and current news happenings and events. ShareATT is just their general Twitter page; they also have links to other Twitter accounts specializing in CustomerCare, Deals, and News. By doing this, AT&T allows consumers to consistantly learn something new about their phones so that they never get sick of what it offers! I have so many features on my phone (a Blackberry Tour) that I don't even know how to use, and I would love to be taught on how to use them! Another positive for AT&T! I know that Verizon offers tetorials on how to use phones in store; but to be honest, nothing says "geek" more than attending a class at your wireless store!

AT&T also "follows" 376 people who are probably key influencers to the company. This enables them to see if their followers mention anything about the AT&T or the technology industry in general. This keeps the organization abreast of what other's are thinking and saying about them and this is another intelligent way that AT&T gains an advantage over their competitors via social networking.

Blogs

AT&T utilizes the popularity of blogs by reaching out to mom's-to-be! The blog titled, “Calm Cool and Connected”, a blog that is written by AT&T employees who are parents and/or expecting themselves. I believe this is smart of the company because it brings a big corporation down to a personal level. Along with with other telecommunication companies, AT&T is involved with the “Text 4 Baby” campaign, which sends customized tips to help mom’s-to-be along the duration of their pregnancies. As a consumer I think it is neat to know that AT&T workers care not only about the company and its profits but also helping its customerspersonally. It is also a great consumer PR tactic that helps AT&T develop better relationships with their customers.

YouTube

AT&T built its own customized YouTube page with playlists of Commercial, job, U-verse, and Device related videos. Although the page is eye-catching, I must give props to Verizon's page for an overally more interactive and appealing YouTube site than AT&T's. Nontheless this is another way AT&T reaches consumers through digital video content in a blog-like forum that allows users to comment and share with friends.

Flickr

Although AT&T does not activate their Flickr account, a popular photo sharing website, as much as some of their other social media tools, it is just another way of being connected with more people. AT&T posts pictures from events they sponsor and allows viewers to comment.

Seasonal Promotions

AT&T is constantly brainstorming new campaigns and seasonal promotions to keep the population aware of their cross promotions. In honor of Black History Month, AT&T has decided to revamp its “28 Days” online community campaign, which is an interactive community targeting African American consumers. Launched last year, it’s website utilizes rich media and is very entertaining. (I must say, I love the music that plays!)

As said by Laura Hernandez, executive director of marketing management, "Last year, we built some equity on Facebook, but this year we decided to take it up a notch, and so we added some additional media channels and the speaker series" (DMnews.com).

Therefore, AT&T is continuously evolving by thinking of new ways to use social media to reach their consumers. They are encouraging them to partake in this online self-inspiring goal fulfillment activity. This allows consumers to communicate with each other about goal oriented ideas while AT&T acts as the common link that connects them.

There are other examples of how AT&T uses social media to target specific segments of the population. In the summer, AT&T sponsored a campaign for the Vans Warped Tour that targeted teens. Through this campaign, the corporation demonstrated their advancements in music technology by setting up a text message service that provided tour updates and special offers.

Also, for you U-Verse customers who can't get enough of the Olympics, AT&T is offering an exclusive Olympic application/channel that allows you to watch multiple sports at once. To learn more about it view this video! I am certainly going to be going over my friend's house to check this out later!

More on Competitors

Verizon has many of the same social media outlets, but they don’t seem to be activating to the degree AT&T is. For example, on their Facebook page, I do not see Verizon Customer Care people interacting with consumers questions and concerns. It is clear that Verizon isn’t taking social media to the next level in terms of personalized consumer interaction and real time responses to customers. Verizon has roughly four times as many fans on Facebook than AT&T but is doing less. As a Verizon customer, I am disappointed, and I would much rather write post or a message that I know would be answered promptly than spend hours on the phone with Verizon customer service. With the largest network in the country can’t Verizon afford to staff customer care people to monitor and answer social media inquiries?!?

Not only that, but AT&T is gaining a major advantage over their major competitor by engaging in real time dialog with their customers to see how their products and services are being received in the market place. This allows for them to not only to act quickly and make necessary changes when there is an issue, but allows them to engage in strategic risk and issues management practices.

Final Thoughts

I think it is pretty difficult for me to state how I believe AT&T should further be utilizing new and social media. Since I am particularly interested in music, my only suggestion to AT&T was to gain a better presence on MySpace. MySpace is a great way for AT&T to cross brand with bands and their music by offering consumers exclusive ringtone and other download offers.

I think other corporations should use AT&T as a template of how to enhance their social media skills. Having specific social media accounts for different public's allows the company to personally reach that public's and their interests. For example, consumers who have a small business can follow AT&T's small business twitter. AT&T is ahead of the game as far as corporation's branding themselves by using new media---so nothing but praises go out to them!

Introduction: AT&T's Way of Communicating

What comes to mind when I hear AT&T? I think of Luke Wilson throwing postcards all over a giant map of the United States for one of their commercials. AT&T vs. Verizon commercials are like the new Mac vs. PC wars. They are quite amusing and creative.

I must say, I am not an AT&T subscriber. I know, don’t hate me; but if it wasn’t for the fact that I am on a family plan and my father doesn't get cell phone service out of his home office, then we would possibly be an iPhone family. If it matters, my older brother, who resides in Michigan, is part of the AT&T clan and persists we need to get iPhones.

So why did I do I care enough to have created a blog about AT&T you might ask? Because they are a Fortune 100 Company that is continuously evolving; constantly coming up with new ideas and strategies to connect with their consumers, while keeping their competitors on their toes. AT&T has utilized new and social media by creating Facebook, Twitter, Flikr, and YouTube accounts and is highly involved in community relations. They are currently helping Haiti by donating proceeds to the relief efforts.

Dallas based AT&T is an Internet, wireless, and cable 3G network company who’s mission is to connect their consumers with their world, whether it is for work, leisure, or both. Ranked #1 in Fortune 100’s “World’s Most Admired Companies,” AT&T takes pride in delivering new solutions and passionate customer service to their consumers. AT&T has been rewarded several other awards this year such as the Frost & Sullivan 2009 North American Portfolio Leadership of the Year Award. (Click here for complete list).

AT&T takes pride in its reputation—so much so that they have been recognized as the #1 “2010 Customer Loyalty Index Rates Based on Network Quality, Technology Leadership and Competitive Plans.” They maintain this reputation by being diligent with their customer service. When browsing their Facebook page, AT&T professionals are very consistent in answering consumers questions and concerns.

As always, with the positive does come the negative. AT&T has been under some scrutiny the past year with union workers due to expired contracts. With wireless phones increasing in popularity, AT&T’s land line business is declining. This past March, union workers right down the road from me in Connecticut protested against the company because they were in fear of losing their jobs and its benefits (WTNH). In January, AT&T announced that they could cut up to 160 jobs in the CT Union by February 19^th. With this date approaching and no negotiations yet made, I will keep this on my radar.

Just yesterday, the company reached an agreement with nearly 30,000 union workers in Southeast states including Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Tennessee. The new contract provides a 3% base salary increase in the first two year, and an increase of 2.75% in the third year, as well as pension increases.

AT&T has also encountered criticism and even lawsuits regarding their 3G network and the iPhone. Slow connectivity and frequent dropped calls have left many users unhappy. It is a public relations “no-no” to shift the blame to consumers when something goes wrong with a product. Unfortunately, back in December, some critics, like Tech Inciter David Coursey, felt AT&T was trying to push their malfunctions on their consumers.

Wisely, AT&T took this criticism as an opportunity to better their reputation. Ralph de la Vega, president and chief executive for mobility and consumer markets at AT&T told the New York Times that 40 percent of AT&T’s data traffic comes from just 3 percent of its smartphone customers. AT&T plans on educating its consumers so that they become aware of how much data they are using, in hopes that they will cut back on usage. Do they really think this could work? This is the generation where people want things NOW, I do not think they will be willing to be educated on how to cut back on, for a lot of people, an addiction. In addition, I think it was even poorer of Mr. de la Vega to propose a potential “pricing scheme” in hopes that people will cutback on usage. Has AT&T gotten feedback from their consumers asking how they feel about these possibilities? Possibly.

In December, AT&T did take the right step towards listening to consumers by introducing a new iPhone application called “Mark the Spot”, which allows users report data problems, dropped calls and spotty coverage. By doing this, AT&T is taking the opportunity to show their customers that they value their feedback, wants and needs. The corporation has also taken steps to improve their network reception. It has been said that New York City’s network has improved month by month since the fall of 2010.

All and all- AT&T is a company that has it’s “ups and downs;” we all know there is no corporation with a perfect track record. I will give it to AT&T and applaud them for continuously evolving their strategies to fit what their consumers are looking for in the "perfect" telecommunications company. Going forward, however, they will have to overcome some PR obstacles especially the common perception that their service is inferior to that of their major competitor, Verizon.