Free Newsletter
Sprint stopping Hesse ad campaign
Free newsletter via e-mail
Tools
Sprint Nextel will be starting a new advertising campaign soon that will not feature the company's CEO, Dan Hesse.
Hesse has been the public pitchman for the struggling wireless carrier, appearing in a series of black-and-white commercials over the past several months, in an attempt to both humanize the corporate message of the company and to sell potential Sprint customers on the value of Sprint's services. He has been an especially vocal spokesman for Sprint's flat-rate Simply Everything data plan.
However, the time has come to retire the campaign, Hesse said. "I'll wear out--they'll get tired of seeing that guy," he said in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.
Since the ad campaign began in earnest this past fall, Sprint has continued to hemorrhage customers, losing 2.6 million customers in the third and fourth quarter of 2008. Outside of the commercials, Hesse has publicly committed to rejuvenating Nextel's iDEN network, improving Sprint's customer service and playing up the value proposition of the Simply Everything plan.
Hesse also spoke with the Journal about the importance of wholesale as a business model for Sprint. "(Wholesale) is an important contributor to revenue now, and will be an important contributor for some time," Hesse said. "We'll get the lion's share of new products that need a cellular connection."
For more:
- see this article (sub. req.)
- see this article on wholesale (sub. req.)
Related Articles:
Sprint Nextel loses 1.3M subs in fourth quarter
Srint's Hesse: call centers may close, but panic will not reign
Sprint may close call centers to cut costs
Sprint faces more legal, financial woes
Sprint's CEO Dan Hesse back as a pitchman
Sprint CEO looks to improve Nextel unit
Comments
Posted by Anonymous | March 13, 2009 - 2:22pm
they are bleeding subscribers because they pissed off their entire indirect channel which built the iden customer base for nextel.
with the terrible cusomter experience it isnt hard to sell your relationships Verizon Wireless.
The damage is DONE
Posted by Anonymous | March 13, 2009 - 2:47pm
Big things coming: Palm Pre, and WiMax. I have used WiMax and i is awesome. Sprints prices points are a lot better than when I used to be a customer of theirs and I would forward to goin back when the Pre launches. They may have been bleeding customers last year but they will get me back soon.
Posted by Anonymous | March 13, 2009 - 3:17pm
they have been bleeding since the 05 merger.
theyre cheap because they have to be.
there is no beating verizons EVDO network or even att's 3g&4g.
remember the rules of telecom:
if you want cheap you get crappy service and care.
its truly a shame that they didnt become the premium company they should have. Before the merger IDEN was all the rage and sold very well, RPU was high. Sprint couldnt run a lemonade stand.
the Sprint & Nextel cultures just didnt mix well, Sprint thought they knew it all.
Posted by Anonymous | March 13, 2009 - 3:28pm
If you listen to the ads and listen to Hesse in the quarterly calls you will notice he is a great talker.
he's very strategic in his thoughts and always leaves you thinking. I think he creates a great image for the company however is just an overpaid politician.
Posted by TTC | March 13, 2009 - 3:41pm
NII HOLDINGS IS MAKING IT HAPPEN> They are essentially Nextel in Peru Argentina Brazil ETC. NII increased their subscriber base by 31% and revenues by 30% in 2008. A record sales year for NII & Their IDEN product.
Not many people know about NII, but the company is definitely evidence of how sellable Nextel truly is.
Check it out for yourself. GOOGLE NII HOLDINGS or NII DOT COM
Posted by Anonymous | March 13, 2009 - 6:28pm
Sprint can'tbeat Verizon EVDO or AT&T 3G? Really? well Gizmodo tested all 3 and Sprint came out on top easily beating both Verizon and AT&T. Sprint is the data leader and with 4G coming very soon that position will only get stronger. I don't understand the hate on Sprint as it is a great American company with a history of innovation. So unless you work for the competition, you should be pulling for the comeback Hesse is working toward.
Posted by Anonymous | March 14, 2009 - 11:14am
Its no secret in telecom circles that Sprint management is dumb and nothing more than office politicians. No substance whatsoever, pure BS'ers through and through.
They have made their mess and deserve the continued decline.
Posted by Stricklycellular | March 16, 2009 - 12:41am
has anyone seen the Verizon Wireless ad showing real network and customer service employees at home and at work? I think that is my favorite ad, especially the first part where the dad is with his son and the little boy is learning to ride a bike. I think it focuses on training and teamwork or something like that. Those are the people who should be doing these commercials. Not the CEO's.
ww.youtube.com/watch?v=owsZET8UEaQ
Posted by Stricklycellular | March 16, 2009 - 12:42am
has anyone seen the Verizon Wireless ad showing real network and customer service employees at home and at work? I think that is my favorite ad, especially the first part where the dad is with his son and the little boy is learning to ride a bike. I think it focuses on training and teamwork or something like that. Those are the people who should be doing these commercials. Not the CEO's.
ww.youtube.com/watch?v=owsZET8UEaQ
Posted by JONEEVEE | March 16, 2009 - 12:02pm
Nothing changes. Sprint underestimated the negativity of average Nextel employees. Years later they still undermine everything and anything their company does---yes, it's their company too! Once the accept that, Sprint will flourish.
Posted by Anonymous | March 16, 2009 - 12:30pm
The best commercials are the Boost ads. They need to hire that agency to get Sprint on track.
The NASCAR adds are pretty good as well.
But I do miss the good ole days of Nextel ads that were excellent.
Comments (11) | Post a comment