The nation’s largest wireless carrier continued to generate more digital marketing buzz than its rivals in recent weeks. And Verizon is still touting its exclusive deal to sell Google’s Pixel.
Verizon led all U.S. carriers in "earned digital engagement" from Nov. 16 through Dec. 15, accounting for 53.4% of overall ad engagements among carriers, according to fresh data from iSpot.tv. The operator’s ad “Quadruplets,” which touts a promotional offer for the Pixel, was the top-ranking spot, claiming 37.9% of Verizon’s paid engagements.
That ad came on the heels of “Introducing Pixel: LTE Advanced,” Verizon’s first effort to push Google’s new high-end phone. Verizon spent more than $25 million on that spot, according to iSpot, and led all carriers in November by spending nearly $91 million on 24 ads.
Meanwhile, Sprint moved past T-Mobile, MetroPCS and AT&T to account for 20.3% of the industry’s “share of digital voice”—to use iSpot’s phrase—second-highest among all operators. Sprint once again depended on Paul Marcarelli to do its heavy lifting, featuring former the Verizon "Test Man" in its “Tree Time” ad. “Tree Time” generated 35.5% of Sprint’s paid digital engagements during the 30-day period ending Dec. 15, which was the most of any Sprint spot.
Interestingly, AT&T appeared to rein in its marketing efforts significantly in recent weeks. The carrier captured only 4.2% of the industry’s share of digital voice during the latest period, and a single ad—“Holiday Gathering,” which pushes the carrier’s unlimited offering for customers who are also DirecTV subscribers—accounted for 59.7% of its engagements.
MetroPCS, T-Mobile’s prepaid brand, actually outperformed AT&T by claiming 4.7% of digital ad engagements in wireless. MetroPCS’s “Would You Dare Say No to Ronda Rousey?” was the company’s most effective effort, generating 36.3% of its digital engagements.
Finally, T-Mobile captured 11.9% of the industry’s share of digital voice, good for third among the five service providers. More than half of T-Mobile’s digital ad engagements were driven by “Road Trip,” which features Ariana Grande and knocks Verizon’s lack of an unlimited-data plan.