On April 4 Verizon filed a trademark application for “Total by Verizon.”
“Indications are that there could be a push related to this in national retail,” writes Wave7 Research principal Jeff Moore in a new report. “Verizon’s intentions are unclear, but as MetroPCS was transitioned to Metro by T-Mobile, Total Wireless could be transitioned to Total by Verizon.”
Verizon did not respond to a request for comment about the trademark application.
Speaking with Fierce, Moore said Total Wireless has always used Verizon’s network, and it is sold nationally at nearly any retailer that sells prepaid phones.
In addition to Total Wireless, Verizon has a number of other prepaid brands including TracPhone, Straight Talk, Walmart Family Mobile, Verizon prepaid, Simple Mobile and Net10 Wireless.
It also provides the underlying network for Visible, a Verizon prepaid brand that is only sold online.
The news outlet Best MVNO just today reported that Verizon is running some advertisements where it refers to “Visible by Verizon.”
Moore said, “I’m kind of sensing a trend: ‘Total by Verizon,’ ‘Visible by Verizon.’ It will be interesting to see if Verizon extends this branding trend to other prepaids.”
Moore said Verizon might want to do this because the word “Verizon” is a brand halo. “People associate Verizon with having the most awards,” he said. “The other part of it is to point to the stability of Verizon’s network. Verizon is saying you can believe in Visible or Total because you’re doing business with the top telecom company in America.”
Verizon’s prepaid brand Straight Talk is its leading prepaid brand with more than 9 million subscribers. Will we soon see a “Straight Talk by Verizon?” We'll have to keep an eye out.