T-Mobile CEO John Legere is best known for his aggressive business tactics and a rather unorthodox approach to handling competition in the mobile space. The un-carrier revolution has been putting pressure on wireless giants for quite some time now. These unconventional ideas stem from concepts like carrying unused data into next month’s billing cycle, or the much more costly approach of buying out existing contracts of other mobile providers. This, on the heels of the carrier announcing several weeks ago adding a staggering 1.8 million new customers, Legere has shifted his focus from his usual targets to the biggest one there is.
In an effort to gain widespread attention, T-Mobile unleashed its well-known tactic for using social media as a weapon. Verizon, recently launching a campaign of its own called #neversettle, aims at audiences on the fence to avoid “settling” with a carrier who might entice them with other incentives besides coverage. While this campaign was rather unspecific, T-Mobile took things to heart and began to fire shots of its own by buying prime promotional space on Twitter to display #NeverSettleforVerizon. The campaign quickly gained the attention it was seeking, but with less than favorable results. Individuals were quick to come to the aid of Big Red, mentioning kind words about the service they receive, and the below-the-belt tactics T-Mobile is using. Perhaps the $200,000 publicity stunt was worth the press despite its negative perception?
The premise of the #NeverSettleforVerizon is quite simple. Those interested in trying out T-Mobile’s revamped network are provisioned a device, and the ability to try the carrier’s network for a 14-day trial period. T-Mobile also allows the user to port their number over onto the temporary device, but customers should be warned that porting a number does essentially terminate your contract with a wireless carrier. If you are satisfied with the service you are receiving, consumers are free to keep the device, send in their Verizon handset, and have T-Mobile buyout the existing contract as part of their ongoing un-carrier revolution. If the customer is completely dissatisfied with the experience, T-Mobile has stated to simply return the device for a monetary and hassle free experience.