Marketplace®
Every story is an economic story

AT&T rebranding may be a bit vague

AT&T's new ad campaign focuses on the products the company has to offer beyond phone service. But the way the campaign tries to sell you may be a bit confusing for consumers to understand. Jill Barshay reports.

Download

TEXT OF STORY

Bill Radke: This week, AT&T launched a rebranding campaign:

AT&T: AD: Rethink possible.

Rethink possible. The company’s taken some hits for having a weak cellular network. Now it’s trying to emphasize its strengths, as reporter Jill Barshay tells us.


Jill Barshay: AT&T wants to sell you much more than phone service.

Christopher Larsen: AT&T has a good portfolio of products it’s expanding that nobody has an idea that they sell.

Christopher Larsen tracks AT&T at the securities firm Piper Jaffray: Larsen says AT&T’s problem is that people are getting rid of landlines, and it could lose its exclusive right to sell the iPhone as soon as July. He says AT&T needs to get beyond the phone line, but he’s not convinced this glitzy ad campaign will work:

AT&T: AD: Explore, try, do. Because before it could be done, it couldn’t.

Larsen says there’s a big risk that no one is going to understand what AT&T is talking about.

In New York, I’m Jill Barshay for Marketplace.

Related Topics

Tagged as:

Latest Episodes

View All Shows
  • Marketplace
    5 hours ago
    25:16
  • Marketplace Morning Report
    12 hours ago
    5:54
  • Marketplace Tech
    17 hours ago
    8:19
  • This Is Uncomfortable
    5 days ago
    27:11
  • Million Bazillion
    7 days ago
    12:18
  • Make Me Smart
    4 months ago
    24:33