BRAND AWARENESS

What's in a brand? Not much, since wireless carriers seem to change their branding on a whim despite sinking billions into building brands over the last several years. Many change because of mergers and acquisitions dictated by corporate egos. When corporations merge, former competitors call for a new brand name. Acquirers want the new companies to have uniform identities. And consumers suffer. Take VoiceStream, which has positioned itself well with spokeswoman Jamie Lee Curtis and its “Get More” campaign. Parent Deutsche Telekom, which acquired the company last year, is changing the carrier's name to T-Mobile. The reason? You have to be a global brand to be a long-term wireless player, DT said. Apparently that's important enough to risk confusing customers in the U.S. that already wonder what the new mlife campaign from AT&T Wireless is, or why Cingular spells its name with a “C.” Brands should be associated with stalwart attributes like prompt customer care. Some of VoiceStream's customers have seen it change more than once if they were former Powertel, Omnipoint or Aerial patrons. How can users be confident in their provider when the message keeps changing? Brands provide a haven in a business full of confusion about pricing plans, the mobile Internet and even the difference between GSM and CDMA. Industry churn won't decrease until carriers show that their brands mean something. Too many carriers are impatient — and willing to sacrifice loyalty for customer acquisitions. Thus, the industry continues to go round and round.