With a range of new subscription options and a revised brand strategy, Verizon wants to convey to its customers: “We are listening to you now.”
The telecom giant is launching a new advertising campaign on Wednesday that is reminiscent of the “Can You Hear Me Now?” commercials. The ad opens with an appearance by the legendary Verizon technician, originally portrayed by an actor but now a real Verizon technician named Mike Morgan.
The promotion will then be extended to other ways the company connects customers, including messaging and video connections via smartphones, home broadband connections, online gaming and electronic payments.
“We’re a telecommunications company, but really we’re a company that’s about life,” Verizon chief marketing officer Leslie Berland told USA TODAY. “Whether you’re at home … (or) on the road, whether you’re at work, whether you’re traveling … in wonderful times or in times of crisis, Verizon is there.”
Verizon launches streaming services with campaign
The new commercial will appear on broadcast and streaming television, as well as on social media and in movie theaters.
With the new ad, Verizon “forced itself to bring that feeling and that experience and narrative to life in a completely different way,” Berland said.
In conjunction with the brand refresh campaign, there are new, updated promotions also available Wednesday, including select discounted Disney+ streaming video offerings and guaranteed smartphone trade-ins for devices that may be damaged and no longer functional.
Verizon MyHome’s goal: Simplify the Internet at home
With new MyHome Internet plans starting at $35 per month with autopay and select cellular coverage (no hidden fees or device costs), Verizon aims to make it easier for customers to access the Internet and entertainment options they want at home.
Once you choose a plan, the price won’t change for up to four years (Verizon Forward plans for low-income customers start at $20 per month).
Customers can now add several streaming services, including the Disney bundle (Disney+, Hulu, and ESPN+), Netflix and Max (with ads), YouTube Premium, and Walmart+ (which also gets you Paramount+ Essentials streaming) for $10 each monthly – a discounted price compared to subscribing directly. Apple One and Apple Music Family subscription offerings are expected to be added later this summer.
“The whole internet and entertainment market today is very, very complicated,” Verizon Consumer CEO Sowmyanarayan Sampath told USA TODAY. “So we’ve made it easy for households to consume entertainment and get the best internet. … MyHome aims to solve exactly those problems. It’s one place, all the services, and you can drop them and take them with you (whenever you want).”
Other optional benefits include live TV from Fios TV (300+ channels) or YouTube TV (100+ channels), starting at $109 or $72.99 per month, respectively, cloud storage, and technical support from Home Device Advisor.
Verizon’s 5G and LTE wireless plans reach 57 million U.S. households and Fios’ fiber plans reach 15 million, the company said.
Verizon cell phone trade-in offer; NFL and Copa America gifts
Verizon myPlan Unlimited mobile plan holders can trade in any smartphone, regardless of condition, for a new device (valued up to $830).
“The whole thesis behind it is that accidents happen, your phone gets damaged and your phone is no longer worth anything,” said Sampath. “Don’t worry, give it to us, we’ll give you the full guarantee on it. It’s about listening to the customer.”
Verizon’s new Premium Access program gives home and mobile customers access to advance ticket sales for concerts, including Jelly Roll’s upcoming tour. Also coming soon: free tickets to Copa America games and all NFL games next season. Other giveaways and events include red carpet tickets to movie premieres.
Looking for reliable streaming options? Check with USA TODAY Home Internet for broadband service plans in your area.
Verizon drops the check in its new logo
Another aspect of Verizon’s brand repositioning is an updated logo that replaces the current red checkmark – sometimes seen as a small V-checkmark – with a red V with a yellow shimmer, used alone and in the name “Verizon.”
The new logo and ads will air on social media and digital platforms as well as television systems.
The check mark “was deliberately introduced a few years ago to convey a sign of reliability. It has served this purpose,” said Berland.
But the company wants to create something “that is unique … that has the energy, openness and vibrancy that reflects everything we do every day,” she said.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Verizon: New home and wireless internet deals include streaming deals
