Irvine-based wireless service provider Boost Mobile LLC is stepping up its marketing to counter competitors offering prepaid plans similar to its own.
Boost, which has 4.3 million customers and markets prepaid phones from parent Sprint Nextel Corp., started pushing a $50 per month unlimited prepaid service plan last year. The plan allows for unlimited calling, text messaging, wireless Web access and walkie-talkie service.
At the time, it was the only $50 monthly prepaid plan available. But Leap Wireless International Inc., which operates the Cricket brand in the U.S., announced $40, $45 and $50 plans shortly after. Then MetroPCS Communications Inc. jumped on board with a $50 unlimited plan for a particular lineup of BlackBerry phones—and others have followed suit.
“We have recently been the victim of an onslaught from a lot of competitors,” said Caralene Robinson, director of marketing at Boost.
So Boost has stepped up its marketing this year with a Super Bowl commercial, a first for the company.
“We knew we had to do something really aggressive, and the Super Bowl provided a great opportunity for that,” Robinson said.
Boost brought back the original 1985 Chicago Bears to reprise their “Super Bowl Shuffle” in a commercial.
“We saw a huge boost of attention for our work,” Robinson said.
The company since has come out with three commercials as part of its “unwronged” campaign that plays off wireless contracts that take advantage of customers.
Previous commercials featured exaggerated situations, including a coroner eating a sandwich fished out of a corpse.
“It needed to be that way because we needed to break through the clutter and get people talking with very limited marketing dollars,” Robinson said.
The latest campaigns are a little tamer, she said.
“Pet carrier” features a mother making a humorous sacrifice to keep up with her cell phone payments by shipping her son as a dog on an airline flight.
The company also did a commercial for a $60 monthly BlackBerry unlimited plan. In it, a married couple attempts to agree on bedtime etiquette with the help of lawyers.
The last spot, “medical testing,” shows someone being a guinea pig for experimental treatments to pay for cell phone bills.
The spots are running on network and cable channels. The campaign is being handled by Santa Monica-based 180L.A.
Mazda Marketing Chief
Irvine-based Mazda North American Operations put the head of its Canadian arm, Don Romano, in charge of North American marketing, including an ongoing advertising review.
The move is the latest in the automaker’s effort to search for a new agency after working with the Newport Beach office of Southfield, Mich.-based Doner Co. since 1997.
The automaker, part of Japan’s Mazda Motor Corp., hired Boston-based firm Pile and Co. to handle the review of its $150 million yearly ad business.
A Doner spokeswoman said the agency intends to “vigorously fight for our business.”
Mazda spent close to $155 million on U.S. ads last year, up from $140 million in 2008, according to market tracker Nielsen Co. of the Netherlands.
Romano has had a long history with Mazda’s Irvine headquarters and has worked with Doner in the past.
He has been president of Toronto’s Mazda Canada Inc. since 2006 and will retain that title while taking on the chief marketing role.
He previously was vice president of marketing for the U.S. arm, general manager of business operations and general manager of the Western region.
Romano came to Mazda in 2000 from Nissan North America Inc., part of Japan’s Nissan Motor Co.
He will report to Jim O’Sullivan, chief executive, and Keishi Egawa, chief operating officer.
Fast Fish
You may have noticed a surge of fish offerings at local fast food joints with TV, radio and print advertisements pushing seafood.
Every year around this time restaurant chains push fish to consumers refraining from other types of meat for religious reasons.
Irvine-based Taco Bell Corp., part of Louisville, Ky.-based Yum Brands Inc., launched its latest shrimp taco promotion with a series of TV and radio ads.
The work is the latest promotion from Taco Bell’s ad shop, the Irvine office of Chicago-based DraftFCB.
The campaign follows Lake Forest-based Del Taco LLC, part of Nashville, Tenn.-based Sagittarius Brands Inc., and its “Shrimp Happens” push for the chain’s crispy shrimp tacos.
The Newport Beach office of Doner is handling the promotion.
Even hot dog chain Wienerschnitzel, part of Irvine-based Galardi Group Inc., has launched its latest promotion for its sea dog, a fish sandwich in a hot dog bun.
The campaign is handled by Santa Ana-based DGWB Advertising & Communications.
Apps Marketing
Ladera Ranch-based RMS Public Relations has launched an iPhone App Public Relations division to work with software developers who design and develop applications for Apple Inc.’s smartphone. The shop has been hired by Wisconsin-based Visionary Apps LLC to get the word out about its Complete Realty Suite, an application designed to help people identify homes for sale or in foreclosure. RMS is also working with Phoenix-based Neese Products LLC, which created an application that serves up promotional codes for the Oakbrook Terrace, Ill.-based Redbox Automated Retail LLC video rental self-service kiosks found at supermarkets.
