Bad news for Sprint...

[JQuill]

This honestly does not surprise me....they came out with a complete company image overhaul not too long ago by going with their current yellow / black color scheme and logo...the ONLY reason businesses do that is if they absolutely HAVE to, not because it was a good idea that helped a little bit, they needed to or they would be done for, nobody does a complete image overhaul (which can cost a company the size of sprint tens of millions of dollars if not more).

After the image overhaul, and more recently, we saw them shift directions in the type of service provider they wanted to be...the provider of workhorse phones, the first of which was the (i know...gross) Instinct, which saw minor success, and now their most recent marketing which furthers that type of advertising, with the Ads featuring Dan Hesse...however the ads are not promoting the new windows mobule workhorse phones they are promoting their texting, phones like the new Samsung and Pantech.

To me it looks as though sprint saw little success with promoting POWERHORSE phones like the Instinct (which they thought was the right move because people want more and more out of a phone these days) and in tern decided not to promote their new line of WM phones

....And my main point....the biggest proof I see that sprint failed at promoting themselves as the powerhorse phone provider.....

It would make perfect sense, IF the Instinct sold as well as they wanted to...to then move into promoting their new line of Windows Mobile phones...Introduce the market to smartphones with the Instinct, and then when that succeeds start promoting the upcoming (and now current) windows mobile phones like the Diamond and Pro for the knockout punch and corner the market with these awesome smartphones....but the Instinct didn't sell as well as they hoped...so now they don't even advertise for their new line of windows mobile phones because the Instinct failed and now they think people want the Texty fruity 12 year old girl phones like the new Pantech and Samsung phones that are in their ads, where there should be advertising pro's and diamonds.

...we all wish they HAD they promoted smart phones well enough for them to sell....but they didn't so now people are stuck with sprint trying to sell them normal texty fruity 12 year old girl phones like the Pantech Matrix....which we all know works out so well for them, because thats exactly what they tried NOT to do by switching gears to smart phones and promoting the Instinct and if that saw success, WM smart phones...but it looks like they are back to square one in their marketing department which totally sucks for business.


PS - ON TOP of all this....a side issue...my friend has sprint, worked for them 4 years ago...hasnt worked for them since...and STILL has a $25 a month Simply Everything Plan...its not THE simply everything but its the old employee plan which gives him over 3000 minutes a month, with unlimited texting and data....he has used it with phone as a modem for all those years without paying anything, just with a hack, and has switched phones / upgraded 3 times....and EVERY single time he calls sprint they still look at his plan and think he is an employee....he at one time, got called by sprint saying they were taking him off the plan because he wasnt an employee...asked the rep when his contacrt expiration was and she told him she didnt know and would CALL HIM BACK (why?)...and she NEVER called him back, that was the last he heard of it, and that was 2 years ago, and still has the plan and never gets **** from sprint.....if it is THAT easy to scam the system, something is wrong with your company.

[Exil3d]

Well................................ I think they will turn around. Wimax is on the way and they have been #1 in CC this year. So its not too bleak like it seems.

[neodorian]

Still, it sounds like a reorganization that is necessary. I just like them because they have a great data network and they charge me $15/month for unlimited data. I don't even have SERO or anything. They just don't pull the BS that you see at ATT who would like to charge you $45-60 for an unlimited smartphone data plan. I never mind paying $250-350 for a device I use every day but I'll be damned if I will be paying another $30-40 every month. Not everyone is willing to pay that kind of money for mobile data.

Hopefully they are able to turn things around with Wimax and hybrid Wimax/EVDO phones. They *really* need to get a killer device like the first Tegra phone or something. Their marketing sucks and people love to hate on them. They don't do nearly the kind of marketing that ATT and VZW do. Product placement in Heroes can only take you so far.

[meatgel]

None of that seemed so dire as to mean Sprint will be going out of business. It is what the majority of businesses are doing right now to get through this down economy -- except the auto industry who is looking for a bailout.

My business is cutting costs deeply, expecting no growth through 2009 and ready to breath a sigh of releif in 2010 as well. I think Sprint has the right idea and will make it through this crap. *fingers crossed*

[jimd144]

Actually, AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ) and T-Mobile (DT) are very healthy.

[popdog54]

I look at this a good news for Sprint. They realize there's a problem and are trying to correct it. Cutting costs/employees is a must with the current economic conditions. Even Google (which is really an evil corporate entity that's trying to take over the world), has been secretly cutting jobs since August: http://tech.blorge.com/Structure:%20...economic-hell/

According to the article Sprint will be keeping $4 billion in cash reserves. With that kind of change just lying around I don't think Sprint will be going anywhere anytime soon. At the current stock price a buyout may happen, but given the state of the world economy I don't think another company would be willing to take on such a large aquisition at this time.

[popdog54]

Originally Posted by jimd144

Actually, AT&T (T) and Verizon (VZ) and T-Mobile (DT) are very healthy.

A few days ago AT&T announced 12,000 job cuts. They've been hardest hit in their landline sector, but the cuts will be coming across the board.

[jimd144]

Originally Posted by popdog54

A few days ago AT&T announced 12,000 job cuts. They've been hardest hit in their landline sector, but the cuts will be coming across the board.

As a stock trader, I am looking at the stock price. The big 3 are solid.

[Hafrust]

Stock prices as of this afternoon:

Sprint: $2.42
AT&T: $23.96
Verizon: $32.74
T-Mobile (Deutsche Telecom): $14.73

[anthony67]

HhhmmMMmmm......Sprint trimming the fat.....Google freeing up some bucks.......can you say "GoogleMobile"????