Open a New (Wireless) Window

Posted on | March 10, 2009 |

By Robert Passikoff

News from the GSMA Mobile World Congress, Spain, the largest wireless industry event so far this year.

Microsoft made quite a push to make its Windows mobile software as ubiquitous as its PC operating system. LG announced that they were going to significantly increase the number of handsets that will carry the new Microsoft operating system this year. Sony Ericsson announced a Walkman phone integrating telecommunications and entertainment features. And nobody announced they’d be featuring Google’s Android operating system, although that may just be a sign of the times.

While the wireless industry has proven to be recession-resistant, it is not recession-immune and there are, after all, just so many customers out there, most not hungering for a new device launch. Which is why loyalty is so very, very important, generally, and specifically so in less-than-optimum economic times. According to the most recent Brand Keys Customer Loyalty Engagement Index, Wireless Handset brands rank as follows:

1. IPhone/Samsung
2. Blackberry
3. LG
4. Sanyo
5. Sony Ericsson
6. Nokia/Treo
7. Motorola
8. Panasonic
9. Sanyo

It’s been suggested that the new economy is all about the Internet, and connectivity, and wireless handsets and PDAs - but its profitability you’re talking about, just like in land-line times, ultimately it’s all about customers.

The complete listing of the 62 category rankings can be found at www.brandkeys.com/awards