alexrpt
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The ISIS branding juggernaut continues to gobble up global mindshare. Even big U.S. telecom has been affected by the amazing branding campaign that the jihadist militants have executed.
AT&T, T-Mobile and Verizon have decided (no choice really) to rebrand their Isis mobile wallet platform after its name became synonymous with “ISIS,” the Islamic militant group currently taking over Iraq and providing a major foreign policy headache for the White House.
Who needs social media consultants or big Madison Avenue advertising executives…these ISIS guys know branding in the digital age better than anyone. Not even big telecom can compete.
The entire naming debacle is coincidental as Techcrunch reports:
…it’s not been great for Isis (the wallet), in terms of either public perception or general SEO.
The company doesn’t have a replacement name picked out at this time, it says, but will introduce the new brand in the “coming months.”
The mobile platform includes a free wallet app for iOS and Android devices that lets consumers pay at point-of-sale via NFC chips built into their mobile handsets, or by using select “Isis Ready” NFC cases designed for the NFC-less iPhone. The wallet today supports a limited number of credit cards, including those from American Express/Amex Serve, Chase, and Wells Fargo. (Amex is also an investor.)
In a statement released today by Isis CEO Michael Abbott, the company says it originally chose the brand “Isis” because they wanted a name that “brought to life our company and our values.”
“Recently, we have observed with growing concern a militant group whose name, when translated into English, is Islamic State of Iraq and Syria – often referenced by the acronym ISIS,” he explains. “We have no interest in sharing a name with a group whose name has become synonymous with violence and our hearts go out to those who are suffering,” he adds.
The company is now actively working on a new brand, but stresses that the business focus and consumer experience will remain the same going forward — this is a name change alone.
Funny thing is that ISIS (the jihadist militant guys) have also recently rebranded to simply IS. Maybe now, AT&T can keep the ISIS name, which as CEO Michael Abbot said, “brought to life our company and our values.”
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The statements, views and opinions expressed in this column are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of this site. This site does not give financial, investment or medical advice.
#ISIS, the mobile app…from #AT&T http://t.co/aTBW8YBHVR