Boost Mobile
Company: Boost Mobile, Irvine, CA
Company Description: Boost Mobile, a division of Sprint Nextel, offers wireless phones and services with no contracts or activation fees, and was named 2009 North American Prepaid Mobile Service of the Year by analyst firm Frost & Sullivan. Boost had a net add of 777,000 customers in 2Q09, the highest quarterly net adds reported by any US carrier since 2005.
Nomination Category: Company / Organization Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Business Turnaround of the Year - Up to 2,500 Employees
Nomination Title: Boost Mobile
1. Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved since January 1 2009 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:
Boost Mobile, the no contract provider of wireless services from Sprint, was at
the height of popularity several years ago within the youth, action sports and
urban crowds. But as times changed, we did little to evolve and the brand all
but disappeared. We were losing relevancy among our limited target market.
Committed to a comeback, we dedicated 2009 to reinvigorating our brand and
overall go to market strategy. We realized there was a larger, untapped
audience of value-conscious consumers who could benefit from no contract
wireless, not just youth, particularly during an economic recession.
On January 22, 2009, we launched our comeback by announcing the first
nationwide prepaid plan to offer unlimited nationwide wireless talk, text, Web
and Walkie-Talkie for $50/month, no strings attached, no extra fees, no
roaming, no telecom taxes, no contract. In February, we also followed up by
unveiling our largest nationwide marketing campaign, Unwronged™, to support the
offer. As a result, we fully disrupted the wireless industry, turning it
upside down. No other carrier offered a plan so simple, affordable and all-
inclusive. Every major carrier has since responded with a copycat offer
desperately trying to compete with our success and innovative strategy of
transparent pricing and straightforwardness.
The obstacles we had to overcome include the negative stigma associated with
prepaid. Many think it’s only for those with bad or no credit, low income,
that prepaid phones are ugly and service is low-end. But, by launching Monthly
Unlimited, which is truly nationwide in over 17,500 cities across the U.S., and
new handsets, Boost has made prepaid an attractive, more mainstream option
where consumers can get the same value as postpaid (such as a quality network
and durable phones) at a much more affordable price.
Not only is the perception of prepaid cell phones shifting, but during the
current economic recession, Boost is one of the few companies that is
surviving, bringing in revenue, expanding distribution with new stores across
the U.S. and seeing a year of record-breaking growth.
The turnaround is clear. Boost went from losing more than 400,000 subscribers
in the last half of 2008 to acquiring 2.1 million net customer additions in
just the first three quarters of 2009, expanding its customer base by 60%. No
other U.S. prepaid wireless carrier has added that many customers in a full
year since 2003.
Our success is evident not only in our growing customer base and solid numbers,
but also in our expanded nationwide retail distribution. Boost-branded wireless
phones are available at nearly 20,000 major retail stores across the U.S.
including Best Buy, RadioShack, Target and Walmart. In 2009, we expanded our
distribution into nearly 1,000 new Wal-Mart stores, 2,400 additional RadioShack
stores, nearly 500 RadioShack kiosks in Sam’s Clubs and slated to open 50 Boost
Mobile Exclusive Retail stores by year end.
2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: Begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.youraddress.com]:
http://www.usatoday.com/money/industries/technology/2009-01-15-sprint-prepaid-cellphone-boost_N.htm
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a.J1xLIhOmVI&refer=home
http://blogs.barrons.com/techtraderdaily/2009/01/26/debating-the-impact-of-sprints-boost-unlimited-service/
http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/06/sprint-boost-mobile-technology-wireless-sprint.html
http://online.wsj.com/article/BT-CO-20090506-715500.html
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92248b9c-38c2-11de-8cfe-00144feabdc0.html
http://www.fiercewireless.com/story/boost-mobile-continues-retail-expansion/2009-06-16
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspx/company-news-story.aspx?storyid=200907091520dowjonesdjonline000822
3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:
Boost Mobile’s turnaround can be directly attributed to president Matt Carter,
who joined the company in 2008. One year after he joined, Boost Mobile is
arguably the most influential cell phone company today. Carter’s leadership and
telecom experience spans more than 20 years with such well-known companies as
Bristol Myers, Coca-Cola, Leap Wireless, PNC Financial Services and BellSouth.
Recognized as a thought-leader in the wireless industry, Carter lends his
expertise at global telecom events and is often recognized in the media for his
leadership in the transformation of Boost Mobile from a perceived non-
threatening wireless player into a formidable competitor.