Are young urban professionals still called Yuppies? We confess we’re not sure, but we are sure that Verizon wants them subscribing to its FiOS service for their voice, internet and television programming. After testing a campaign to enlist 25-39s in Washington DC, it is expanding its campaign into several new urban markets.
Next up on the urban target list are New York, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth and Los Angeles.
“Most 25- to 39-year-olds, who make up a significant portion of multidwelling unit tenants, are major users of social media and the Internet, and spend as much as 14 hours online per week,” said Verizon Enhanced Communities Pedro Correa. “Given the importance that young professionals place on technology to get ahead at work while staying connected with friends, we want to help as many residents of multidwelling units as possible enjoy the borderless lifestyle FiOS offers.”
Verizon detailed some of the attributes of its target audience. “These trendsetting, ‘techknowledgeables’ between 25 and 39 years of age bear some unique attributes, according to Verizon research:”
* 45 percent are more likely than the average adult to consider the Internet as their primary source of entertainment.
* 20 percent have taken some of public transportation in the past month.
* 78 percent have seen a movie in the past 6 months.
* 33 percent go the gym 3-4 times a week.
* 64 percent like to dine out and socialize at bars, half of them with their friends.
It is using what it calls a “hyperlocal” campaign to get their attention that starts with “immersive digital advertising” with social media in the mix. Verizon adds that it “…will seek to reach young professionals in places where they spend much of their time – gyms, restaurants, bars, movie theatres, malls and transit centers.”
“We’re dealing with a group of very active people who are heavily reliant on their wireless devices, and so we’re offering compelling FiOS bundles of Internet and TV including some deals that waive activation fees and provide a free wireless router and premium video content,” said Chris Anderson, director of consumer marketing for Verizon. “To make it easy for young professionals to find MDUs with FiOS, we’ve created a region-specific microsite at www.musthavefios.com that shows the MDUs where FiOS is available in metro New York, Philadelphia, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles and Washington, D.C.”
RBR-TVBR observation: Remember when there you subscribed to a phone company, and a different subscription program service, and eventually you added a third subscription for internet? Now most of the big companies that have ever been in any of these businesses offer one-stop shopping for all three. The competition is still shaking out, and it will be interesting to see what this sector looks like in ten years.
