Boomers Opps: T-Mobile promotes service made for older consumers (Score 31)

T-Mobile recently rolled out new plans called Magenta Unlimited 55 and Max, both of which have been supported on commercials on TV and digital platforms. This phone plan is particularly geared toward older consumers, whom T-Mobile says competitors such as AT&T and Verizon have served insufficiently. T-Mobile grieves the way other companies take belittling and condescending voices toward 55+ consumers, who invested the smartphone and the mobile Internet. Many phone plans only provide older users with services in specific areas (mostly FL) or with other kinds of limitations; T-Mobile's new plans do not. The Magenta Max Unlimited 55 is the senior citizen version of the new Magenta Max, which launched earlier in 2021. 

Additionally, T-Mobile recently announced that it's targeting ads based on the web browsing and app usage of its subscribers. This will likely impact ad/martech readers.

YTD, iSpot reports T-Mobile has already spent roughly $190.8m on national TV commercials, up 53% from the roughly $124.8m it had spent by this point last year. Its 2021 commercials have targeted a male-skewed audience, with top targeted programs including NFL Football, NBA Basketball, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and The Bachelor. T-Mobile spent roughly $708.8m on this channel in 2020, up 3% from the roughly $691.5m it spent in 2019.

According to Pathmatics, the company has already allocated approximately $34.3m toward digital ads in 2021, more than triple the $9.5m it allocated within the same 2020 timeframe. T-Mobile's estimated full-year 2020 spend rose by 1% to $105.2m from that of $104.9m in 2019. YTD, it has earned around 2.7b digital impressions via desktop video (65%), Facebook (13%), Instagram (8%), desktop display (7%), mobile video (6%) and mobile display (1%) ads. 89% of this year's desktop videos have been placed site direct onto youtube.com.

Additionally, Magellan reveals T-Mobile has aired 2.3k podcast ads within the past 12 months.

Obviously, the company's newly-launched and newly-advertised phone plans are geared for boomers; however, its sharply increased digital ad spend, reliance on YouTube advertising and notable usage of podcast ads reveals a stronger focus on reaching millennials, and it also targets Gen-X. Its target demographic has a parent-oriented skew via family plans. Per Kantar data, T-Mobile also invests in OOH, print, radio and local broadcast media. It holds planning conversations in Q1 and buying conversations in Q4.

Agency & martech readers - We have not heard of any roster shifts since T-Mobile appointed media AOR Initiative in January 2021, so keep reaching out for other work. The company also currently works with creative and digital AOR Publicis West, PR AOR Porter Novelli and Sprint creative AOR Droga5.