Winston Warrior
director of marketing & promotions, the new Cricket Wireless
How would you define the role of a marketing professional?
The role of a marketing professional is to excite people (hopefully turning [them] into new customers) about your product or service. A marketer also wants to develop strategies and campaigns to make existing customers fall in love with your product or service; thereby moving them through the customer lifecycle from satisfied, to advocates to evangelists of your brand.
How does Cricket position itself in the marketplace as a brand?
The new Cricket Wireless is a smart choice for customers who want simplicity at great value with a reliable 4G LTE network.
What is the Cricket brand mission?
We aim to provide a combination of great service and value by providing [customers] with easy and affordable plans, great line up of devices with a reliable 4G LTE network.
What are the key marketing programs you envision or currently activate for the brand?
Currently we offer a Group Save Plan that saves up to $90 on monthly plans for multiple lines of services starting with the second eligible device (four phones for $100). We reward our Smart & Pro Plan customers for their loyalty by offering $50 credit each year they stay as an active member.
We also recently collaborated with Queen Latifah, who we believe embodies our passion and will serve as a brand ambassador to help us give customers something to smile about.
What do you see as key opportunities to grow the brand and what strategies will you utilize?
Consumers want simplicity and great prices. Our strategy is to provide consumers more value with a simple, friendly and reliable nationwide wireless experience with no-annual-contract.
What are your four favorite apps?
Google Maps – so that I’ll never be lost.
Instagram – I enjoy sharing my experience through pics.
ESPN SC – I have to know the scores!
University of Miami – Go ‘Canes! I bleed orange and green.
Honest brand value at Cricket means …
Simplicity and great prices without any surprises. We offer 3 simple plans at $35, $45 and $55 a month after $5 credit for using auto pay and taxes and fees are included.
We provide the best …
Coverage, reliability and speed in the no-contract space. Crickets 4G LTE network has more coverage than Sprint, T-Mobile and Metro PCS period.
I enjoy being a marketing professional because …
I get to “attract, surprise, delight, and reignite” customers everyday. I also love to be a creative catalyst. Creating innovation to benefit Cricket and our customers is a real rush.
Three marketing books that share your approach to marketing success:
Never Eat Alone – more leadership than marketing
The Marketing Edge
Competing on Value
I stay relevant by …
Staying up on the latest trends in marketing
Being involved in the scene outside of the four walls of my office
Networking and exchanging ideas with other industry influencers and change agents
My favorite national events are…
The Essence Music Festival
TED
SXSW
