Cingular Replaced By AT&T Brand At Company Stores
By Alan Wolf -- TWICE, 6/4/2007
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS — AT&T has replaced the Cingular brand with AT&T nomenclature on all in-store signage, store kiosks and point-of-sale materials in about 1,800 company-owned wireless stores, effective this week.
The carrier has also installed new exterior signage displaying the AT&T brand on "key stores" in major markets, the company said, with the balance of locations to be updated by September.
Re-branding of agent-owned retail stores is expected to be completed by January 2008.
The carrier said the store makeovers are part of an accelerated re-branding campaign, whose new timetable was prompted by higher-than-expected consumer awareness of the AT&T name, and by next month's launch of Apple's iPhone. AT&T will be the exclusive U.S. wireless provider of the new Apple device.
Many company-owned stores have also installed kiosks within the service area promoting AT&T's full fleet of services, including wireless and landline phone service, broadband Internet access and TV. Several markets are also planning to open AT&T Experience Stores, a recent format that encourages hands-on customer interaction.
In addition, AT&T is beginning to replace Cingular in voice greetings, on new handsets and screen displays.
The re-branding campaign and broader service offerings are part of AT&T's ongoing efforts to integrate its wireless and wire-line businesses and to strengthen it position as a complete provider of communications and entertainment services, the company said.
