McDonald’s, Burger King, or Wendy’s? Big Mac, Whopper, or…umm, a big square burger? For those of us gourmets that frequent fast food chains, these three are typically the go-to restaurants. Each has their trademark sandwich that has their respective followings. Sure, we may jump from one place to another once in a while to try something new (bring back the McRib!) or if it’s more convenient, but usually we favor one over another given a choice.
Verizon, AT&T, or Sprint? Network coverage is still the primary reason for choosing a wireless provider, just as a convenient location is the main driver for choosing a burger joint, but increasingly carriers are looking to have their own special burger to attract customers. For AT&T it’s the iPhone, for Verizon it’s the Droid and now for Sprint it’s the 4G EVO. Will Verizon ever get their own Big Mac–i.e., the iPhone? Maybe. But how do you know it’ll be the same Big Mac you know and love. Maybe the special sauce will taste different (maybe more data plan restrictions on Verizon?), so you never know.
In the end it’s about the entire experience, not just the burger. Just look at T-Mobile and the Nexus One. It’s like Carl’s Jr. offering their $6 burger. No matter how tasty the burger (or how great the device) I’m not going to get it if I can’t eat it when I’m hungry (or if I can’t use the phone where I need to).
Tags: Jason Wong, Mobile Gourmet, Wireless Carriers
