With the launch of an Android-based Sidekick and the close of the Danger service, can the brand recover its status as a cultural icon?

The inevitable shuttering of the Danger service earlier this month came and went without a lot of hoopla, providing an inauspicious end for the original T-Mobile Sidekick, the first truly consumer-focused smartphone. The Sidekick name was cleaved from the Danger intellectual property after the acquisition of the company byMicrosoft and the subsequent dissolution of the exclusive distribution agreement that Danger had with T-Mobile.

Earlier this year, T-Mobile, which maintained the rights to only the Sidekick name and the subscriber base, transferred the moniker to an Android-based device produced by Samsung (previous generations were made mostly by Sharp,). Built over eight major releases and six Limited Edition co-branded versions, the Sidekick name lives on as the moniker for a new mobile phone experience, and raises the question – how far can you leverage a brand?

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We are entering a time in the digital landscape when most product information is already known and readily available to all potential consumers. Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and other peer-to-peer communication networks have created dynamic communities of interest which inform customers about product options and influence their purchasing decisions.  The content that is created through these communities, the people that publish into them and the places where these interchanges occur are all now connected. That's why I am looking forward to this event - The Networked Consumer - How Content and Community Are Driving Commerce.

The panel brings together local digital thought leaders to discuss the conversations and innovations that are impacting consumer buying behavior and brand engagement. There will also be an interactive lab for hands-on product experiences. 

Here's the 411 for you all to come. And here is the RSVP link to the Eventbrite. Sign up now because seating is limited and it's almost 50% full already!

Where: Founders’ Co-op, South Lake Union, 511 Boren N., Seattle, WA 98109 

When: April 28th, 2011 5:30-8:00 PM

Event Moderator: Tricia Duryee, eMoney columnist, Allthingsd.com

Event Participants: James Lively, COO DIY Media, Scott Blanksteen, CEO AppStoreHQ, and Kathy Savitt, CEO Lockerz, and Jordan Williams, Digital Engagement Lead, REI.

@gary_hustwit "You have to systematically create confusion, it sets creativity free." Jasper Johns

The importance of storytelling RT@PeterGuber How to Make Your Career A Hollywood Blockbuster http://bit.ly/hdEgrw

Originally published on Technorati.com

The recently announced acquisition of T-Mobile USA by AT&T, if approved, potentially vaults the second and fourth place wireless carriers into first place, with their combined subscribers tallying more than Verizon’s total subscriber number. Verizon will spend a lot to convince the government that a combined AT&T/ T-Mobile is bad for consumers and to ensure closing that deal will be no small distraction for its two competitors.

T-Mobile can’t exhale in relief just yet, as the agreement, including the billion dollar fees they’ll likely get if the deal does not go through, could be challenged in court by everyone from Nokia to Google to Comcast to Apple.

Surely, there will be a lot of time, money and effort spent on selling this deal in to the federal government, generating a lot of work for PR agencies, lobbyists, hardware vendors and consumer advocates. While AT&T and T-Mobile fight the battle on Capitol Hill, Verizon could be claiming victory on the front lines with consumers.

Here are 4 ways Verizon might capitalize on the announcement:

1. Stay on message: Verizon’s clarity of message—it's about the network—has clearly positioned them as the most reliable consumer choice. Both AT&T and T-Mobile have suffered from the strength of Verizon’s network message in light of their own network evolution challenges (not the least of which were T-Mobile’s late arrival with 3G and AT&T’s call handling problems with the iPhone.) Staying the course with their current, well established network position will continue to serve Verizon well.
2. Comfort confused consumers: If consumers aren’t sure who’ll own their contract two years from now, they may be loathe to sign a new agreement with T-Mobile. In addition, T-Mobile’s television commercials have specifically poked fun at AT&T’s network. A well-positioned message by Verizon could capitalize on customer’s sense of confusion or betrayal.
3. Be the anti-corporate brand: Verizon has focused heavily on consumer messaging, and with its successful launch of the Envy, Chocolate and Droid brands, has shown it can build and maintain a franchise line-up of consumer focused devices. (Okay so I’m choosing to forget about the Kin because it was practically stillborn.) AT&T built a strong enterprise customer base, not just through the sale of a large portfolio of smartphone devices early in the category’s development, but also through volume pricing deals for corporate buyers. T-Mobile has a heavy consumer and Android base, and a very strong family focus, especially with its MyTouch and Sidekick brands. Verizon should continue to focus on super-messaging phones that appeal to the young and social, 'Gen C' customers, who are always  connected and communicating.
4. Deliver service innovation: In today’s economy, it’s typical for an industry with few providers (like the airline industry, for instance) to provide much less service for more money than a few years ago. As sales automation and cloud services technology begin to drive down operational costs, Verizon can seize the opportunity to support customers in new and efficient ways, like bundling FiOS home broadband services, or packaging Gogo Inflight wireless data services on your iPad, or securely enabling physical purchases through a personal cell phone account as if it were a credit card. Given all the infrastructure and systems work AT&T and T-Mobile will be pre-occupied with to support the acquisition, Verizon, and its customers may be best served by a focus on service innovation.