A New Brand for a Groundbreaking Service
Situation
ViaSat, a provider of satellite communications technology to government and commercial customers, acquired WildBlue, its largest customer, in 2010. WildBlue provided satellite Internet services to consumers in the Midwest, but its service had deteriorated due to congestion on its existing satellites. In 2011, the company launched ViaSat-1, a state-of-the-art satellite with more bandwidth capacity than all other North American satellites combined. This new capacity, with speeds that could meet or beat DSL and wireless Internet, enabled ViaSat to transform the market for satellite broadband services. The company sought to create a disruptive new brand to change the way consumers think about satellite Internet and encourage trial. With the Consumer Electronics Show rapidly approaching, Marshall Strategy was asked to position and name the new brand on an extremely tight deadline.
Strategy
We quickly identified the core drivers for the new service to be capacity and velocity. After trying the service, we were confident that the new service would exceed consumer expectations on both fronts. We recommended naming the service “exede,” as a bold, but attainable, service promise. Exede became more than a name; it is a commitment to continuously exceed customer expectations for speed and performance. As just one of many exciting new service offerings from ViaSat, a serious innovator in satellite technology, exede could become the name of ViaSat’s entire service platform, serving consumer, commercial, and government clients.
Results
The launch at CES was a tremendous success, with positive press coverage and a great deal of buzz. Everyone who tried the service, including industry analysts, press pundits, and potential partners, agreed that it surpassed all expectations for satellite Internet. By the end of 2012, exede will become a speedy alternative to DSL and wireless Internet, available to consumers throughout the U.S. and in-flight on Jet Blue and Continental Airlines.
