Credo Mobile--a New Take on Social Marketing

I just got mail for a new phone carrier called Credo Mobile. The concept is a really interesting one, combining a product with concepts learned in social activisim and now called social networking when applied to the Internet.

This is a unique and different way to create a community and one with the power in the palm of its hand to influence policies. For some time we have been hearing about social investing. Now, we have a product that focuses on a community that cares about liberal social causes. They are out there. They came out in record numbers to help elect Barack Obama President. They are connected through social networks, just like other communities of interest. There are communities on the right as well.

The CEO is Laura Scher, a social activist from San Francisco. The slogan for the company is "More than a network, a movement". From the literature and website, it seems that Scher was upset by positions taken by AT&T, Verizon and others who decided not to back liberal social positions to avoid potential conflicts in their market. They also were upset by the political contributions from the big phone companies that go to conservative politicians who oppose abortion rights or woman's rights.

So, the idea is that one switches away from their current wireless carrier and contracts through Credo, which runs its own network. They will buy you out of your current wireless contract. A portion one pays each month to Credo goes to organizations like Greenpeace, ACLU, and others.

I'm going to assume that the network is viable and that one will not have problems making and receiving calls or dropping calls in progress. Regardless of commitment, people are not going to stay with a wireless network that does not meet fundamental, function requirements.

I find this concept really interesting because it is once again a use of technology to find and collect a community of like-minded people. While Scher lives in San Francisco where there are many people who will find Credo of interest, I am most happy for the poor liberal who finds him/herself stuck in a conservative community and feels like a complete alien. Now, they can find others to connect with. That's the beauty of technology.

Credo and other such plans serve the niche market. The web has made it possible to create what Christopher Anderson termed the "Long Tail", the ability to serve niche needs that were not economically possible in markets governed by economies of scale. I'm sure we will see others networks like Credo. I would imagine that some conservative group will hear about this on Hannity or Glenn Beck and start a phone service that gives only to those who oppose abortion rights or are against climate change legislation.


What we are seeing again is that brand is an emotional connection between product and consumer. In the past, we had to deal with the mass market, even if we did not identify with the attributes. We had few choices. Laura Scher and her team were put off by the attributes and associations of Verizon and AT&T. In the old days they would have sent letters to the editor and send out fliers to their neighbors. Today, they create a new company to collect people with similar values and beliefs who not only will talk on the telephone, but also can use it to lobby and further build the case for their causes. Very ingenious! While some will be offended by the causes Scher supports, they now have a business model they too can follow for their own community.