With more than 113 million customers—that’s nearly one-third of Americans—T-Mobile is a leader in the U.S. telecom market. The company invests heavily in its marketing strategy and customer experience, offering some of the most exciting campaigns, features and benefits available to consumers.

On the latest episode of The Speed of Culture podcast, Mike Katz, president of marketing, innovation and experience at T-Mobile, joins Suzy founder and CEO Matt Britton to discuss T-Mobile’s latest marketing achievements and goals for 2023.

Katz is one of the very few people in the modern age who has spent his whole 25-year career at one company. He started working on the front line at T-Mobile, went to work in corporate strategy, and shifted to marketing around 2010. Mike took over as CMO in April 2022, then transitioned to his current role in January, overseeing all things marketing, digital, product, supply chain and wholesale at T-Mobile. 

In this episode, Katz dives into the exciting world of T-Mobile’s 5G technology; its partnership with Formula 1 racing and other major sports franchises; local and b-to-b efforts; and the company’s famous Un-carrier Moves—all designed to create memorable experiences and put customers first.

Stream the new episode below, listen and subscribe on Apple Podcasts or find it on Spotify.

Key takeaways:

• 01:16 – 07:09 – Customer-Centric Culture — T-Mobile differentiates itself from its competitors by focusing on the customer experience. The brand is dedicated to being customer-centric, and this permeates every aspect of the company.
• 07:09 – 09:00 – Challenging the Industry — T-Mobile is now the second-largest wireless carrier in the U.S. However, the company still acts like a challenger brand, always looking to shake things up and raise the bar on customer experience. T-Mobile focuses on maintaining its unique brand personality as an underdog that is always looking out for its customers. As a result, it became the most valuable telecom company in the world last year.
• 09:00 – 12:12 – Storytelling in an Over-Advertised World — In this age of information overload, it’s a tricky task for T-Mobile to capture the attention and hearts of their audience. This forces the brand to deliver powerful storytelling and create unique ways of drawing people’s attention using multiple tactics. 
• 12:12 – 16:05 – Growth Factors — T-Mobile is pushing the boundaries to reach new markets. The company plans to build relationships with small communities through localized marketing initiatives and deepen its b-to-b focus by applying strategic account-based management approaches.
• 16:05 – 19:53 – Technology Partnerships — After sponsoring Formula 1 as a way to meet its network connectivity needs, the partnership has expanded. T-Mobile is also teaming up with events like music festivals and Major League Baseball to cultivate memorable experiences for customers around the world.
• 19:53 – 21:58 – Un-carrier Move: Free Wi-Fi on Planes — T-Mobile shakes up the mobile market with its signature Un-carrier Moves—bold, industry-shaking shifts that drastically enhance the consumer experience. This included providing free Wi-Fi for Delta SkyMiles members regardless of their wireless provider, in addition to free connectivity and streaming for T-Mobile customers on many American, Alaska Airlines and United flights.
• 21:58 – 26:16 – T-Mobile and 5G Networks — Last year T-Mobile made a major leap forward in the home high speed internet space thanks to the strength and capacity of its 5G network. T-Mobile’s 5G Home Internet is now available to more than 40 million homes nationwide. It could be just a few years until we see revolutionary developments like virtual reality or the metaverse become widespread.