Sugar Mobile is a Canadian cell phone service provider that cuts data costs in half with its reciprocal marketing approach. The brand charges members as low as $19 per month and gives them access to unlimited talk, text and data services when they are connected to a Wi-Fi network. When not in the range for a Wi-Fi connection, users have access to 200 MB of regular date and can top up to receive more access once they have surpassed this limit.
Recognizing that most mobile users are connected to Wi-Fi hotpots about 85 percent of the time, Sugar Mobile's CEO Samer Bishay invites users to compromise some free data in exchange for significant savings that they will instantly notice.
Offering coverage in Canada and the United States, Sugar Mobile aims to cut users' mobile costs while following a reciprocal business model that is popular among European mobile providers -- companies that offer more data plan customization than their North American counterparts.
Reciprocal Data Plans
Sugar Mobile Offers Affordable and Shared Internet Access
Trend Themes
1. Reciprocal Data Plans - Using a reciprocal marketing approach to cut data costs and provide affordable shared internet access.
2. Wi-fi Connectivity - Leveraging the prevalence of Wi-Fi hotspots to provide unlimited talk, text, and data services when connected to Wi-Fi networks.
3. Data Plan Customization - Offering more customizable data plans to meet customers' specific needs and preferences.
Industry Implications
1. Telecommunications - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Introducing reciprocal data plans to reduce data costs and provide affordable internet access to customers.
2. Mobile Services Providers - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Embracing the concept of Wi-Fi connectivity to offer enhanced services and cost savings in the mobile market.
3. North American Mobile Providers - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Adopting a more flexible approach to data plan customization to cater to the evolving needs and preferences of customers.