AT&T Offical Announcement regarding Sponsorship

C

Cliff

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by markc
Why is everybody so harsh with AT&T for dropping their sponsorship?? I'll take it all of you who are bitter at AT&T for saying this don't have business degrees or run your own business, because this is fairly common sense. It's not like anybody can blame AT&T for this. Plain and simple, the amount they were spending on advertising (aka sponsorship) were not matching the amount of profits they were getting out of it, otherwise they would've stayed in. It was a smart business move, and one that saves jobs eventually and keeps a company going if they can better allocate their funds to more productive advertising methods.
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I don't get why people hold this against AT&T. Telecoms are doing everything they can right now to stay afloat. Layoffs are happening everywhere.

Sponsorship of SE is a LUXURY. It's closer to and expensive "Good will" gesture or maybe a PR campaign than a lucrative money maker.

How can a company lay off people and still justify a costly expense like this?

Investers and stockholders call this "pork" or comapny "fat" that doesn't support it's own weight.

I don't blame them. Sponsors are leaving left and right....for a reason.

CT : - )
 
T

TheDisneyBoy

Member
I was just down at Christmas

I thought that AT&T already pulled the sponsorship for SE. When I was down at Christmas, the sign still said, sponsored bu AT&T and the spiel in the beginning of the ride still said, "AT&T Welcomes you aboard Spaceship Earth, journey with us now to the dawn of recorded time....". When is this change supposed to take place. I remember the United Technologies stuff staying up for awhile, even after they pulled out of The Living Seas.
 
F

FourFourSeven

Member
I don't own any AT&T (thank goodness), but if I did, I'd DEMAND they don't waste money on things like sponsoring Spaceship Earth at a time like this. Yes, it adds some marginal exposure, but they've got far bigger issues right now (as in WELL-underperforming the DJIA over the last year, two years, five years, etc.)

However, I'm wondering if a Microsoft alliance is a good idea for Disney, if for no other reason than it may irritate Steve Jobs at a point where they desperately need to keep a strong Pixar alliance. Remember the big flap when Eisner complained about Apple's "Rip. Mix. Burn." campaign? Jobs was not pleased (and Eisner started saying things like "I own an iMac" to make Jobs happy again).

If a Microsoft alliance were to happen, I think Disney would be smart to iron out the Pixar stuff first.
 
sigsegv

sigsegv

New Member
Originally posted by SirNimajneb
If anybody happens to be in Epcot when they take down the signage (not the very day but, you know, right after they take it down - that week, that month, etc.) please get some pictures! of the SE sign right underneath the geosphere...:D :)
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We're down here right now and plan to go to Epcot tomorrow morning. I'll try to remember to snap a couple for y'all. (Hey, I'm from Virginia, I can say, "y'all". ;) )

-sig
 
T

TheDisneyBoy

Member
I purchased a 1000' spool of AT&T Cat5e network cabling for my house because it was "Spaceship Earth" cabling. It is sick, but I fell for the advertising thing.
 
C

Cliff

Well-Known Member
Originally posted by TheDisneyBoy
I purchased a 1000' spool of AT&T Cat5e network cabling for my house because it was "Spaceship Earth" cabling. It is sick, but I fell for the advertising thing.
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Are you serious? You found an AT&T / SE BRANDED spool of cable?

Was the actual cable itself branded the same way or just the box?

Where did you buy that? Did you save the box?

If the price was competitive, I would have bought it too.

Is it quality cable? Now you need the SE switch and router! ( Can you imagine the router config looking like a Disney web site!)

CT : - )
 
C

Cliff

Well-Known Member
That's the craziest thing I have ever heard of. Only IT people buy spools of cat5e cable. AT&T and Disney must be stupid if they made a product like that.

IT people would laugh at a product like that . They would never buy that stuff.

"Yes, sir we have completed our $400,000 cabling job. Every drop is puched and certified and you new building is ready to be networked."

"We used nothing but the BEST cable. It's Spaceship Earth cable!!"

Ha!!

CT : - )
 
M

MGM WDWFan

New Member
Heh, that's cute. But seriously. This is a smart business move anda good thing for SE if Microsoft ends up taking over sponsorship. Frankly I'm still ticked that SE is going under for Project Gemini, and I think that it'd be really neat if Microsoft would hold that process up and offer some ideas for UPDATES TO THE END OF THE RIDE instead of a complete overhaul. But I'll stop before this become an SE or Time Racers debate.

-MGM
 
sigsegv

sigsegv

New Member
Originally posted by sigsegv
We're down here right now and plan to go to Epcot tomorrow morning. I'll try to remember to snap a couple for y'all.
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Well, we went there yesterday and there was no change. The signs were the same and the announcements even said that it was sponsored by ATT. I guess once a sponsor gets its sponsorship fingers so deeply into an attraction, it's tough to remove all traces once that sponsor drops.

-sig
 
G

GoofMaul

New Member
Re: Point missed...

Originally posted by ReDefined
AT&T is losing a great opportunity to stay involved with this sponsorship. Sure the exposure is not the best, but the perks for employees and benefit of association (pride) will be lost.

"Sorry AT&T kids, not only are you parents living in fear of losing thier AT&T jobs, there will be no trip for you to Disney World this year because your AT&T parents can't afford to pay full price."

I would like to see a company like Verizon or Sprint as the next sponsor. It would just prove that AT&T was a company of the past that died in the past. The next sponsor would be viewed as the company of the future. That would be my take as a visitor.

"Where did AT&T go?!?"

Again, go team AT&T.
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http://www.sun-sentinel.com/business/local/sfl-epcot0111,0,7097446.story?coll=sfla-business-front

I think you glossed over a good point. According to the above posted article it costs AT&T $50 million for 10 years in 1992. With the financial stability of AT&T I personally would rather AT&T save thousands of jobs than pay $50 million to renew their sponsorship. It is a bad time to be out of work right now.
 
Maria

Maria

New Member
Originally posted by 10021982

I'm not so sure that I want WDW plastered with logos from every company out there. I myself ignore them and focus on the actual attraction.

I'd venture to say that 95% of the average family will only remember the attraction and not it sponsor. Many don't even remember the attraction correctly let alone it's sponsor.
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I agree... I don´t want to see the park full of company advertisings. I don´t really remember who sponsors what. I guess that the ads work in a subliminal way more than making me go buy x,y or z product because I saw it sponsored some attraction.

Originally posted by 10021982
OK,...This might not be a bad move by AT&T. Honestly, how effective has that AT&T logo been at convincing you to look favorably at any AT&T product or service?....C'mon,..really?

The only exception I can find is Test Track. THAT attraction was brilliantly crafted from a marketing standpoint. I think GM is getting EFFECTIVE exposure there. But that's it!

We could go on and on with each specific sponsor...I just question how that money invested on pavillion logos and trimmings translate into ACTUAL dollars spent by consumers on their products.
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I also agree... although I agree with SirNimajneb on the exposure time (see next quote) I don´t think I would choose a company just for the sponsorship of an attraction. I didn´t even know what MetLife was! Not to mention whoever sponsored The Living Seas! I might have bought Exxon gas if it was the cheapest (and good quality) but not because of UoE.

Test Track is very well done, I agree. Also the exhibits in Innoventions, those are big advertisements that I don´t mind at all because they show the latest products and developments that I wouldn´t know of without their display and hands on exhibits there. In those cases, I do remember who did what because they refer to one product in specific. :animwink:

Originally posted by SirNimajneb
How long is a normal commercial on TV? 30 seconds? Maybe 45 at most?

How long is (pick one) any sponsored attraction in WDW (Epcot)? 10 minutes? 5 minutes? A 45 minute experience like Ellen's Energy Adventure? Plus the time you wait in line?

Sooo... how many people will be bought over in a, say, 30 minute, 3-D, totally immersive experience in Happy Hakuna Matata Land?
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True... being exposed to the name for so long, makes you take that brand into consideration when deciding to purchase a product, but with the cost of sponsoring one attraction at Disney, a company could probably do some other more direct campaigns that allow them to measure their impact more than a ride at Disney does.

Originally posted by 10021982
Sponsorship of SE is a LUXURY. It's closer to an expensive "Good will" gesture or maybe a PR campaign than a lucrative money maker.
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Yeah... he said it better and shorter! LOL :animwink:


Wow.... this was a long post! I need to do this multiple quoting more often so it doesn´t take me this long to finish one post! :lol: :animwink:
 
M

Mookie

New Member
Just thought everyone might be interested to know that all of the AT&T signage and the 'AT&T New Global Neighborhood' are still present at Spaceship Earth.
 
pinkrose

pinkrose

Well-Known Member
As one of the people who got to enjoy the perks of the AT&T sponsership, I am sad to see it go. At the same time though, I am also glad to see the money used in other ways, like fewer people being laid off. I'd like my mom keep her job.
 
jaimjaim25

jaimjaim25

New Member
Anyway, I worked for AT&T for 5 years.. started when I was 19... I JUST got laid off.. so YAY my career is down the drain....

They just laid off thousands of more people.. People that have worked there for 15 years and more!!! MAYBE, if AT&T didnt pay for the executives to have thier own private helicpoters and such, I would still have a job.. OK, but to speak now of Spaceship Earth... That I think is miniscule (spelling) compared to all the other money that the company wastes. Seriosuly, Im not just saying that because I got laid off. I used to say it when I worked there.. It's just not fair how they spend their money. Another example.. If we had to drive to a meeting at another AT&T location, they would pay each employee like $20 just to drive 5 miles. I mean, thats just stupid. Oh and don't get me started on how they pay for every employee to go to college for free :mad:

Sorry, this lay off practically ruined my life so I had to say it :hurl:
 

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