Mr Beast trumps Donald to go mobile. It’s the MVNO story we should have expected.
What do Mr Beast and Donald Trump have in common? They are global brands, albeit very different kinds, great managers of their fan base and known for their more whacky stunts. And now, both will have telecom brands in common, as the headlines across the tech press show. Yes, the new kid on the MVNO block is Mr Beast, real name Jimmy Donaldson. “Mr Beast could cause trouble for TMobile and Verizon.” “Mr Beast’s Wackiest Challenge Yet: Launching a Phone Company.” “MrBeast's Mobile Phone Ambition Could Rival Reynolds, Trump Family Ventures” Not so whacky It falls against a backdrop of past success for other big name personalities. Ryan Reynold’s Mint Mobile is often hotly discussed as a model to emulate. In a nutshell, it capitalised on the critical ingredients new MVNOs need. A good, fair, simple pricing model and a strong brand, in this case, backed by the caché of a superstar founder. This week’s stories about Mr Beast’s intentions read as a sensational move. It’s a surprise that the YouTube superstar, who has around 430million subscribers, would dare to launch a mobile company. Yet, to anyone in the industry (especially those twice the age of the 27-year-old) it’s a...
