• Skip to content
  • Skip to secondary menu
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Adpulp

The Chronicle of Bright Ideas

  • About
  • Ad People
  • Featured Creative
  • Political Advertising
  • Content
  • Social Media
  • Media Trends
  • Contact

Earthlink, Mindspring, And The Fall Of A Great Brand

August 28, 2007 By Dan Goldgeier

Today’s news that Earthlink is laying off 900 people, or half its staff, is kind of shocking, but I suppose I really shouldn’t be surprised.
swirly.mindspring.gif
I signed up for Mindspring dial-up service in January 1995. I was living in Atlanta and they were based here. They had a set of “core values” that impressed me–and they lived up to them. When I signed up for service, they overnighted me the startup kit and free book. But they sent me the PC version instead of the Mac. When I called to tell them, they then promptly overnighted the Mac version. Mindspring was known in the late 90’s for outstanding customer service and an admirable corporate culture.
Then Earthlink bought out Mindspring. But I stuck with them. Through 7 cities, mailing addresses, and phone numbers, I’ve kept the same email address for almost 13 years. Reading through the comments in the Atlanta Journal-Constitution story, I discovered I’m not the only one who still has an old-school mindspring.com email address.
Now, even though I live 10 minutes from Earthlink’s headquarters, every time it thunders or rains around here my DSL connection gets dropped. Their customer service was outsourced to India long ago, and trying to get them to investigate my plight is always a lost cause. They’ll send me a $5 Starbucks gift certificate every now and then to keep me happy, which is nice. However, every week I get some junk mail or spam trying to get me to buy a Helio or add their VoIP service, but I wouldn’t dare get any more service than I have from them since the DSL line is so unreliable.
It’s sad. I’ve been a loyal customer, and I’m watching this company sink. I may finally try, over the next several months, to wean myself off the email address I’ve had for 12 years.
Any marketers at a struggling brand, or the agency people working on a struggling brand, should read the AJC story and the nearly unanimous comments that follow–comments from once-loyal hometown brand advocates. Earthlink is a great case study. Their corporate culture isn’t what it used to be. Their service isn’t what it used to be. Their brand isn’t what it used to be. Marketing and advertising can’t fix the problems Earthlink has right now.

Related

Comments

comments

Filed Under: Brands

About Dan Goldgeier

Dan Goldgeier is a Seattle-based freelance copywriter with experience at advertising agencies across the U.S. He is a graduate of the Creative Circus ad school, and currently teaches at Seattle's School of Visual Concepts. Dan is also a columnist for TalentZoo.com and the author of View From The Cheap Seats and Killer Executions and Scrubbed Decks.

Primary Sidebar

About

The Chronicle of Bright Ideas. Launched by David Burn and Shawn Hartley in 2004. Read, shared, and debated by a rogue group of ad pros ever since.

Breaking News

  • Hot Desert, Cold Brew April 18, 2018
  • Frustrated Fido? Walk It Out With Rover April 14, 2018
  • What Marketers Can Learn from Hootsuite Academy April 12, 2018
  • Minute Maid Questions What Good Is, Decides, “this is GOOD” April 11, 2018
  • Are You Open to the Massive Business Opportunities in EQ? April 10, 2018
  • My Y Story: A Star-Studded Original Content Series by the Y April 8, 2018
  • Tim Horton’s Has The Coffee That Brings Canadians Together April 7, 2018
  • Take the Long Way Home in a Citroën April 7, 2018
  • Lexus Finally Delivers On The Promise of Hyper-Customization April 1, 2018

Get Adpulp in Your Inbox

Receive an email notification when we publish a new article.

Navigate by Topic

Connect

Follow Us on FacebookFollow Us on TwitterFollow Us on YouTubeFollow Us on E-mailFollow Us on RSS

Inkl Up!

Help support Adpulp with financial contributions on a per-post basis. Sign up for @Inkl today.

Footer

Translate

What People Are Reading

  • Hot Desert, Cold Brew
    Hot Desert, Cold Brew
  • Zuck Sweats It Out At, Reveals Facebook's Ultimate Agenda
    Zuck Sweats It Out At, Reveals Facebook's Ultimate Agenda
  • Fried Goodness
    Fried Goodness
  • Frustrated Fido? Walk It Out With Rover
    Frustrated Fido? Walk It Out With Rover
  • Minute Maid Questions What Good Is, Decides, "this is GOOD"
    Minute Maid Questions What Good Is, Decides, "this is GOOD"

Search the Site

Hours & Info

Off Madison
[email protected]
Always on.