While other brands might be eyeing their marketing budgets nervously amid the current market instability, Verizon is holding steady.
The telecommunications giant, which is one of the world’s largest advertisers, has no plans to cut or pause its ad spend, according to Verizon Consumer chief executive Sowmyanarayan Sampath. Last year, it allocated nearly $12 billion for “customer investment,” which includes marketing, as well as promotions, trade advertisements, and sponsorship events.
Speaking on the first day of Semafor’s third-annual World Economy Summit in Washington D.C., Sampath told Semafor cofounder and CEO Justin Smith that Verizon is focused on long-term growth, not short-term volatility.
“Our business is built for uncertain times,” Sampath said. “We’re not slowing down.”
Capitalizing on structural advantages
In his role, Sampath runs Verizon’s consumer business, where he oversees marketing, sales, strategy, and product.
The company has around 110 million customers, making it one of the largest consumer businesses in the world. It also has several structural advantages that help insulate it from the economic concerns rattling others.
For instance, the essential nature of phone service makes the company’s revenue base more resilient than others.
“Imagine your day without your phone,” Sampath said. “Good times, bad times, people still pay their phone bill.”
The company’s business is also largely domestic and not as reliant on global supply chains, providing it a degree of insulation from the direct impacts of tariffs.
Emphasizing value and a broad portfolio
Still, tariffs can influence consumer behavior indirectly, as price increases in other sectors drive more value-conscious spending. And Verizon has seen that sentiment bubbling up in its customer base.
“We’re seeing that shift,” Sampath said. “Consumers aren’t just looking for the cheapest option—they want value for money.”
The company gleaned that insight from one of its newer applications of artificial intelligence. Verizon fields nearly 1 million customer service calls every day, which it now runs through AI-powered models that analyze sentiment and surface trends.
For the last three consecutive quarters, one theme has risen to the top: value. Specifically, the company refers to the sentiment as “value for money.”
This feedback directly influenced Verizon’s marketing approach, which earlier this month unveiled a campaign featuring Pete Davidson that promotes a three-year price lock.
“It’s not just about price. People want to feel like they’re getting enough for what they pay,” Sampath said. “Our AI tools help us hear that loud and clear.”
The company also has the advantage of operating a portfolio of brands whose varying price points allow it to capture price-conscious consumers looking for more budget-friendly options.
SafeLink, for example, offers plans for around $10 a month, which allows Verizon to retain down-grading customers. Ensuring customers are aware of these brands is yet another reason for Verizon to continue its marketing efforts.
“We have so many brands, we’ll catch them somewhere,” Sampath said.
Still, while the company isn’t cutting budgets, it isn’t rigid about how they’re used. Verizon frequently shifts between brand and performance marketing, depending on what’s driving the best return.
“Some quarters we swing hard on performance, some on brand,” Sampath said. “It’s religious for us—it’s pragmatic.”
Verizon’s connected TV strategy reflects that approach. The company sees CTV as an important growth channel due to declining linear TV viewership and CTV’s ability to deliver rich, targeted ads.
Ultimately, the company’s ad strategy is about staying active during uncertainty and playing the long game.
“It takes five to 10 years to build network capacity,” Sampath said. “We’re not going to let short-term nuances get in the way of long-term growth.”
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