While I have traveled a fair amount abroad, my arrival in Antigua a few weeks ago was marked by something new. There were billboards and posters liberally sprinkled throughout the airport and surrounding area alerting foreigners to the two local cell phone networks, LIME (Landline, Internet, Mobile, Entertainment) and Digicel, with tips on accessing them from an international phone.

LIME proclaims that it represents a "fresh approach from Cable & Wireless" and states that it offers "a new promise to customers… that we'll use our international credentials to bring the best technologies to the region and build products and services that make Caribbean people's lives better." Its services, such as no roaming fees throughout the Caribbean and 6,000 minute-a-month plans certainly demonstrates the company's dedication to use its networks to make people's lives better. Meanwhile, the website and marketing materials engage natives and visitors alike with vibrant, tropical colors, witty messaging and conversational campaigns that some would argue, reflect the physical characteristics of a tart citrus. As an international resident familiar with PiperLime and LimeWire, I thought the use of "lime" to connote a fresh approach was a bit overused and expected, but to locals and regional users I can see how it would be a captivating offering and fitting for a tropical nation.

Digicel, on the other hand, is a more conservative operator. Its identity and messaging aligns with its promise to "provide customers with affordable and innovative mobile communications that foster personal and professional connections between nations and people." Rather than a varied palette of colors, Digicel relies solely on one color, a bold red, to represent its brand. Images are more likely to show business professionals than abstract subjects or younger people. Additionally, the voice is more buttoned up and less conversational, which fits with its focus on supporting both personal and professional connections. There are times when the brand speaks to a younger audience, with messaging such as "Bling your ring," but it seems odd in context with the rest of the brand messages.

When comparing the two websites, the differences are striking in terms of overall presentation and imagery. Living in the United States, it was such a change to see mobile operators with diverse roles in the landscape. For me, T-Mobile, AT&T, Verizon and Sprint are fairly similar, and I chose my carrier based on coverage and phones available, rather than engagement with the company.

The ads clipped from a tourism brochure (above) show how the brands are reaching out to foreigners. While LIME retained its national look and feel, Digicel altered its usual imagery to relate to visitors rather than its conservative, native customers.

While both could be considered lifestyle brands, they each convey a very different personality. What are your thoughts on telecom operators and the larger role they play as a lifestyle brand? If you live outside of the United States, do you believe that your own national carriers are similar in service and in brand positioning, as I believe the American ones tend to be, or diverse, such as Antigua's?