When we first saw the Verizon logo on the home screen button of the sleek, brand new Samsung Galaxy Note 2, like everybody else we also assumed that the piece was a one off prototype and that we would never see such a piece again. Surprise! Surprise! All the Samsung Galaxy Note 2 available to users of the Verizon wireless network will now be stuck with a branded phone, whether they like it or not!

Which begs the question – What was the branding and marketing team of Verizon thinking while pulling off a stunt like that? It definitely has not endeared them to their clients. It has certainly made them popular. They are now popular as a service provider nobody wants to associate with. Who would like their Samsung Galaxy Note 2 to be branded with a Verizon home screen button. They have ‘Verizon’ splashed across the back cover right above the 4GLTE logo and that’s enough, right? What is worse is that the home button branding exists on both; the white and the gray models on offer.

If Verizon was thinking it could ride the popularity band wagon on the home button of Samsung Galaxy Note 2 and somehow gain an edge over competitors like AT&T and T-Mobile they need to reevaluate their understanding of the market and rethink their marketing strategy. Smearing the smart phone with their Logo on the home button has only made their competitors more likeable to potential clients.