We’re talking to Michael Megalli, branding expert for Group 1066 on the trials and tribulations going on at AT&T during their Cingular transition. Cool stuff.

Bloops – Looks like we pulled a Sopranos at the end there. Thanks to Michael for taking some time out to talk with us and we’ll have him on again when Operator11 isn’t in beta.

Here’s what Michael wanted to say:

Supporting a product as hyped as the iPhone will be a big challenge. People who buy Apple products are accustomed to the Apple Store retail experience—geniuses and all. AT&T is hiring 2000 temps to help with the product launch but ultimately you don’t need a crystal ball to see that this will not be the same retail experience as an Apple store. Ultimately Apple may be bearing more “brand risk” here than AT&T.