AOL ad assault on BT internet

AOL is to launch an aggressive marketing campaign against BT in a battle to attract consumers to the latest generation of fast internet services.

BT unveiled its 1 megabyte (Mb) high-speed internet service this week, for both BT Yahoo! Broadband and BT Broadband. The service offers connection speeds that are twice as fast as standard broadband, and up to 20 times faster than traditional dial-up internet connections.

BT’s new product is in direct competition with AOL’s 1Mb broadband service, which was launched in December.

To stave off competition from BT, AOL is launching an aggressive ad campaign comparing the product prices and highlighting other advantages that there might be, such as content and features. The campaign will start online this week, followed by press advertising.

BT is also starting with online marketing, followed by press advertising in mid-February.

Both companies have overall marketing budgets for their broadband services of £10m.

In a separate move, which is also aimed at countering BT, AOL has announced that it is to extend its £34.99 a month offer for the product indefinitely, undercutting BT by at least £3.

Initially, AOL’s 1Mb broadband service is aimed at advanced and heavy internet users who want to view and download files at faster speeds. The idea is to sign up a broader base of users as awareness of its benefits grow.

A nationwide above-the-line marketing campaign encompassing print and outdoor, created by Grey London, supported its December launch.