Vodafone outlays £4.5m to downplay EE
Vodafone has launched a £4.5m marketing assault across several national newspapers in a bid to temper down the excitement building towards rival EE’s 4G network launch next week.
The mobile operator has paid to coverwrap five daily newspapers: The Telegraph, The Guardian, The Independent, Metro and City AM – marking the first time the majority of the national titles have ever featured the format.
Vodafone’s signature red branding is emblazoned across the front of the five newspapers alongside the slogan “After being voted the best, there’s only one way to go” – referring to its Mobile Choice Consumer Choice Award for “Best Network” this year.
On the inside-page of each paper the ad continues and features long copy text claiming “not all 4G networks are the same”, in a dig to its rivals 4G services. Vodafone adds that it intends to use a signal that will give it customers better indoor signal than its rival.
Vodafone has committed to its 4G network reaching 98 per cent of the possible indoor coverage in the UK.
It also highlights that it is the “only” mobile network to own a nationwide fibre backbone. EE is currently in the process of rolling out its fibre network across the UK.
Further press and outdoor activity to promote Vodafone’s network will appear over the coming days.
The media planning was handled by OMD, while Rainey Kelly Campbell Roalfe/Y&R was responsible for the creative.
The network activity has launched in addition to Vodafone’s £5m investment to promote its Vodafone “Red” unlimited calls and text tariffs, using its Star Wars brand ambassador Yoda.
O2 is also increasing its marketing spend this week and will today launch an ad (below) featuring singer Michael Bublé to promote its Priority Tickets loyalty offer.
EE’s 4G network launches on 30 October and will be backed by a multi-million marketing campaign across all media that will focus around the proposition of “now you can”, underlining the speed of its new services. The activity has been created by Saatchi & Saatchi.
Consumers, however, seem hesitant to switch to the network. Research seen earlier this week by Marketing Week found that 87 per cent of consumers feel its pricing is too expensive.
