Blazing speeds. Widest coverage. Crystal-clear call quality. Great service. We are used to such tall (conveniently non-quantifiable) claims in advertising for the telecom sector brands. However, consumer’s actual experience toward any brand in the sector is likely to be disappointing. At best, people would consider all brands to be equally bad in terms of network coverage and customer service. But then you really cannot blame the advertising agency for it – their job is simply to create a distinct, likeable personality for the brand through their advertising story. And if the agreed brand strategy is to dramatize the brand’s network coverage (however erratic it may actually be on ground) the creative simply has to tell an engaging story around it.
The latest campaign for Vodafone, ‘Made for you’ delivers just that. The TVCs are simple, charming vignettes of the protagonists life, subtly emphasizing the ‘great network’ claim. I loved the ‘Made for first love’ TVC – made eminently watchable by the choice of protagonist – a boy, not a girl and the acting.
A new film, ‘Made for moms’ is also out.
Agency: Ogily
A special mention must be made about the production House, Nirvana Films and the director, Prakash Varma – they simply churn out great films consistently.
Sure enough, consumers react to such claims in Social Media:
This adv is not true, u hv very bad network “@VodafoneIN: #MadeFor never-ending conversations! Watch our new ad: http://t.co/cLOHhonyQ4”
— Harshit (@MarwariChoro) August 20, 2013
Here’s the dilemma for service brands. In categories with product parity or barely distinguishable differentiation, the brand affinity will be an advantage. Aside from on-ground experience, advertising does play a role in driving that affinity. When likeable ads that promise great service or experience is not matched on the ground, it can backfire especially with the power of social media. But that’s not going to stop brands from communicating a service edge. And they should not either. What say?
