Vodafone Vs Airtel, the 4G war heats up

While Vodafone has got its iconic pug back to announce their 4G network, Airtel has added a humorous twist to its campaign storyline for better connect with the audiences

e4m by Sarmistha Neogy
Published: Mar 28, 2016 8:01 AM  | 4 min read
Vodafone Vs Airtel, the 4G war heats up

Airtel and Vodafone are yet again pitted against each other and this time the competition involves their respective 4G networks. The ongoing ICC T20 World Cup has seen ample action from both telecom giants after they unleashed massive campaigns to lure customers.

Though Airtel has the first mover advantage, as it rolled out its media blitzkreig months ahead of its arch rival featuring its well known brand ambassador---Sasha Chettri, however Vodafone seems all set for the challenge with its 4G campaign already grabbing attention with its iconic pug in tow.

Route taken:

Over the last few months, the Airtel 4G campaigns have been trolled, admired and debated, which has also made Chettri one of the most popular brand advocates in recent times. This time around, the brand has used humour, and Chettri is seen making fun of herself.

For example, in one of the ads which showcases her on a vacation in a remote place, expecting the network not to follow her, she gets surprised when she finds out that people are using Airtel 4G connection even in such remote places. The new ad conceptualised by Taproot has introduced humorous twist in the storyline and infused a sense of freshness in the campaign.

In comparison, Vodafone, which recently unveiled its 4G campaign in the month of February this year, has got back its popular pug after four years to announce the launch of their 4G SuperNet and the ad conceptualised by Ogilvy & Mather captures and reinforces the dependability of its network services.

Click here to view the ads:

Vodafone:

Airtel:

Creative execution:

Commenting on the creative strategy of the Airtel campaign, Agnello Dias, Chief Creative Officer, Taproot Dentsu said, “We have seen a lot of the Airtel 4G girl in recent times. And she’s powerfully built 4G association with Airtel. She is perhaps the most ubiquitous brand face in recent times and has been the face that ushered in a telecom leap in the country. This campaign is a tongue in cheek look at her omnipresence in the past few months. Instead of continuously advocating the brand, this time, we have taken a different spin on her character while driving home a strong network message. We thought it would be interesting to show the Airtel girl trying to take a break away from 4G and the network is now chasing her - thus showing its width and reach.”

Commenting on the latest Vodafone 4G campaign, Kiran Anthony, Group Creative Director, Ogilvy & Mather points out, “Vodafone wanted to announce that SuperNet is here and therefore, we decided to do it through a series of short announcement films. The best way to do it was by getting the pug back because it has an instant recall with the brand. These are just the 15 seconder ads with simple announcements on the 4G network.”

Airtel Vs Vodafone: Which ad works better?

Commenting on which of the two ads works better, Arijit Ray, Co-founder & Managing Partner at PaperBoat Brandworks said, “I like the Airtel ad better because it is a nice extension of the earlier 4G campaign. It has the potential for mass connect as it has the basic traditional telecom cues. By using the same protagonist along with a twist in the storyline where it is talking to the youth and by adding humour, the campaign surely works. On the other hand, Vodafone’s 4G ad is inspiring, has a classy look and since they have got back their pug, it is definitely being talked about. It has a very distinctive Vodafone style of execution, but the brand recall is not as high as Airtel, because the product connect is low.”

OR Radhakrishnan

Echoing similar thoughts, OR Radhakrishnan, ECD at Enormous Brands cited, “The Vodafone 4G ad looks like a print and an outdoor film. While the new Airtel 4G ad is okay and carries on the idea with the Airtel 4G girl but creative wise neither of them made me jump out of my seat. Guess it is just the beginning of 4G advertising in India, while Airtel 4G by now has a good brand recall; Vodafone is right now at an introductory phase. I believe with these set of announcements, the network is trying to tell the consumers that we are in the market.”

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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur

The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.

The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.

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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out

The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."

The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."

COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.

Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.

He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.

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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.

Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.

According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.

As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.

A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.

Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.

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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall

The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.

“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.

“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.

"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."

"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."

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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias

Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.

Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy

Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.

Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."

Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."

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