Nikita Arora's Blog

In a recent campaign started by Mobilicity, the novice wireless provider has targeted all swords at Canada’s “Big 3” – Rogers, Bell and Telus; country’s dominating wireless providers. It has targeted the three players by questioning their ludicrous pricing strategies and in turn exposing how these revenues generated by charging consumers exorbitant prices are used to fund their business deals. Currently, the campaign is running in 5 major cities across the nation including Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Toronto and Ottawa; and has advertisements with Mobilicity’s mascots holding placards reading ‘Outsmart the Big 3 Wireless Companies’.

One of the interesting features in these campaign posters include the quantitative facts listed in them. One ad features by informing and asking the consumers the following: ‘Together the big 3 can afford the ownership of 2 major teams and 6 pro sports teams. So maybe that’s where all the extra fees go?’ Second one  reveals another startling fact. It reads : ‘the big 3 wireless CEO’s made a lot of money in 2010….and by a lot we mean combined $22,788,361.00. Ever wonder where all your data overage fees went?’

By putting these facts in public light, Mobilicity has not only given a national platform to public’s anger and frustration over those ridiculously high bills, but it has also gained a competitive advantage by winning those customers to it’s side. It has made a single move with dual advantage. First, it exposes the big 3 as consumer rip-off’s, further fueling consumer’s disappointment; Second, the campaign helps Mobilicity increase it’s market share by providing refuge to those disoriented consumers.

In personal opinion, there are quite a few good things about this marketing campaign. First, Mobilicity has been constantly offering cheaper rates and plans for it’s services since it’s commencement in 2010. This adds to its credibility, and strengthens it’s campaign despite its ‘start-up’ status. Second, the services and plans are not conditional in respect of the terms or contracts. This really adds to the genuineness of the company, and promotes a more ‘consumer-friendly’ image. Third and the most important is the fact that by launching a nation-wide campaign which certainly helps consumers voice their grievances (but also uproots them of their association with the big 3), mobilicity also assured them of immediate relief by providing those same wireless services at comparably ultra-cheap prices.  This, I believe, will be the key to attracting long term loyalty from the customers without locking them in fixed term contracts.

All in all, if given the right exposure and public support, this marketing campaign contains the right potential for mobilicity to emerge as a strong wireless company, and also enable the much needed price correction of these wireless services.

(For more information, check out these articles: http://www.marketingmag.ca/news/marketer-news/mobilicity-targets-wireless-big-3-in-new-campaign-44208; http://thecellularguru.com/2011/09/27/mobilicity-calls-out-big-3-canadian-carriers-on-spectrum-auction-tactics/ )