Vodacom takes flack for 3G Ad

Could not agree more!!!

After logging also my complain on hellopeter dot com I recieved call from Vodacom. I explain to them how misleading the advertising is and that someone should take it up with the AA. I am glad to see someone did! Thank you.
 
Cheating and cutting corners is not allowed... Sadly Hellkom gets away with most.
 
When are they going to start fining companies for doing this, I can understand 1 ad a year being slightly misleading, but this is happening once a week now and by the time the ad is pulled, the damage has already been done
 
Kalvaer said:
When are they going to start fining companies for doing this, I can understand 1 ad a year being slightly misleading, but this is happening once a week now and by the time the ad is pulled, the damage has already been done
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Strongly agree with that. It would not surprise me if some companies actually plan for this. IE create a misleading ad that will show for a month or so before the ASA pulls it, and already have the next misleading one in place.

A TOTAL ban from advertising should be enforced in certain instances - so, for example, if you have two misleading ads pulled in the space of a month, you are not permitted to advertise for a month, in any media. That will sort this out.
 
This could all be avoided if competitive advertising is allowed. Competitive advertising stops falicious claims in advertising, and creates a better competitive environment.
 
Score one for the little guy

I like it. Unfortunately this does not stop Vodabomb from ripping us off. They can still sell the service as it stands. People will just find out about GPRS the hard way.

Now if they can get rid of that annoying Kia ad featuring the worst ever version of Born To Be Wild. A Kia is anything but wild. Shame on them for doing this to one of the classics of rock and roll.
 
kingmonty said:
This could all be avoided if competitive advertising is allowed. Competitive advertising stops falicious claims in advertising, and creates a better competitive environment.
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What do you mean by competitive advertising?
Moederloos said:
A TOTAL ban from advertising should be enforced in certain instances - so, for example, if you have two misleading ads pulled in the space of a month, you are not permitted to advertise for a month, in any media. That will sort this out.
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Good idea. Or maybe as someone said even force them to make due on their promise. So...
from article
A complaint was lodged regarding Vodacom’s claims in their ad that the service, “gives you high speed internet access on the Vodacom 3G network”, “you connect to the Vodacom network at super fast speeds, no more fixed lines, no slow downloads”, and “The Vodafone Mobile Connect card, from Vodacom, instant high speed access, wherever you are”.
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they claimed it and should now provide it by upgrading all towers to HSDPA without increasing prices and still keep the planned decrease. The ASA can verify this by deducting the cost of the upgrades from their usual earnings to see if they made more and violated the no price increase clause.
 
Prometeus, competitive/comparitive advertising:

Advertisement that compares two or more specifically named or recognizably presented brands of the same type of product or service, and makes such a comparison in terms of one or more specific product or service attributes. Direct comparative advertising explicitly names a competitive brand (eg, Huggies diapers) and indirect comparative advertising refers to a competitive brand without explicitly naming it (eg, Brand “X”).
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Link

Such advertising is illegal in SA, hence the amusing legal battles such as the one between Merc and B.M.W for B.M.W's "We beat the Bends" ad in the 90's as well as B.M.W' traction controll ad where the car spun around and the result was the Audi Logo.

Although comparative advertising does lend itself to a more competitive market, the fact that it is illegal here has lead to the S.A advertising industery to become one of the best in the world.
 
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Vice said:
Cheating and cutting corners is not allowed... Sadly Hellkom gets away with most.
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What?! I don't advertise?!! :D
 
Competitive advertising is heavily and very effectively used in Japan, China and also in the US. The most notable overseas competitive advertising is between softdrink giants Pepsi and Coca Cola. Incidentally, our local industry doing well is not because of our laws dictating what ads can and can't be shown, but rather that we have excellent production houses putting together brilliant ads for all markets - even competitive advertising markets abroad.

@ic: Here's an example of how it works: Company A flights an ad stating why it feels its product (product A) is superior. Company B responds (often the same week) why product A from company A is inferior to product B from company B. Each company pays for it's own ads. Obviously there are rules, the most notable being: NO advertiser is allowed to state anything non factual about its own or another companies products. It works extremley well, and the companies end up keeping each other very honest. Of course the biggest spinoff from this type of advertising is that consumers often benefit because they can then compare the two competing products from the different companies on a level playing field.
 
Back on topic: Vodacom has several Huge billboards around Joburg still advocating its 3G services as the quickest mobile service, yada yada. Surely these should be taken down in light of this ruling?
 
kingmonty said:
Back on topic: Vodacom has several Huge billboards around Joburg still advocating its 3G services as the quickest mobile service, yada yada. Surely these should be taken down in light of this ruling?
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no, it is the fastest mobile internet available. what is faster? they dont specify on the billboards EVERY WHERE, just "mobile"
 
kingmonty said:
Competitive advertising is heavily and very effectively used in Japan, China and also in the US. The most notable overseas competitive advertising is between softdrink giants Pepsi and Coca Cola. Incidentally, our local industry doing well is not because of our laws dictating what ads can and can't be shown, but rather that we have excellent production houses putting together brilliant ads for all markets - even competitive advertising markets abroad.

@ic: Here's an example of how it works: Company A flights an ad stating why it feels its product (product A) is superior. Company B responds (often the same week) why product A from company A is inferior to product B from company B. Each company pays for it's own ads. Obviously there are rules, the most notable being: NO advertiser is allowed to state anything non factual about its own or another companies products. It works extremley well, and the companies end up keeping each other very honest. Of course the biggest spinoff from this type of advertising is that consumers often benefit because they can then compare the two competing products from the different companies on a level playing field.
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like the Audi and i think bmw or Merc ads of a while back?
 
albert123 said:
like the Audi and i think bmw or Merc ads of a while back?
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Yeah. Car makers do it a lot overseas. Some have tried to get it going here but were summarily stopped in their tracks.
 
albert123 said:
no, it is the fastest mobile internet available. what is faster? they dont specify on the billboards EVERY WHERE, just "mobile"
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It's only faster when available. They should tell consumers as much, which is what I felt was concluded in this ruling.
 
kingmonty said:
It's only faster when available. They should tell consumers as much, which is what I felt was concluded in this ruling.
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i reckon they only have to say that the day that ADSL is available everywhere.
 
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