What on earth??? This Cell-C vs Vodacom nonsense must the most ridiculous thing I’ve seen all week.
In case you’re wondering…
Vodacom launched their change to red campaign on 1 April with loads of fanfare. Advertisement, SMSes and MMSes to us lucky customers.
They just about threw everything but the kitchen sink into their attempts to inform us that their branding had changed from their usual blue, to Vodafone red.
Along came Cell-C and with their own advertisement, ridiculing Vodacom’s marketing efforts.
‘CEO’ Trevor Noah mentioned something about the colour change not meaning its the biggest cell phone network. Or something to that effect.
It didn’t sound all that convincing to me, regardless of what he said.
Especially since I thought Vodacom had a bigger customer base than Cell-c.
Vodacom took offence anyway and laid a complaint at ASA.
And for good measure served lawyers letters on all and sundry.
All and sundry includes someone who worked on Vodacom’s marketing campaign and was subsequently employed at Cell-C’s advertising company.
In my opinion Vodacom is adding fuel to an almost dead fire, especially since Cell-C’s campaign looked like amatuer hour on Youtubem
As is the case for other Vodacom customers, I received an sms just a few minutes ago informing me of their new branding.
I’m sure we Vodacom users are jumping for joy. NOT.
Anyway, they’ve gone from their usual blue to Vodafone red, because as their advert says, red is simpler.
Whatever!
Bring on cheaper cellphone call charges and especially data charges – then we’ll talk! Does anyone still SMS?
The changes were made to bring Vodacom in line with Vodafone, their international parent company.
Vodacom has already started rolling out their new marketing campaign on television, SMSes and billboards on major highways.
And they’re using their ‘old’ advertisement characters to do so.
As the saying goes: a change is as good as a holiday, but for customers of the major telecommunications companies the main changes we want to see are the ones to our pockets.
Not to mention real competition between the networks.
I bought 500MB of data for my cellphone on Saturday morning through FNB’s cellphone banking. Nothing unusual.
Monday morning I woke up to one of Vodacom’s SMSes to tell me my bundle has expired! What the hell are they joking?
I wondered if I had a 1 month nap and that it’s now April Fool’s day. Fortunately not yet.
First thing Monday morning, I called Vodacom’s 111 number. I might as well not have bothered, because Vodacom’s answering service will test the patience of a saint!
And I’m very far from a saint.
Next I sent an e-mail, thinking it would be easier. And at least I would have a record of my complaint.
Vodacom claims they will have a consultant contact you within 12 -24 hours and true to their word I received contact from their consultant - telling me she will pass on my query to someone in a higher department.
So I’m wondering, do Vodacom hire people to just open their customer e-mails, reply that they have received an e-mail and do nothing else?
Up until now, I have received no other correspondence from Vodacom, more than 24 hours after my initial complaint.
Not that we can expect anything better from our telecommunication companies in this country!
Vodacom have been doing some of the best advertisements on tv, advertising their internet data bundles.
The Single Ladies advert in particular received lots of praise and giggles from viewers and the Vodacom is Maklik adverts, though not as popular was at least noticeable.
Unlike MTN’s adverts which is pretty much unmemorable. Don’t even talk about Cell C for yourself!
Vodacom of course advertised free internet which actually means purchase bundles and receive 25mb free data.
Gauging by the speed of Vodacom’s internet these days, one can only believe their marketing campaign to be extremely successful.
Try logging onto the internet at any time after hours, especially weekends and sit and watch your web pages load at snail’s pace.
As one who’s been using Vodacom internet for quite a while, it’s become more and more frustrating when I need to connect immediately but instead have to watch the connecting icon time out.
That makes Vodacom internet both maklik and very very slow!
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