All-you-can-eat broadband packages are common overseas, though local ISPs are slowly ratcheting up their data offerings. But Flip, which launched a few weeks back as part of the Callplus/Slingshot network, is playing down at the other end of the spectrum, targeting students and casual users with a small 5GB and home line plan for under $50 a month. And it’s ventured to Eastern Europe in an effort to show Kiwis they’re paying too much.
While New Zealanders like to think we live in an
advanced nation, Flip believes we are way behind when it comes to cheap landline and broadband. And in a 2011 study about broadband penetration and pricing across OECD countries, New
Zealand was behind 30 other countries,
including the Slovak Republic and Hungary.
Flip’s head of marketing Scott
Hoogerbrug says Flip cuts through the inflated prices and complexity often
associated with home telco needs, doing away with contracts and unfathomable
pricing models.
“We’ve all put up with paying too much
for too long. Flip is for anyone looking for cheap calling and some free
broadband. If 5GB isn’t enough, data is easy to buy in low cost packs—as much
as you need.”
Extra data packs can be bought for $5 for 2GB, $10 for 10GB and $20 for 15GB, and can be used over a space of 12 months (they don’t expire at the end of the month and he says prepay online services will make it easier for consumers to budget and avoid the risk of ‘bill shock’ at the end of the month). And a campaign from Sugar&Partners that was directed by 8com’s Andy Morton,
with 30” and 15” TVCs on air from 10 September, will let Kiwis know there’s a
new service provider championing fair pricing, almost like the 2degrees of the broadband world, and it makes the point with ads shot
in three ex-Soviet countries that all enjoy significantly cheaper
broadband than New Zealand.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrtUcPgyOJA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PgUnEzBDEQ“We
shot in two Eastern Bloc nations, Hungary and Slovakia, as well as a small
Baltic nation Estonia,” says Sugar & Partners writer Dan Nelson. “I hadn’t even heard of Estonia before we started
thinking about the idea, but it was incredible to realise they pay less for
broadband than us.”
Hoogerbrug agrees it wasn’t the most glamorous shoot
location but says the authenticity of the people and places was important for
the campaign to cut through, and for potential customers to understand just how far behind New Zealand is. The shoot was completed by a team of five in two weeks, filming almost every day across three
countries.
Flip worked with digital media
specialist Space Station to execute its media approach with the focus being TV
and digital channels driving online signups.
“TV gives us reach but a solid digital
strategy is critical. People like to investigate online after seeing an ad, so
optimising this funnel with timely, relevant messages is vital, ” says
Hoogerbrug. “We’ve also invested time enabling people to sign
up without having to call Flip. The path to the website then to creating an
account is smooth and easy. That’s our
model: cut the complexity, keep pricing
low.”
The Flip service will be available in the main centres. It’s contract-free, but there is a $49.95 installation fee. The base plan includes 5GB of data, free local calls, and calls to national, overseas and mobile numbers charged at 20 cents a minute.
Campaign
details:
Media: The SpaceStation
Creative: Sugar&Partners
Managing
partner: Jeremy Johnston
Creative
partners: Damon O’Leary. Dave Nash
ECD: Tim Huse.
Writer
Dave Nelson
Art
Director: Sarah Frizzell
Digital
Art Director. Vikki Cheng
Account
Service team: Sonya Berrigan, Aimee Knox
Digital
producer: Wictoria Markula
Agency
TV producer: Liz Rosby
Clients:
Scott Hoogerbrug – Head of Marketing, Flip
Production
House: 8com
Director:
Andy Morton
Producer:
Katie Millington
