The Four Horsemen of 4G Apocalypse in Bangladesh
Gather round, ladies and gentlemen. It has not been long that the magic dusts of 4G (in some occasion 4G+, 4G LTE or 4.5G) have been sprinkled into our social media news feed, TV screens and billboards. While we are struggling to get our desired speeds in real life as of yet, let us delve into how the four companies have marketed their offerings so far: the best bits and the worst parts.
Robi 4.5G
By now, we all know that Robi Axiata Limited has the reins of Airtel. So, if one tries to understand their communication strategy for launching 4G, it could be guessed that they tried to divide their market into two groups : rural tech-savvy group (Robi) and crazy, weird, urban teenagers (Airtel). They are currently under a lot of heat for the term 4.5G — in their words, it is a continuity (ব্র্যান্ডিং ধারাবাহিকতা) of their former service. In Robi’s defence, Axiata, the mother company, is also pushing the same communication in many other countries across the world. The prime purpose is to let the audience know that they have a leverage on their competition. If we observe the video, it feels quite cliched, but it also makes us optimistic about a brighter future of Bangladesh — not just in urban regions. The ending line, in particular, sends an extremely powerful message: “সবাই বলতো, বড় হওয়ার জন্য গ্রামটা নাকি অনেক ছোট। আর এখন, দুনিয়াটাই তো কয়েক ইঞ্চির…”
Banglalink 4G
First of all, how does a nice, albeit blunt, Bengali tagline ‘যা দেখি নতুন লাগে’ get translated to the grammatically incorrect “#FeelsLikeNew”? It should have been “#FeelsNew”. If we analyse the launch video, it contains stunning cinematography, great music and pure moments of beauty. However, at the end of the day, it seems like a lifestyle video with no connection to the core offering. It could even be classified as a music video prior to that point. It does not convey any message of relevance till the 1:40 second mark. Moreover, they show the significant benefits of 4G very briefly within the next 6 seconds! No particular order is followed, either — the most important feature ‘super fast download upload’ is placed at the last with a dull, dimly lit scene, while ‘crystal clear facebook live’ is shown first with much focus. Are these flaws? Well, let’s leave it up to the viewers. Personally, I think Banglalink would fall behind the competition with no differentiating tagline, ad, or communication focus. Perhaps if the production teams of Robi and Banglalink came together to make a 4G ad, it would have yielded something with a great punch.
Grameenphone 4G LTE
It is apparent that Grameenphone has analysed their demographic well before constructing their communication plan. With a seamless 4G ad that had a commendable mix of art, music, speed and a catchy tagline, they have certainly impressed a wide audience. Yet, it manages to have its own flaw — and a big one at that. In a country where female empowerment seems a very key issue at the present times — this is the only 4G ad that ignores the inclusion of female sentiments and, perhaps inadvertently, promotes age old gender roles.
Airtel 4G+
Dear Lord, I do not think I possess enough SWAG to analyse what Airtel is up to at the moment. They are probably trying to educate Bangladeshi 12 year olds on a two-year old ‘trend’.
In their defense, I would say they tried to be youthful and vibrant as opposed to Robi and other ‘চাচ্চুদের’ network. They have also communicated the needs of most youngsters in their TG, even though their methods are questionable. However, they must realize that they have left a lot of mango people freaked out by this cringe-worthy video alongside social media memes reminiscent of 2016. If Gucci Gang or মাথা ফাটাবো adorn the trashcans of the music world, Airtel’s SWAG communication does the same in this Bangladeshi world of 4G.
Let us still remain optimistic about the future: 5G ads. Will Robi bring 5.5G? Will Airtel promote 5G+ with #BAE? What about Banglalink and GP? Stay tuned.
P.S. Here’s a bonus video for today: a telco ad that balances fun and conveys its message nicely.
