How Etisalat’s regional reputation just went from bad to worse.
You’ve probably heard of Etisalat’s epic #EtisalatChallenge fail that happened early May. Basically, they invited UAE customers to find better prices than their own, despite there being only one other mobile operator (du), and both being government owned.
But what really caught people’s attention was the amount of celebrity endorsements. Literally overnight, there were billboards with the famous endorsing Etisalat as well as a tie up with all the top influencers in the region, some of whom had very recently worked with du.
The internet reacted hard challenging Etisalat to better its mobile plans, customer service, home services and much more.
Etisalat appeared to dig itself deeper by releasing automated Twitter bots praising their campaign:
So many positive tweets about @etisalat. Everyone has the same opinion! So legit. #EtisalatChallenge pic.twitter.com/RMA6UYjVyC
— Noman Ali (@ThatGuyNoman) May 8, 2015
Another massive criticism was for paying huge sums of money to celebrities instead of fixing and improving their services.
Sound familiar? Say hello to Etisalat Egypt’s latest Ramadan ad.
Etisalat Egypt are actually mocking Vodafone Egypt for using celebrities in their Ramadan spot.
Now don’t get me wrong, I actually think Etisalat Egypt’s ad is not all bad. It’s quick, brave and witty. But let’s face it… It’s also slimy and backstabbish. They hired Vodafone’s little genie and turned him green. Not only that, but they actually have the nerve to wonder why Vodafone spent so much on celebrities.
I hate hypocrisy!!