Celcom launches campaign to address number portability

Enforcement of MNP is likely to trigger a marketing battle between the three competing telcos including Maxis and Digis. What makes MNP especially interesting in Malaysia is that the phone prefixes have until now been synonymous with operators’ brands. Yet with portability, operators can use any of the prefixes.

The campaign, targeted at Maxis and Digi customers, suggests that all mobile numbers including prefixes previously owned by competitors’ brands, would now be owned by Celcom.

A spokesperson from M&C Saatchi, which developed the campaign, said: “Celcom wants to take the leadership stance and state that all mobile numbers can now be Celcom numbers.”

The brief given to the agency was to to counter competitors’ efforts to persuade consumers to switch over to their brand.

“Our client just wanted us to be the first to claim that every mobile number in this country can be a Celcom number.”

The campaign comprises print, six versions of a TVC and OOH. It uses well-known local comedian Harith Iskander. One version of the TVC is a spoof of a competing telco brand.

The print ad was launched last week while the TV campaign starts today.