Media Watch: "Free the Web" to Hopefully Reveal that it's not a Guerilla Marketing Campaign Tomorrow

by Sophy on Mar 17th, 2010

Free the Web

Grant Wright The jury is out on the intentions of the mysterious “Free the Web” Campaign that has nuzzled its way onto networking sites and advertising spaces across the net – including taking up prime Google ad space on BOOK SA (see images above).

What exactly does it mean to “Free the Web”? One ADSL discussionista has proposed that this could simply be another promise of cheap uncapped internet. But, with 12,568 fans to their Facebook group, we think there’s more to it than that. This could be good – if Free the Web were getting Telkom to slash its 4mb line rates, for instance. Or it could be cynical and awful – if it amounted to just another guerilla marketing campaign along the lines of the National Skirt Extension Project or the CanYouTwist promotion.

Do fans of Free the Web really know what they are backing or are they simply clicking and following blindly? There are zero – zero – organisational details available online, just a lot of happy-clappy Orwellifying like this:

The purpose of this page is to highlight the effect of high bandwidth costs on ordinary South African small and medium business owners as well as the man on the street.

Something big is on the horizon… the time for change has come.

It’s time to Free the Web! Be part of this movement for change!

But the fog of Free the Web’s surreptitiousness is slowly lifting: a “whois” search on thewrightidea.co.za, which redirects to the Free the Web Facebook page, reveals its registrant to be Grant Wright of Quirk e-Marketing. Finally, some real finger-pointing can commence! Grant, alternatively Quirk, what the hell is going on here?

Grant’s answer would likely be: “Wait till tomorrow” – that’s Thursday, 18 March, when more on the campaign is set to be “revealed”. BOOK SA’s money is on: Free the Web is either driven by iBurst (in which case: fail) or an iBurst-like service that’s slightly cheaper than iBurst (in which case: fail again, unless the speed is 4mb and the bandwidth is essentially uncapped). BOOK SA’s hopes are pinned on: Free the Web will blow us out of the water with a truly innovative offering that will actually bring about the unshackling of web users in SA. Ooh, can’t wait. Now, about Telkom’s line rates…

Source links

Seabrook007 @BOOKSA
MyBroadband.co.za Forum
FreeTheWebSA on Twitter
Free The Web South Africa on Facebook

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Cats: Misc, News, South Africa
Tags: ADSL, BOOK SA - News, BOOKSA, DSL, Facebook, Free the Web, Grant Wright, Mark Seabrook, Media Watch, Misc, MWEB, MyBroadband.co.za, New Media Watch, News, Quirk, Seabrook007, South Africa, twitter, Uncapped ADSL, Uncapped internet
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Recent comments:

Ben - Editor
March 17th, 2010 @17:11 #

Let's hope Free the Web isn't a "desperate marketer" a la The Oatmeal's "How to Suck at Facebook":

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/facebook_suck
Helen
March 17th, 2010 @17:31 #

I live in hope, but am braced for disappointment...
Ingrid Andersen
March 17th, 2010 @18:34 #

Thurs 17th March? Or today?
Ben - Editor
March 17th, 2010 @18:43 #

18 Mar, Ingrid - tks for the correction.
Ingrid Andersen
March 17th, 2010 @19:32 #

Sorry - I'm in editorial mode at the moment :-)
Ben - Editor
March 18th, 2010 @09:04 #

Good lord, it's MWEB. MWEB!!! (Curses into hat, because MWEB is pretty naff, being part of the Mother Ship.) Still, what they're offering, via their guerilla marketing campaign, looks OK, being uncapped DSL for a reasonable price if you're a home consumer (business consumers, probably better to stay where you are, if you're on a 4mb line):

Packages

MWEB is introducing six data-only ADSL packages for consumers and businesses.The consumer data-only products will cost R219, R299 and R539 per month for line speeds of 384Kbps, 512 Kbps and 4Mbps respectively.

The MWEB Business data-only offerings will cost R499 per month for a 384Kbps line, R699 per month for a 512Kbps line, and R1 999 per month on a 4Mbps line.These services are available on any line rental package available from Telkom, even Telkom’s “Closer” subscription bundles.

In addition, MWEB will offer three consumer All Inclusive packages (ADSL line rental included) for R349, R599 and R899 per month for line speeds of 384Kbps, 512 Kbps and 4Mbps respectively. The all-inclusive offerings for businesses will cost R629 for the 384kbps option, R999 for the 512Kbps option and R2 259 for the 4Mbps package.All business products are unshaped, and as in the rest of the world, no bandwidth caps will apply to any of these services.

To find out more and to order uncapped Internet, visit http://MWEB.co.za/adsl

But then they have to go and say typically naff stuff like this:

PLEASE READ THIS: This group is about SO much more than a marketing campaign. We are dedicated to changing the face of the Internet in South Africa and plan to continue using this platform to do just that. It will stay as Free The Web SA and retain its identity. Stay active, stay involved and let’s keep advancing the state of connectivity in SA. We’ll only ever achieve this if we all stand together and demand the change.

We have some pretty amazing announcements to follow in the coming months so stay tuned for more!

Thank you for your support!

For the full announcement, click here:

http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=371642801375

My question is: why the silly clandestine marketing stuff? Why not just come out and say what you need to say?
Ben - Editor
March 18th, 2010 @09:54 #

Am taking a small risk and spending about a grand on MWEB's uncapped DSL (that's two month's worth). If it works out, will continue with it. The big issue that seems to need addressing is the fact that the uncapped DSL is "shaped" - meaning speeds can be adjusted by the service provider when loads are high. I'm currently on an 3 gig capped Cybersmart "unshaped" deal - which means that speeds are constant.
Ben - Editor
March 18th, 2010 @10:30 #

The comments are trending very negative on the Free the Web/MWEB press release:

http://www.facebook.com/notes/free-the-web-south-africa/the-announcement/371649611375
Ben - Editor
March 18th, 2010 @10:31 #

My theory is that, if MWEB had not opted for a silly surreptitious guerilla marketing campaign - but had simply come out and said what they were planning to sell, in clear and non-hyped language - then people would be a lot happier.
Sarah
March 18th, 2010 @13:56 #

I just read this article in the Cape Argus about a survey on Internet Use which says SA internet use is up 50%. Just got to wonder now who funded the survey!? Lets hope its not clandestine Free the Web/Mweb marketers seeking to manipulate 'neutral data' and create an impression.
http://www.capeargus.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5395857
Helen
March 18th, 2010 @16:09 #

Look on the bright side, Ben -- it could have been iBurst. In which case, Rustum's iBrain would have iBurst, along with his iBloodvessels.
Rustum Kozain
March 18th, 2010 @16:30 #

Helen, the merest hint of an idea that it could have been iBurst offering an allround good deal, makes my blood iboil.
Helen
March 18th, 2010 @16:37 #

Hee hee. Well, I do hope MWeb (who have me in their clutches) aren't going to go all Darth Vader on me.
Ben - Editor
March 19th, 2010 @13:18 #

I've been testing the uncapped packed since the announcement. Must say, despite the fact that it's "shaped" DSL, I find that the speeds have been good and the connectivity problem-free so far.
Justin Slack
March 19th, 2010 @16:18 #

And Vox have just undercut MWeb: http://mybroadband.co.za/news/broadband/11840.html
Rustum Kozain
March 20th, 2010 @09:29 #

I find 'viral' campaigns so lame; it's not organic - it's engineered, like biological warfare.
Helen
March 20th, 2010 @09:37 #

Hey Justin, that's a very, very cool website (yours, I mean -- readers, click on his moniker).
Yup, Rustumio, I hate that some suits round a boardroom table can decide to mimic a genuinely vital campaign.
Justin Slack
March 23rd, 2010 @11:40 #

Thanks Helen. I don't post on there nearly as much as I intended to when I did the original design, so the content is a little thin.
Ben - Editor
April 8th, 2010 @13:53 #

Here's a new perspective on internet access in SA, which takes issue with Telkom's "last mile" tax:

http://www.techcentral.co.za/uncapped-internet-is-a-con/13787/

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