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<b>Ambi Parameswaran:</b> Competing with a 'free' brand

Dissing rivals by suggesting free products are inferior cuts no ice with consumers

Ambi Parameswaran, brand strategist and founder, Brand-Building.com
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Ambi Parameswaran, Brand strategist and founder, Brand-Building.com

Ambi Parameswaran
A friend pointed out a series of ads rolled out by Idea Cellular for their premium 4G service. In one of the ads a young man parks his car in a “Free Parking” area only to see his car being towed away. In another two girls are chatting and surfing, as young consumers are wont to these days. While the girl on Idea 4G has uninterrupted network, the girl on the “Free G” has a poor connection and gets ribbed by her “Premium 4G” friend. Both ads end with the message “No Free G. Only Idea 4G”.

The message was very