NEW EIRCOM TV ADD :o

Arboration

-Mouse apear's.-
"Here in ireland, we really need to get online more!
We are a great people wo embrace everything with open arm's!
The internet has so much to offer to you and your family!


- However, We here in ireland don't benefit from such access programs such as AOL, EarthLink, and more.

So? what happen's!?

Thats easy..

You get our Eircom Free disc! Load it up, install it!

And we'll only charge you to the BALLS for using it even for a couple of minutes!

hey, we're not here to make you happy, we're here to make your wallet burn

So why don't you go to your local service staton of supermarket, and pic up a Free Eircom Internet Access CD, It'll change your life...... And add a couple more Digit's to your phone bill!

Or visit us, at www.Eircom.ie , And spend more time online, thus burning cash at an amazing rate!"


Eircom, making sure your weekly dole money...Isn't well spent.

Ruu_Old

just more and more propoganda . Hate that mouse, he deserves to die!!

Matfinn

I really think we need to start our own soet of advertising campaign. The thing is, Eircom are advertising the net anc getting people on their side, if you will, telling them that the net is great especially with them, and people will see the mouse as a clever gimmick and a cute mascot. This will put them onto the internet and get Eircom more money. What this is doing is misinforming people, because, as we all know, Eircom arent great at all. Infact theyre terrible and we all know that, because we are informed and we know about the internet and computers ( alot of us do ). We are not what you would call the average Joe who goes online for a couple of minutes a week. To them, Eircom are the bees knees. What we ned to do is inform these type of people what the internet situation in Ireland is really like. That will win some more support over for us. I dont want to hear 'nah useless idea would cost too much' because it can be done with donations from members and small businesses, and with our membership numbers, Im sure we could do something. This in my opinion is a serious issue, and something needs to be done. We need advertising to tell the people. Can anyone in here tell me ( roughly ) it would cost to have a lunchtime or morning time radio ad? before you all throw this idea in the bin?

Think about it. More ppl need to know, and another blackout as pointed out would not be as effective as the first one. Please think about this one, dont dismiss is immediatly.

Thanks

Matt

dahamsta

Matt,

I agree absolutely with you that we need to debunk the myths and the guff, and inform the public. And I agree that advertising would be a good way of doing it. But with all due respect, we have to be realistic -- we're a small organisation, with a small membership, and it can be tough to get people to contribute. Look at our seminar - 100-odd people out of a 1000 turned up. Look at the Blackout - a dozen people out of 1250.

Now don't get me wrong, I view both those events as fantastic successes. And I'm just citing examples here. And I could be wrong - we could put out a call for donations, and every single member could donate a tenner, and businesses a ton, and we could get a nice wee bit of advertising done. But personally I believe that that's unlikely, and I believe we can do this "on the cheap", simply by attempting to enlarge our membership.

And we're working on this. The Membership Working Group wants to go ahead with this, not only for educational purposes, but also to support lobbying efforts, i.e. tying in with the the other Working Groups to produce examples and templates for members, with a view to encouraging members to write letters to their TD's. Michael Megan, the Chair of the Membership WG has got the bit between his teeth on this, he wants to get moving, and he has good ideas to enlarge the membership in this way.

So again, I don't want to discount your suggestion out of hand, because it is a good suggestion - one that's been made before, and one that will be made again - but I honestly think it would be a good idea to try it this way first. It won't burden us with managing and accounting donations, it won't saddle us with administrative tasks we simply don't have the time for, and it won't leave us wide open to an audit!

I hope you won't see this as negative criticism, because it's not meant to be, I'm just trying to be realistic and pragmatic. Advertising is a valid way to educate the public, but there are other, cheaper, and possibly even more efficient ways. If they don't work, we always have advertising to fall back on.

adam

Arboration

I'd throw in a few bob if it ment the poor bastards with the nasty phone bills [Me being one of them] were actually told about how TERREBLE Eircom is.

Slydice

Stonemason

It is a good idea,As for the amount of people that turned up for the meeting thats abit harsh i for one live two hours drive away an can just about find the airport in dublin at a push so its alittle harder than finding a tenner to bung to a good cause.secondly dont underestemate the power of advertising if it were possible to come up with abit of a jingle a humorus mascot and maybe a catch frase you could effectivly inplant a whole nation with THE TRUTH (or a lie in eircons cace)on the downside dahamster has a point administering a fund could be problematic.



Stone

The Sweeper

Originally posted by Matfinn
What this is doing is misinforming people, because, as we all know, Eircom arent great at all. Infact theyre terrible and we all know that, because we are informed and we know about the internet and computers ( alot of us do ). We are not what you would call the average Joe who goes online for a couple of minutes a week. To them, Eircom are the bees knees.

I agree. I hate that eircom radio ad at the moment where they guy is talking about first time connection to the internet, and throws in something like "sure, in a recent PC Live survey, Eircom was rated s the number one subscription based service in Ireland".

I mean, how many first time internet users do you know that need a subscription package? The only subscription package that was ever designed for first time users was IOL No Limits, and we all know what happened to that.

That ad makes my teeth water every time I hear it.

*Grrrrrrrrrrr*

gandalf

Yes advertising would be great. But consider this, a half page in the Irish Times costs around €12,000.

Its time to start pressuring your local TD's to make sure the Comms Bill goes thru before the next Election.

Gandalf.

Matfinn

Originally posted by gandalf
Yes advertising would be great. But consider this, a half page in the Irish Times costs around €12,000.
Gandalf.

Good, ok everyone throw in 12 quid/ or Euro



Matt

sceptre

Originally posted by gandalf
Yes advertising would be great. But consider this, a half page in the Irish Times costs around €12,000.

Its time to start pressuring your local TD's to make sure the Comms Bill goes thru before the next Election.

Gandalf.

And email your friends (the interested ones - no point in getting invilved in spamming but a small email pointing out the IOFFL URL to people you know wouldn't go amiss)

viking

Originally posted by Matfinn


Good, ok everyone throw in 12 quid/ or Euro



Matt

peterd

Matt, join us in the LOBBYING WORKING GROUP . Not too sure of the direction this group is going to take, but when it's up and running, this is exactly one of the issues I want to raise!

Manic

This has all been said and asked about before and was knocked on the head for various reasons. But not in such a polite manner. People offered to have Flyers printed etc and it was ignored. People have offered €'s to fund it and it was also ignored. Even some people made fun of the idea but thankfully this was also ignored. In adams own words

I agree absolutely with you that we need to debunk the myths and the guff, and inform the public. And I agree that advertising would be a good way of doing it. But with all due respect, we have to be realistic -- we're a small organisation, with a small membership, and it can be tough to get people to contribute. Look at our seminar - 100-odd people out of a 1000 turned up. Look at the Blackout - a dozen people out of 1250.

To me this construes that a lot of people have no faith in IOFFL while a few people do. IMHO if everyone that could afford €10 to send to IOFFL and did it to have some sorth of advertisement about who we are and what we are all about. It would make more people aware that we exist. To me it would be money well spent. JMO

Dustaz

Manic, in fairness you have no idea what your talking about.

With that sort of money, you could put a simple graphic on TV for about 10 seconds. Once.
Or a 20 second radio ad a few times at off peak times.
Or a half page ad in some paper once or twice.

For effective penetration, you really need a campaign. People just will not take the information in otherwise. Unfortunatly that costs money, and a lot of it.

Manic

This is not true. A lot can be obtained for less. This is what IOFFL are saying. Now think before you answer. No offence ok.

Manic

That came out all wrong Dustaz... sorry ok

Dustaz

Originally posted by Dustaz
Manic, in fairness you have no idea what your talking about.

skrobe

what about a simple 'letters to the editor' in the irish times
maybe showing different eu flat-rate prices. it might star a public disscussion on eircoms monopoly

j

Ruu_Old

yea simple letters could work, i like that, if enough ppl write the letter on the subject, maybe they could put it in the business section on the Irish Indepandant, theres usually quite a bit about telecom situations and the like, i think the guys name is bill tyson, i cant find an email or an address tho. Ima find it tomorrow and send a few things off. Explain to him the situation, mite work, but then again mite now, worth a go

Manic

Originally posted by Dustaz
Manic, in fairness you have no idea what your talking about.

Your right Dustaz I am aiming too high. I will adjust my sights next time Like a small ad in a local rag or whatever. But do not worry I will not ask you to contribute to it.

Stonemason

MAKE THEM STOP i keep hearing that eefffing eircom add on the radio you know the one where they say at the end eircom working for you aaahhhhhh in which alternate universe is this true i want to know.surely someone can do them for false advertising.




Stone