Adrian Berry

Like Me? Follow Me.

I passed by the new Orange billboard on Deansgate Manchester today.


If you look closely there's a  call to action at the bottom that reads "search online for 'i am'," so I thought, "let's have a look." I did a quick search on Google and here's what I found -

Google search result for I AM

Click to enlarge the image in a new window

Now wouldn't you have thought a company as big as Orange would have optimised the website I-am-everyone.co.uk for SEO rather than spending on PPC?

Well a bit further digging and I found this on NMA - For Justin Billingsley, brand director of Orange UK, using a search call-to-action rather than a URL is a logical step. "We're trying to get the maximum number of people to see this campaign, so we can ask them to remember either a URL or just two short words," he says."

There are several problems with this idea. The first is that most people equate the natural listings as the most relevant and accurate results for their search query and would naturally look for the result they were looking for in the main listings. Secondly the organic results that appear are not very flattering -  the first listing is I Am Bored .  

Thirdly, and most importantly, the adwords advert at the top of the page is not very interesting. To be honest both myself and several colleagues didn't even spot it at first!! If ever there was an example of the need to place a great power advert it was here.

For me this campaign falls flat in that it makes people work to find the information they are searching for - the exact antithesis of why people use search - they want to find information quickly and with the minimum fuss.

If you want an affiliate mobile phone site so you can bid on the term "I am" or just want to double your branding power by using both PPC and SEO then give us a call on 0800 072 8717 or email us.
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Discussion

Posted by andymurd on Jul 16th, 2008
Interestingly the short URL service i.am won't let me register http://i.am/orange but it just 404s, doesn't redirect anywhere.
Posted by Neil Worrall on Jul 17th, 2008
I've just had a look and in the natural listings that Orange site is at 55, seems like they didn't plan too far ahead for this campaign.
Posted by Karl Havard - Trash Marketing on Sep 5th, 2008
Adrian...they've cocked up badly here. What a wasted opportunity. I've made a mock up of an add which you may find amusing.
Posted by Not A Fan on Sep 25th, 2008
I absolutely dispise this advertising campaign. It serves absolutely no purpose whatsoever. It tells me nothing about Orange, nothing about their services, nothing about their deals, nothing that would convince me to change mobile provider.
Posted by Nigel on Sep 26th, 2008
Up to 2nd now. But it's still a crap campaign, although brilliantly written.
Posted by Phil Coleman on Nov 28th, 2008
I understnad why you might debate this - but the ordinary person may not make the same connections or assumptions as you. The ad says search online and sure enough a listing appears - whether it's a samll ad or organic is probably of less concern to the punter than to industry specialists such as yourselves.

Personally, I find the copywriting a bit lame - and 'I am' rather tenuous.
Posted by Rupert Forrester on Dec 22nd, 2008
Orange is now at #2 in the natural listings (on Google UK). i.am has let me register http://i.am/orange too :)
Posted by Nick on Dec 29th, 2008
I'm suprised a company as big as Orange would not be more prepared when carrying out a marketing campaign such as this.
Posted by Arco on Mar 2nd, 2010
Yeah. Orange should be no1 en organic results for this campaign. The idea is good but execution not.
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