Orange Mobile UK has invested heavily in the development and growth of their 3G network and they are proud of it. The company is boasting that they have the “biggest 3G network” and they seem to have the numbers to prove it. Despite this, the Advertising Standard Authority has ruled that Orange should not use the slogan nor should Orange talk about their 3G coverage.
While the network operator has complied with the ASA ruling, they have confirmed that they will contest the decision. The mobile network operator is even pushing for a full industry wide study in order to verify their claim and add credence to the slogan they want to use.
In many ways, the ASA would have to allow the investigation to push through. Their original ruling was based on the fact that the advertisement has not been properly “substantiated”; should Orange be able to fully support their claims with cold hard facts, then the ruling would need to be pulled back.
Orange has also defended that their slogan was not misleading as an argument from ASA stated. The ad clearly said that Orange has the largest network covering the most people –a claim that can be easily backed by data. This does not coincide with the ASA ruling which stated that a mobile network cannot be easily compared to another.
The ASA is taking a firm stand on the issue and is not pulling back on its sanctions.
In some ways, Orange Mobile UK should stand up for its original claims. While the ASA may have filed a ruling, the network operator has a principle and reputation to live up to. Pushing for an “independent, industry wide verification” in order to prove that their claims are indeed based on fact is the only direction they can take –if they wholly rescind their claims, then it would appear that the ad was entirely baseless to begin with.
