Ghita The Social Shepherd - Vodafone

Brief
Romania is a country of contrasts. While urban people are early adopters, 45% Romanians are still living in the country side, using hay carts and horses and never used the internet.
With over 500,000,000 euros invested in its data network infrastructure, Vodafone needed to further democratize technology: push smartphones adoption in rural areas and reinforce its best coverage claim.

Development
The solution was to do a social experiment using the Romanian stereotype of isolation and technology virginity. In order to show how technology can change somebody’s life for real, we contacted Ghita, a real shepherd living in a remote area. We gave him a smartphone and a tablet, we taught him how to use social networks and we asked him to share his life online. From there on, all that we had to do was documenting the way his life was changing. And this is how we created the first trans-media reality show in Romania.

Results
Ghita became a national star, with over 500,000 Facebook fans, appearances on national TV, and a folk song composed especially for him. Both Romania’s prim-minister and president visited Ghita, while the European Commissioner mentioned him as an example of Romania’s digitalization.
Brand Equity Share, the absolute indicator of Vodafone brand strength, finally broke away from our competitor, Orange, after months of head-to-head battle. The “Best network” attribute increased, driving a 287% surge in the gap versus Orange. Mobile data revenue increased with 22%, and for the first time, Vodafone finished the year selling more smartphones than feature phones.

Relevance
Our target were simple pragmatic common people, who considered technology out of their reach. Our authentic real-life demonstration, together with the authenticity and charisma of Ghita, convinced them that Vodafone technology was both accessible and affordable for them.