Pursuits
Rebel CEO's Brash Ads Give Billionaire a Wireless Win in Chile
- Mobile company mocks politicians, rivals to win market share
- Controversial ads make WOM Chile's fastest-growing provider
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Chris Bannister doesn’t mind hurting a few feelings as he tries to steal customers from Chile’s dominant mobile-phone operators -- even if those feelings belong to the presidents of Venezuela and Bolivia.
WOM, the Chilean telecom startup that Bannister runs as its chief executive officer, stands for word of mouth -- an appropriate name given the uproar the company’s advertisements are causing. Venezuela’s ambassador publicly complained after a television spot mocked President Nicolas Maduro’s claims to have talked to his late predecessor, Hugo Chavez, through a little bird. So did Bolivia’s top official in Chile after WOM poked fun at the president of South America’s poorest nation.