Less fone, more tech as Vodafone refreshes logo

Vodafone has a new version of its speech-mark logo and a new slogan: ‘The Future is Exciting. Ready?’

The bright red colour stays. Although there will be less of it. From today the white on red will become red on white.

The changes are all part of a global brand make-over. According to the company the new look shows that Vodafone is confident digital technologies and services are “going to make our lives better”.

Change of brand, change of emphasis

There’s a clear change of emphasis. Vodafone has positioned itself away from being a mobile phone network with add-ons, to being a more general technology service provider. In New Zealand this includes television.

This move was first noticeable earlier this year at the Gigabit Summit. The company held an Auckland event in August where there was little talk of phone networks and far more about how we’re going to live in the future.

At the Summit product director Sally Fuller outlined a world where drones make deliveries, we work from home and make occasional forays in driverless vehicles. There were smart devices and artificial intelligence, but barely any discussion of networks. All that becomes background.

Vodafone New Zealand Consumer Director Matt Williams says “We think the future of technology is very exciting. Our focus now is to ensure our customers are ready to make the most of it.”

Phone, network MIA at Vodafone

Actually Williams said a lot more words in the official press statement. Yet, once again, the words phone and network are conspicuous by their absence.

Vodafone’s brand strategy is global. Vodafone says it heralds the biggest advertising campaign in the company’s history. New Zealanders will be able to see this in a new TV commercial which will show from today. Australia doesn’t get the new advertising until later this month.

As part of the marketing activity Vodafone asked people in 14 countries about their views on the future. It says New Zealanders are more optimistic than Australians or the British, but all three come in behind India.