Press Releases

• New slogan conveys Vodafone’s optimism towards the future and positions the Company at the forefront of technological change
• Advertising campaign is the biggest in the Vodafone Group’s 33 years

As from 6 October, Vodafone is adopting a new global communication strategy for the brand. The repositioning involves a new slogan, a refreshed visual and graphic identity and a transformational process both externally and internally.

‘The Future is Incredible. Ready?’ becomes the new Vodafone slogan, a statement of intent deliberately oriented towards the infinite possibilities that the future will bring, not only in terms of new technologies, but principally in how they will positively shape the world and improve people’s lives.

This repositioning – the first since the introduction of ‘Power to you’ in 2009 – applies across all the 36 markets where the Vodafone brand is present, and mirrors the spirit that has characterised its business: that of a Company always ahead of its time. The new slogan demonstrates the optimism with which Vodafone looks to the future and positions the brand as the perfect partner to enable people and companies to embrace the innovations that result from technology and incorporate them in their daily lives.

“We want people to feel that Vodafone will always be at the forefront of technological change. And irrespective of what happens individually in the life of any one person or globally in the world, Vodafone will be at the side of its customers and partners to enable them to take full advantage of new technologies at their own pace. In a world increasingly filled with uncertainties and challenges, much more than a question, ‘Ready?’ is an invitation for people to make this journey of change with Vodafone”, said Leonor Dias, Vodafone Portugal’s Brand Director.

Biggest campaign in Vodafone’s history

The campaign underpinning this repositioning starts on Friday 6 October, and will be the biggest television advertising campaign ever in the 33-year history of the Vodafone Group.

The film centres on the importance of communication throughout human history since prehistoric times. It also looks forward to what the future of technologies could be, attempting to convey the essence of Vodafone: shortening time and distance, helping people to take full advantage of the present and build a better future.

Produced by renowned film director Ridley Scott, in Portugal the film also features scenes shot in Lisbon and Porto under the direction of the director Enrique Escamilla with production by Garage Films.

As regards print and digital media, the main graphic element of all materials will be the outline of the speech mark superimposed on the images. The logo has also redesigned for the first time in 12 years, replacing the 3D version with a 2D version – strong, simple and direct.

The music backing the television campaign in Portugal – and which will become the new theme music of Vodafone Portugal – is entitled ‘Ready to Move On’ and was written by the Portuguese musician Riic Wolf, who produced it specially for the brand’s repositioning in Portugal.

The global repositioning strategy was developed in a very strong collaboration between all the markets where the Company operates, 36 countries in total. As part of this exercise, over 17,000 consumers were interviewed in ten different countries. All this forms part of a joint effort by WWP Group agencies, represented in Portugal by JWT and MEC.

Alignment also internally

In the year when Vodafone Portugal celebrates its 25th anniversary, the Company’s new communication strategy is also reflected internally. Employees’ involvement and emotional connection to Vodafone are now even more accentuated, in total alignment with the repositioning of the brand.

The Company will have a brand presence as employer, with the sharing of employees’ real stories. These stories recount personal projects and achievements that reflect what it is like to work in a Company that deploys its technology and knowledge to create a positive impact on society.

As from Friday, Vodafone’s Employee Value Proposition (EVP) will consist of four new action pillars which define the Company’s identity and its vision for the future.

• Ready to shape the future – Anticipating requirements and trends in an fast-moving digital world, with all the changes that this implies in the world of work; creating new roles, developing new skills and new ways of working;
• Ready to connect for good – Backing projects that put technology at the service of the community, transforming people’s lives and improving their well-being;
• Ready to be at my best – Investing in the continuing development and upskilling of employees, providing them with a range of tools and opportunities which can be exploited to match each individual’s ambitions;
• Ready to be myself and belong – Working to be an increasingly inclusive company that celebrates the diversity present in society in its most varied aspects. Vodafone is a space where everyone has a place and where they can develop professionally, regardless of their age, gender, sexual orientation or personal circumstances.

 “Vodafone is one of the most admired brands in Portugal. This has been possible because our employees can live the brand’s values from within. In this sense, it is vital that we adopt its principles transversally”, added Luísa Pestana, Vodafone Portugal’s Director of Human Resources.

Reasons to be optimistic about the future

To support its repositioning, the Vodafone Group consulted futurologists from several different countries to identify the top ten emerging trends that could transform lives and businesses by the end of the 2030s.

3D-printed homes equipped with 4D furniture that can be reconfigured to meet the needs of our homes; new and customised surgical interventions such as transplants using 3D-printed organs; use of connected sensors (IoT) in agriculture, leading to an increase in food production; or the advance of Artificial Intelligence, with machines increasingly supporting human intelligence, are just some of the technological advances that the consulted panel anticipates**.

In addition, the Vodafone Group commissioned a survey by YouGov to determine the optimism of the population in 14 of the markets where the Company operates, and their perceptions about what will be the main technological trends that will transform society in coming years. Almost 13,000 people participated in the survey and the results confirm the reasons why Vodafone is looking to the future with optimism.

Entitled ‘The Future’, the survey reveals that in Portugal more than half the population (almost 55%) believe that the average quality of life will be better in 2037 than in 2017. This is one of the main conclusions of the survey, which attests to Portuguese confidence in a promising future in which technological innovations are identified as the most “incredible” emerging trend**.

 “As it counts down to the celebration of 25 years in business in Portugal, Vodafone marks much more than a history filled with challenges and achievements. The Company is renewing its unceasing enthusiasm in continuing to look to the future with optimism. And the future is now. And it’s incredible”, said Mário Vaz, CEO of Vodafone Portugal.