Vodafone to save millions by changing name to One New Zealand

Tuesday, 27 September 2022

Vodafone will change its name to One New Zealand early next year, saving the Kiwi company millions of dollars a year in branding fees.

Chief executive Jason Paris said the company’s new name would be “the logical next step in its ongoing transformation” and would mean it had more money to spend on its network and local service.

“We think One New Zealand better reflects our deep connections and legacy in New Zealand, as well as our future ambitions,” he said.

Vodafone’s name and red logo have long been one of the most recognisable brands in the country.

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New Zealand's Vodafone changed its name to One NZ in April, under a rebrand first announced last year.

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But a rebrand has been on the cards since Vodafone split from Britain’s Vodafone Group in 2019 and was acquired by NZX-listed investment company Infratil and Canadian private equity firm Brookfield for $3.4 billion.

Vodafone’s stores will be given a makeover (mocked up above) and it’s out with the red.

The New Zealand firm retained the right to use the Vodafone brand for as long as it wanted after the sale, in return for an annual fee which is believed to be in the range of $20 million to $30m a year.

One New Zealand has been chosen as the company’s new name it retains the last three letters of the Vodafone brand – maintaining a degree of continuity – while also conveying a sense of social inclusiveness that the telco is keen to promote.

Vodafone has been gradually removing letters from the icon that appears when customers connect to its phone network, in a cryptic clue to the planned rebrand.

Vodafone will retain a separate partnership with Vodafone Group under which the British firm will continue to provide a variety of backroom technical services to Vodafone, such as the certification of handsets for its network.

The ability of Vodafone customers to roam on Vodafone Group’s networks overseas, and vice versa, will also not be affected.

Paris said Vodafone had brought most of its call-centres “back home to New Zealand” since 2019 and brought all its retail stores back under full ownership.

“While customer experience is better than it has ever been, One New Zealand will be on a mission to become world-famous for its service,” he said.

Vodafone is launching a new mobile plan called One Plan to coincide with the announcement, which offers unlimited data at maximum speeds.

Previous significant rebrands include the rebranding of Shell to Z in 2011, the renaming of Telecom as Spark in 2014, and the transformation of New Zealand’s dairy cooperatives into Fonterra in 2001.