Vodafone 2015 Annual Report Download - page 13

Network quality
We aim to have the best mobile network
in each of our markets, combined with
competitive xed networks in our main
markets. This means giving our customers
broad coverage, a reliable connection,
and increasing speeds and data capacity.
Key differentiators:
a We are one of the world’s largest mobile
operators with 283,000 base station sites
a We have the best or co-best mobile data
networks in 16 out of 20 markets1
a We have a leading holding of spectrum
in most of our key markets
a We own the largest cable companies
in Germany and Spain
a Project Spring, our £19 billion investment
programme, aims to strengthen further
our network and service differentiation
Service design
The mobile services we provide are carefully
designed to meet the needs of targeted
customer segments. For example, SIM-only
plans which do not include a handset for
customers focused on value, shared data plans
for families, and bundles including generous
data allowances, content, roaming, cloud
storage and internet security for those wanting
worry-free solutions. We can also design
bespoke solutions to meet the needs of our
business customers, whatever their size.
The majority of our xed revenue is from
home and ofce broadband solutions,
including TV and calls over a landline.
The remainder arises from carrying other
operators’ international trafc across sub-sea
cable systems.
Key differentiators:
a We are typically either number one
or number two in mobile enterprise
in most of our markets
a We have a comprehensive portfolio
of total communication services including
mobile, xed, Cloud and Hosting, and M2M
business solutions
Branding and marketing
We communicate our services to customers
through clear and effective branding and
marketing. The strength of our brand is a major
driver of purchasing decisions for consumers
and enterprise customers alike. For example,
in only 30 months, Vodafone Red, our globally
branded pricing plan (providing bundles
of unlimited voice, text and generous data
allowances) has over 20 million customers.
Key differentiators:
a Vodafone is the UK’s most valuable brand
with an attributed worth of US$27 billion2
Sales
We sell our mobile services through a
variety of distribution channels. Our shops
comprise exclusive branded stores,
distribution partners and third party retailers.
Our branded stores enable customers
to test our products and services before
they buy, obtain advice from sales advisors,
and top-up their price plans. Online channels,
whether accessed through a mobile device
or PC, are becoming much more important
and we are upgrading our IT estate to meet this
growing demand. Branded channels (including
online and telesales) account for around 60%
of new consumer contract customers and
around 90% of contract renewals in Europe.
Third party channels account for around
40% of acquisitions.
Our large corporate customers are served
by a direct sales team; small and medium-sized
companies are managed through a network
of around 2,000 indirect partners, and sole
traders are serviced via our retail stores and
telesales capabilities.
The transition towards unied
communications is changing how we reach
customers and our xed line businesses use
door-to-door selling and more telesales than
our other services.
Our mobile money service M-Pesa,
enables users to top up their airtime as well
as providing access to nancial services.
Read more about M-Pesa on pages 26 and 30.
Key differentiators:
a We have over 16,000 exclusive branded
shops across the globe
a In India, we supplement our branded
stores with 1.8 million small-scale outlets
for top-ups, signicantly more than our
nearest competitor
a In our established M-Pesa markets
of Kenya and Tanzania we are the market
leaders for mobile money services
Customer service
We have over 17,000 employees dedicated
to providing customer service, supported
by contractors and third parties. All call centres
are available 24 hours a day, seven days a week
in all our European markets, and this is now
being rolled out across our remaining markets
outside Europe. In an increasingly digital age
we also offer live webchat capability, and self-
care, either via a handset, tablet or laptop,
to enable customers to self-diagnose and
resolve their own queries.
Key differentiators:
a We are both a multinational and
a multicultural company, and our diverse
workforce helps us better understand and
meet the needs of our customers
a We employ people from over 130
countries, with 24 nationalities among
our Senior Leadership Team. For more
information on our people see page 28
How we set
ourselves apart
We aim to differentiate ourselves from our competitors by offering a
leading network, leveraging the benets of our large scale, global reach
and international brand; by our leading position in enterprise; and by
training and developing the best people.
Notes:
1 P3 communications.
2 2015 Brand Finance Global 500.
Overview Strategy review Performance Governance Financials Additional information Vodafone Group Plc
Annual Report 2015
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