How Vodafone is changing the telecoms conversation

Customers need some basic things to survive this life – water, electricity, transportation and a reliable mobile network quality.
In a world where the customer is the undisputed king of all things to do with product innovation and service, companies are finding creative ways to deliver the kind of satisfaction that will have a rippling effect on the profitability of their business and drive positive perception.
Here in Ghana, the average customer has become highly sensitive to the quality of mobile networks and the services they offer.  It is now not enough when telecom companies emphasise speed; customers are concerned about the impact of the services across different facets of life. In other words, telecommunication services must reflect the greater good of humanity – only then will one company be elevated above another.
 
This week, Vodafone Ghana is launching an enhanced network campaign – its first major campaign in 2017 – that highlights the myriad of touchpoints the company offers across several aspects of human life and how its services ensure that the customer is constantly connected – whether at home, the office or on the go.  Headlined, “SuperNet”, Vodafone is seeking to control the telecoms conversation; to elevate it beyond concepts such as speed or functionality. After all, the notion of speed flies out of the window when customers are denied continuous and consistent connection.
It’s been only eight years since Vodafone begun operations in Ghana and already it has proven to be the nerve centre of several areas of economic activity in Ghana – areas such as the public and private sector, education, agriculture and health.  With a reputation for ensuring reliable connectivity – as affirmed by organisations such as P3 and the NCA – Vodafone has demonstrated that it continues to set the pace in the industry.
 
Customers
Vodafone’s endeavours in this space has been remarkable over the years. Innovative products such as Vodafone-X has brought a revolution and empowerment to the youth in Ghana like never before. The Farmers Club initiative has sought to help the average farmer across the country to get access to basic information about the weather, crop yields and prices to keep them in-tune with modern trends. Vodafone-Cash; the mobile money arm of the company has simplified customer transactions since its introduction a year ago. The large population of unbanked Ghanaians are now able to do financial transactions just by the touch of a button, powered by the efficiency of a network that has been part of the Ghanaian way of life as far back as 1974.
 
Enterprise
Vodafone’s role in the corporate and SMEs sectors are unmatched. Its “Internet-of-Things” capabilities cover some of the most crucial areas of the economy including health, transport, logistics, banking, utilities and security. These industries are using Vodafone’s SIM cards to smartly connect devices to enhance their efficiency and productivity output.
Additionally, the dynamism of products such as Red Business continue to meet the bespoke needs of businesses. The company’s fixed line service is now the gateway to the most effective and widely connected internet broadband platform in Ghana. Other product propositions ranging from prepaid, postpaid and hybrid, have all culminated in positioning the network as a total ccommunications provider for the Home and Business; making it a super network in Ghana.
 
Community Work
Vodafone’s commitment in the CSR space continues to receive plaudits in Ghana. The consistency of the network has become a defining feature in some of its key deliverables. The Healthline – 255 initiative, for example, has become mainstay in Ghana for providing expert medical advice to a sizeable number of the Ghanaian populace. The platform is also the reference point for awareness creation on several health misconceptions, self-medication and early diagnosis treatment. The Vodafone Instant Classrooms project is also giving educational empowerment to school going children on the internet free of charge.
 
With access to almost every key institution across the country – public sector, hospitals, police service, universities, fire and ambulance services – there is an undoubted truth that little miracles indeed happen when you are connected to the Vodafone network.
 
Chief Executive of Vodafone Ghana, Yolanda Cuba could not have been more accurate:
“The freedom and liberty we afford our customers and other stakeholders to take control of their lives – the ability to create friendships, business connections, the luxury to do whatever they want on the platform we provide – makes us a SuperNet. We have become the fuel that powers the engine of the Ghanaian life and that has given new meaning to what a telecom company should stand for.”