Vodafone Hutchison Australia’s plans to dissolve the 3 mobile brand is approaching fruition, with the company no longer recruiting new customers, instead opting to migrate them to the Vodafone brand.
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Amidst the economic crisis of 2009, Vodafone and 3 announced the two brands will merge to form Vodafone Hutchison Australia. They laid out a long term plan which would result in 3’s eventual dissolution, and as of today the 3 brand will no longer sign customers up.
For months now, the company has been executing a plan to naturally move customers across from 3 to Vodafone. Despite having the option of staying with 3, the Vodafone brand has better pricing and would offer eligible customers a waiver of their cancellation fees. These strategies proved successful with many customers migrating across to Vodafone, myself included.
But as the merger approaches fruition, the 3 company is being buried beneath Vodafone’s red and white colours. iTechReport pointed out the 3 website now alternates to 2 different modes, one for prospective customers and another for existing. The existing webpage informs customers of 3’s rapid dissolving. The other offers a springboard page which redirects customers to the Vodafone site.
The Vodafone site pictures Adam Gilchrist, Australian cricketer and the face of the company, repainting a white wall in red.
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“We’ve taken the next exciting step on our journey towards one brand: Vodafone, which means that all new connections for any new customers will now be to Vodafone,” the company explains on its FAQ page.
3 stores have either been rebranded as Vodafone or hybridised, being labelled by both company logos. The cosmetic alterations are to continue, with 3 customers seeing the Vodafone logo eventually replace its own on phone bills.
In an address to 3 customers, VHA claimed services will stay as is at the moment and in the foreseeable future.
“As a customer on our 3 network for now nothing changes for you. Everything you’re used to on 3, including your 3 plan value and access to services such as My 3 and Planet 3, are staying the same.”
The Vodafone brand is currently repairing a public relations crisis after the public criticised its network performance. Currently the company is half way in building a new 850 MHz network that is said to inspire confidence.
Despite pulling the plug on 3, Vodafone announced Red Bulls new mobile phone network will operate on its new 3G network, but spared details for a later date.
