Final Word from Wednesday, February 1, 2006
As part of its rebranding, Vodafone wrapped the CR's four major newspapers in an ad today, pasted flyers everywhere, and took over sponsorship of the airport taxis from Visa. Oskar has always been short on providing useful financial data, but Vodafone reports that its new Czech unit is doing better than expected. The rebranding seems to be a success and could give it an extra boost among business users, as did T-Mobile's name change. The only curious thing is why Vodafone chose to adopt those nasty airport taxis as one of its flag-bearers. Visa dropped the contract after hearing repeated complaints about how "its" drivers were breaking the law. The way the new "Vodafone" taxis dart in and out reminds us of how IPB did business. The last thing Vodafone needs from its rebranding is a reminder that IPB (as the 48%-founder of Oskar) made it possible for it to be where it is today. [Czech Republic mobile phones cellphones Český Mobil Fix s.r.o. Letiště Praha]