LIVE FROM CEM IN TELECOMS GLOBAL SUMMIT, LONDON: Iris Meijer, CMO at Vodafone Business (pictured), highlighted the importance of social responsibility and sustainability in companies winning the trust of their customers, a strategy she said is at the heart of the operator’s approach.

She explained Vodafone was taking responsibility for being a good corporate citizen by focusing on three key areas: digital society, inclusion for all, and the planet.

“Customer experience is not just based on whether you have the best digital experience or the most innovating propositions. It’s also whether your customer believes in you and what you stand for”, she explained.

Meijer highlighted the operator’s Digital Society project, noting a key goal is to connect more than 350 million people to gigabit networks by 2025: “This will enable people to access ever-growing range of services, and businesses can develop new products to meet the current and future needs of their communities”.

She cited installation of 5G in factories to deliver real-time information on workflow as one example of the digital project, along with the benefits its mobile wallet m-Pesa brings to businesses in Africa.

Beyond business
But Meijer noted there is more companies can do than just deliver business benefits, highlighting efforts by Vodafone to tackle malnutrition in Africa, and a programme to connect 50 million women to mobile technology to help them communicate, learn, run businesses and get help when feeling threatened.

In regards to efforts to help fight climate change, Meijer said urgent and sustainable action was required, with Vodafone believing “business success should not come at the cost to the environment”.

“And while we introduce more technology into societies, we must minimise the impact on the planet and leave the smallest footprint…possible”.

The CMO highlighted the company’s goals to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by 50 per cent and to purchase fully renewable electricity by 2025