MEDIA RELEASE - Vodafone today announced the launch of Vodafone Pass, a New Zealand-first innovation offering the best value, endless* mobile data for Music, Social, Chat or Video on Kiwis’ favourite apps.

Vodafone Pass lets customers connect and consume their favourite content without worrying about using up their mobile data allowance on apps including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, Messenger, WhatsApp, Spotify, Netflix and Apple Music.

Vodafone Consumer Director, Matt Williams explains, “A few years ago we reached peak-FOMO, fear of missing out. Then, in 2016, the social ailment of the moment was FOLO, fear of living offline. We’ve discovered a new cultural anxiety specific to data: FORO, fear of running out. Consumers resent the restricted feeling of not being able to share or stream content in real time and stay truly connected because of data limits. So, we’ve come up with Vodafone Pass as the cure.

Recent Colmar Brunton research** showed there are behavioural as well as emotional (anxiety) components to the FORO phenomenon.

“Our research told us that until now, people have been actively modifying their behaviour to cope with FORO. They’ve come up with work arounds that have become engrained in Kiwis’ daily life, like searching for free Wi-Fi sites that are often patchy and slow, or only downloading play lists or watching video streaming at home.

“With Vodafone Pass, people no longer have to worry about putting things on hold. Whatever they’re into, now they can update and share life’s moments as they happen and enjoy more of the content they love when and where they want to.”

Vodafone Pass offers worry-free, endless data usage across four types of content:

• Chat: Instant messaging apps, including Whatsapp, Messenger and Viber
• Social: Social network apps, including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat and Twitter
• Music: Music streaming apps, including Spotify, iHeartRadio, Apple Music
• Video: Video streaming services, including Netflix, Neon and Vodafone TV

The timing of the launch of Vodafone Pass will be welcome news for New Zealanders whose data consumption dramatically increases over the holiday period, a trend that only continues to grow.
Data usage over the Vodafone network on Christmas day increased 71% year on year from 2015 to 2016.

New Year’s Eve showed a similar year on year growth trend, with a 67% increase in traffic from 2015 to 2016.

Vodafone Pass is available now in a range of flexible, affordable options*** to suit Kiwis’ needs; offering endless* data to share, chat or stream on the apps they love whether they want it for one day or every day. For more information, visit vodafone.co.nz/pass.

Notes to editor:

• *Some functions will still use your plan data. No tethering or hot spots. Fair use applies. For personal use in NZ. Must have an active data plan on an Android or iOS device. See vodafone.co.nz/pass for terms.
• **Based on findings from a Data Usage & Attitudes Study among Kiwis 16 and over run by Colmar Brunton in 2017. The study indicated both anxiety / “fear of running out” and behavioural work-arounds including deferring data heavy activities to home Wi-fi or free Wi-fi sites.