MEDIA RELEASE - Young kiwis are some of the most digitally savvy in the world, embracing all the latest gadgets, technology and social media apps to stay connected to their mates.

Now, Vodafone’s launching Vodafone Mates – an innovative suite of products, rewards and experiences designed for young New Zealanders, giving them even greater control and flexibility over how they use their smartphones.

“We’re incredibly excited to be announcing Vodafone Mates,” said Delina Shields, Vodafone’s head of segment marketing. “It’s going to be totally different to anything people have seen from Vodafone before, and it’s going to deliver the innovation, freedom and flexibility our young customers are searching for, so they can stay in touch with their mates, their way.”

Everything about Vodafone Mates will be youth-orientated, engaging with teens and young adults through innovative products and imaginative real-life experiences that celebrate kiwi mateship - everything down to its signature hashtag #gottalovemates.

The centrepiece will be a search to find New Zealand’s Best Best Mate – a kiwi prepared to maroon themselves on a barge in the Auckland Harbour for a week in August, so three of their friends can party it up on a tropical island in Fiji.

“Vodafone Mates is all about helping kiwis connect with their closest mates, and we’re going to have a lot of fun bringing that to life with our search for New Zealand’s Best Best Mate. On top of this, we’re announcing something really exciting in Prepay,” Ms Shields said.

From today, Vodafone Mates will deliver New Zealand’s first truly flexible Prepay plan, allowing customers to dial up or down their data, TXTs, and minutes to suit their needs. There are more than 160 plan combinations people can choose from – all at the touch of a button, via the My Vodafone app.

Ms Shields said structured Prepay plans, with a set amount of minutes, data and TXTs, were extremely popular with New Zealanders, but didn’t always fit the needs of young kiwis, with growing appetite for data over minutes and TXTs.

“Our customers are looking for much more flexibility in Prepay, so they can design a plan that suits them,” Ms Shields said. “Vodafone Mates is all about delivering that flexibility, and we think young kiwis are going to love it.”

Vodafone Mates will also offer a range of rewards and experiences, including a whopping 500MB data bonus every time customers under 25 tops up $20 or more on Vodafone Mates Prepay. That equals up to 5,000 snaps, or 2,000 Instagram uploads or 250 minutes of WhatsApp calling.