Brands
Vodafone India modernises for IoT-ready future
MUMBAI: Internet of Things (IoT), the technology that connects any digital device to your phone, is one of the hottest buzzwords in the technology industry this year. Telecom operator Vodafone India has marked itself as the first brand to undergo this evolution in India by asking consumers to be future ready.
Vodafone has repositioned itself as a modern, contemporary, inspiring and future-fit brand with its new tagline, “The future is exciting, Ready?’’. It is a significant metamorphosis for one of India’s most iconic and loved brands from its earlier ‘Power to you’ tagline, which was introduced in 2009. This new positioning, part of Vodafone’s global rebranding exercise across 36 countries, is designed to underline Vodafone’s belief in new technologies and digital services playing a positive role in transforming society.
Although the repositioning is a part of its global campaign, Vodafone wants Indian consumers to understand technology by showcasing Indian characters and Indian scenarios in its campaigns. The new visual identity will place greater emphasis on Vodafone’s iconic ‘speech mark’ logo that will now appear as the central graphical focus overlaid on all marketing and marketing communications collateral in a new 2D design in place of a skeuomorphic 3D approach.
Vodafone India managing director and chief executive officer Sunil Sood said that the telco has marked a 180 per cent growth in SIM cards used for IoT devices in India. Although the numbers are small, the market is still emerging and with government’s smart cities initiative, a lot of IoT solutions would be used, making it an exciting time to reposition itself. Globally, 60 million SIM cards have been sold for IoT solutions.
“India is entering a new exciting era of digital, convergence, big data, IoT, cloud, augmented realities, robotics and AI. The real and virtual worlds are converging at an unprecedented pace to create a bold new future. Our new brand positioning emphasises Vodafone’s mission and purpose to help customers and communities adapt, navigate and prosper from the remarkable new trends reshaping the world,” he adds.
The company recently tied up with various smartphone makers like Intex, Micromax, Lava and Nokia to encourage current non-users of 4G to upgrade and use internet. Vodafone India chief operating officer Balesh Sharma mentioned that the company has a well distributed network in India and now wants to make feature phones more affordable in rural India.
The telecom corporation will invest only selectively in print media but its digital spends will increase. “Our media spends will evolve over the next few years and we will invest heavily in digital and social media as that is where the opportunity lies,” he adds.
It remains to be seen whether Vodafone can replicate its success of earlier campaigns, such as its evergreen Zoozoos, into the unknown territory of IoT.
Brands
Domino’s Q1 profit falls 6.6 per cent, announces $1 billion buyback
Sales rise 3.4 per cent as pizza giant balances growth and shareholder returns
NEW YORK: Domino’s reported a mixed start to 2026, with first-quarter net income slipping even as global sales and store expansion held steady. The company also announced a fresh $1 billion share buyback, underlining its continued focus on shareholder returns.
Global retail sales rose 3.4 per cent on a constant-currency basis to $4.74 billion. The US remained a key growth engine, with same-store sales inching up 0.9 per cent, supported by a 1.5 per cent rise at company-owned outlets.
International markets, however, painted a more uneven picture. While Domino’s added 161 net new stores overseas during the quarter, international same-store sales declined 0.4 per cent. Overall revenues still climbed 3.5 per cent to $1.15 billion, driven by higher supply chain revenues and a 2.6 per cent increase in food basket pricing for franchisees.
On the profitability front, net income fell 6.6 per cent to $139.8 million, compared to $149.7 million a year earlier. Diluted earnings per share dropped to $4.13 from $4.33. The decline was largely attributed to a $30 million unfavourable swing in unrealised gains linked to its investment in DPC Dash Ltd.
Despite this, operational performance showed resilience. Income from operations rose 9.6 per cent to $230.4 million, supported in part by a $7.8 million pre-tax gain from the sale of a corporate aircraft.
Domino’s footprint continued to expand, with the company ending the quarter at 22,322 stores across more than 90 markets. In the US, digital orders remained dominant, accounting for over 85 per cent of retail sales in 2025.
The company also maintained its dividend payout, declaring $1.99 per share, payable on 30 June 2026. After repurchasing $75.1 million worth of stock during the quarter, the new authorisation lifts the total available for buybacks to $1.29 billion.
Domino’s chief executive officer Russell Weiner said the company’s scale and store-level economics position it well to capture further market share in 2026, even as competition intensifies.
As Domino’s leans into expansion and capital returns, the latest results show a business managing short-term pressures while keeping its long-term growth strategy firmly in play.
