Vodaphone has set up an in-house certificate in direct marketing in a bid to build a greater focus on customer relations across the group.

The Vodaphone Certificate in Direct Markting consists of five one-day modules, created and accredited by the Institute of Direct Marketing (IDM). The first 31 Vodaphone employees to take the certificate have now passed the course.

Participants were issued with group assignments based on real business issues at the start of the programme and submitted the completed coursework at the end of the training.

Martin Dixon-Tyrer, Director of Customer Relationship Management at Vodafone UK Ltd, said: "The IDM course resulted in our CRM professionals developing specific, actionable direct marketing initiatives, several of which we are taking forwards into implementation."

The company said that each group hade generated very different approaches and solutions, "confirming there are few absolutes in the field of direct marketing".