Outline
The consumer brand selected for this study is Nokia Mobile Phones, which is a Finland-based company and a prominent player in the international mobile phone market. It occupies a clear and recognized brand name, ‘Nokia, Connecting People. Uniqueness is the success factor in the advertising of Nokia. Through smart ways of advertising, they are perceived as innovators in the market and have attained the position of Number1 selling mobile phone brand in the world.
In this study, it is proposed to conduct market research to ascertain what has made Nokia so successful and popular in the world mobile markets. Through questionnaire methods put across to respondents and the market research feedback, it identified that the marketing strategy of Nokia is capable of attracting new customers and retaining the existing customers. The use of celebrities as brand ambassadors for Nokia is also paying dividends. However, certain customers have certain reservations about the designs of mobile phones since they are getting more attractive models from other firms in the mobile industry. Thus Nokia had to seriously reconsider the new design of attractive mobile models for better market and client responses.
Marketing strategy of Nokia Mobile Phones
Nokia adopts different types of advertising as a part of its marketing strategy. Examples of their different advertising strategies are explained below.
For the marketing of Nokia 1100 in the Indian market, Nokia adopted the logo ‘Made for India’. It is with the object of attracting entry-level phone users. The advertisement of Nokia1100 involves the mobile tied to the fender of a truck that obliques the length of India. The implied message in this content is that the phone can prevail over the long journey. While selecting advertisements they intend to apply the human outlook of mobile technology rather than its technical aspects. In the marketing of color display phones in India, Nokia formed the logo ‘Har Jeb Mein Rang’ which means color in every pocket. It helps to create aspire among customers to go for color displays. (In The Top Spot).
The new multimedia model brand of Nokia 7210 is focused on the younger generations. For sustaining as competent in the youth market, advertising has a crucial function. Large amount spends on advertising. In the European region, advertisements are focused on their sense of fashion. It mainly focused on the ability to take pictures. Surprise kiss: priceless was the theme used for the advertisement. The colors are presented as a unique sign of attitude. Such as orange for passion, red for ambition, yellow for intensity, blue for instinct, and grey-green for fashion. In the ads, the bright body colors of the phone are emphasized. (Advertising Leads Nokia Win the Game).
For the marketing of the Nokia N81 Music Phone, the viral website-based advertising campaign is adopted by Nokia. Setting up of online music store with a viral website helped Nokia to attract younger customers. Strange animation depicts on the website was appealing to the youngsters. In the case of the N95 model ad, the logo is there is a thing in my pocket. (Nokia N81 Music Phone Advertising Campaign Makes Use of a Viral Website).
Nokia online viral advertising is intended to attract youth viewers in which music is selected as the base for communication. The music-based advertising campaign in the case of models of ‘Connecting Beats’ and Terminal 9, was highly successful in attracting the younger audience. For marketing, the new model ‘Music Goes Mobile’ Nokia adopts an advertising campaign focused on informing the audience about the features of the new model. The inclusion of Video Tour blogs and the photos taken with their Nokia phones in the websites are capable of appealing to the audience. As a part of internet marketing, Nokia developed its websites with unique features. Along with the logo, an animated Music Goes Mobile Mascot, the speaker bird was created and this was very appealing. The website contains a mixture of unique band content for downloading. Competitions are arranged with amazing prizes as a part of the campaign. The advertising campaign was a huge success as it helps to improve the customer base for the Music Goes Mobile website. After the campaign, the website became a hot topic on music forums and it attracts over two hundred visitors every day during the campaign period. (Nokia: Online Viral Advertising).
The brand representation
Nokia always adopts celebrities for presenting its brand in advertising programs. For presenting the new phone models on the internet, Niki Taylor is selected as the celebrity model. It is to attract the youth audience. (Nokia Connecting People).
In India for marketing, Nokia selects the celebrity actress Priyanka Chopra. They intend to create a deeper connection with its young and style-savvy consumers. The company organized a new campaign of Priyanka Chopra with the tagline, ‘It’s not just a phone, it’s who we are.’ (Priyanka Chopra Signed as the Brand Ambassador for Nokia).
Nokia associated with Priyanka Chopra for its new style Campaign. It is with the object of connecting with style-conscious consumers. In the theme-based campaigns constituted by Nokia, celebrities are selected by considering their fit with the theme. (Cos Roping in Young Celebrities as Brand Ambassadors).
Interview
A questionnaire-based interview is conducted as a part of the research. In this interview, consumers involving in different age groups are involved.
Pro forma Questionnaire
Nationality:
- Specify the nationality
The Age group:
- <21 21-31 31-41 41-51 51-60 >60
Main Profession:
- Business
- Banking
- IT professionals
- Others
Average Annual Income:
- $ 50000 – 200000
- $ 200000 – 400000
- $ 400000 – 600000
- $ 600000
What is the Primary reason for Choosing Nokia Phone?
Would you recommend Nokia to your friends and relatives?
- Yes
- No
How did you find about the Nokia Model?
- Television
- Internet
- Newspaper
- Magazines
- Recommendation/ Friends
Before using the Nokia mobile, have you used devices of other companies?
- Yes
- No
Is the Devices is attractive and reliable:
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agrees nor disagrees
- Agree
- Strongly agree
Is the usage of Nokia devices is simple:
- Strongly disagree
- Disagree
- Neither agrees nor disagrees
- Agree
- Strongly agree
Is the advertising of Nokia is appealing and attractive?
- Yes
- No
Is the Celebrities add value to Nokia in the market.
- Yes
- No
How satisfied are you with the products of Nokia?
- Highly satisfied
- Satisfied
- Not satisfied
Comment on the Pricing of Nokia?
- Low priced
- Reasonable priced
- Expensive
- Very expensive
Are you satisfied with the services of Nokia?
- Highly satisfied
- Satisfied
- Not satisfied.
Outline of the Final report
In the final report, information collected from various advertisements of Nokia and its analysis is included. The report on an interview with customers is also included in the final report. Analysis of the strengths and weaknesses of the marketing strategy of Nokia is also discussed in the final report.
Report on collection
Innovative and creative ideas are the success factor in Nokia’s marketing. This helps them to retain their market strength by attracting a large number of targeted consumers. It is said that advertising leads Nokia to win the game. Suitable advertisement programs are the success factor in Nokia’s marketing. Nokia presents its ads as more entertaining than informative and it attaches the consumers to the brand. For presenting new models of the brand, Nokia used the services of the most appealing celebrities. Nokia’s ads always include localized theme matter. In the marketing of color display phones in the Indian market, Nokia used the logo ‘Har Jeb Mein Rang’ in the national language Hindi, which means color in every pocket is the best example for their localization strategy. The localized advertising strategy helps Nokia to attain customer appealing.
Through the advertising programs, Nokia objects to strengthen the connection between the customers and the brands. Thus the advertising is a way for communicating with customers to informing them about the brand. Nokia considers its product as a style statement. Thus the advertisement is based on this concept. Through advertising based on localized communication, Nokia can reinforce its brand strength among the local customers. Advertising campaigns are organized in the marketing of Nokia phones with the object of educating the customers about the brand utilities. The appointment of younger brand ambassadors is always helpful for reaching the younger group of customers. While presenting their new models targeting to the youth Nokia adopts the most suitable way of advertising, through appointing celebrities. The theme-based advertising campaigns organized with celebrities are also helpful to inform a large group of targeted consumers. From this, it is clear that advertising is the competent factor of Nokia in mobile phone marketing.
Results of Interviews with customers
From the interview with different age groups of consumers, it identified that the primary reason for choosing Nokia is its comparatively low price with brand publicity. The positive response to the recommendation of Nokia to friends and relatives shows that they are highly satisfied with the products and services of Nokia. Out of the total 5 individuals, two consumers get information about the brand from their friends. One of them is informed from the television ads and the remaining two are informed from the Nokia website. Out of the five individuals interviewed, 3 are primary users of mobile phones with Nokia. The remaining two are used other brands before trying Nokia. All of the interviewed customers have the opinion that the Nokia model is simple too but it is also attractive when compared to other brand products. Of the five interviewed consumers, three individuals expressed that the advertising strategy of Nokia is appealing. Two of them are not satisfied with the ads of Nokia. Interviewed consumers have the view that the celebrity model should add value to Nokia in the market. They are satisfied with the Pricing of Nokia. Most of them are satisfied with the products and services of Nokia. Out of the total 5 people interviewed, 4 of them are expressed their satisfaction. The remaining one person involved in the IT field is not satisfied with the features of the brand.
Strengths and weaknesses of the marketing strategy of Nokia
From the market research, it identified that the marketing strategy of Nokia is capable of attracting new customers and retaining the existing customers. The theme-based advertising campaigns of Nokia are highly successful in attracting the youth audience. The entertainment-based advertising programs adopted by Nokia are capable of acceptance among the targeted customers. The market research shows that Nokia model designs are not capable of competing with its competitors as they are highly advanced than Nokia in modeling their products. Thus customers considering the designs of mobile phones will not be satisfied with the Nokia model as they get more attractive models from other firms in the industry. Thus Nokia had to consider designing the models more attractively.
Works Cited
Advertising Leads Nokia Win the Game. Mega Essays. 2009. Web.
Cos Roping in Young Celebrities as Brand Ambassadors. Business Line: Business Daily from the Hindu Group of Publications. 2008. Web.
In The Top Spot. 2009. Web.
Nokia: Online Viral Advertising. Deepend: Design Strategy and Creative Solutions. 2009. Web.
Nokia Connecting People. BWGREYSCALE.com. 2009. Web.
Nokia N81 Music Phone Advertising Campaign Makes Use of a Viral Website. HTLounge.net. 2009. Web.
Priyanka Chopra Signed as the Brand Ambassador for Nokia. Bollywood Hungama. 2009. Web.