back quite a bit. Still, it is a solid phone and there are enough AT&T users out there that might find this phone worth having. There are several aspects that make or break a company. Quality of their hardware and software is part of it, and that’s an area where Nokia has absolutely no problems. Nokia has created tons of great software from maps to their new browser. There hardware might not appeal to everyone, but they have attractive designs with revolutionary steps forward- like completely wireless based charging. What else makes or breaks a company? Reputation. It’s not just about good or bad rep, it is about if a product is perceived as better– even if it isn’t necessarily all that awesome. Marketing is what affects this aspect. Apple’s hardware isn’t bad, but Android and WP devices have repeatedly beat Apple to the punch when it comes to new features and innovation. Thanks to exceptional marketing on Apple’s part though, you’d think that Apple invented the entire universe. Nokia needs to up it’s marketing game if they want to turn the tide before its too late, although some might argue that time has already long passed. The company doesn’t have deep pockets at this point, but MS does and leaning on them could certainly help. The good news is that Nokia understands they need to prove their handsets are worth moving to. In other markets across the globe, that has included a strategy of directly promoting their devices in shopping centers and malls. Nokia is now bringing this type of marketing over to the US. Nokia will be hiring retail workers from the 12th of November through December 31st as seasonal workers to promote Nokia Lumia devices across malls in the United States. No word how many malls will get Nokia kiosks or not, but I think this is a great move. We do know that the Queens Center Mall is already confirmed to have a retail center/kiosk in works.
Can this strategy change the tide?
Nokia has done this kind of thing in the past with Symbian, so this is not a new strategy. Marketing for the holiday alone will not change anything. If Nokia can push their on-air and radio advertisements alongside this new attempt, it could slowly help. Companies that have fallen behind as horribly as Nokia don’t recover overnight. I like Nokia and love the Lumia designs, I truly hope they can do what it takes to return to profitability, but it is a rocky path ahead. What do you think, is this a good move for Nokia or one that won’t make much difference this holiday season? [ source ]]]>
