Leading Motorola in mobile's new battle ground

<P>One hundred and eight countries, 12 time zones and four sub-regions. Neil Stewart may oversee a bewildering variety of countries in his role as marketing director of Motorola mobile devices' high growth markets (HGM), but he is convinced that the benefits outweigh the constant air travel and 24-hour grind.</P> <P>"Most MNCs divide the world into chunks but obviously we've got 12 time zones," admits Stewart. "The reality is the similarities between a Nigeria and an Indonesia are so much more than a Nigeria and a London, where the traditional EMEA HQ would be."</P> <P>Given its recent results, furthermore, Motorola's decision to group the markets of Southeast Asia, South Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, the Middle East, Turkey and Israel together 18 months ago, looks like an increasingly savvy one - one of many smart moves the mobile giant has made during its well-documented revival.</P> <P>At the time, Stewart headed marketing for Southeast Asia and India from his base in Sydney. Today, the region under his control is considered the next key battleground in the fight between Motorola and Nokia for global market share. </P> <P>So, for all his musings about the lifestyle of the "24-hour Asian executive", Stewart cuts a relaxed figure - perhaps influenced by the recent news that Motorola's market share has reached its highest point in five years.<BR>"It's a challenge, but we've purposely tried to decentralise certain functions to each of the core hubs, trying to work out that wonderful balance between what you do at a regional/global level and local," he explains of Motorola's HGM structure. </P> <P>"Every company I've worked on or for has got a different take on that. I don't ever think there is a perfect model."</P> <P>It is this approach - which Stewart describes using the Ogilvy 'corridors of freedom' catchphrase - which is responsible for a range of innovative, often retail-based, drives that form the core of Motorola's growth in the HGM. </P> <P>In Indonesia and the Philippines, for example, branded Moto vehicles have taken the company's mobile phones to the rural masses. In Singapore, meanwhile, bus shelters communicate with Motorola Bluetooth-enabled handsets, while in Nigeria, local card table sellers have been bedecked in Motorola branding. </P> <P>"I'm not going to begin to act as an approver or a filter when someone says they want to do some cool stuff with a brand, because it would be naïve if not dangerous," quips Stewart. </P> <P>"I personally have to rely a lot on our agency partners and our local countries. And, when I'm in another country, then my job is to act as the linkage between them. It's trying to find the right way to tap into the 40 to 50 people around the region who are coming up with the new initiatives."</P> <P>The last 12 months, of course, also saw Motorola review its global creative requirements, shifting the bulk of its global business to Omnicom Group agencies. </P> <P>In the HGM, Stewart chose to retain incumbent Ogilvy & Mather for Southeast and South Asia, and named TBWA for the remainder of the region, after an exhaustive round of presentations. </P> <P>While the full story behind the pitch remains to be told, Stewart is confident he has found the "best people who get our brand bottom up, as opposed to top down".</P> <P>Given his own agency pedigree - which includes eight years at Ogilvy in three different markets - Stewart certainly understands the agency-client dynamic better than most marketers. </P> <P>He credits his background with helping him juggle the demands of such a broad territory, one where affluent Nigerians are looking to buy Razrs and Bangledeshi farmers are simply looking to buy a phone.</P> <P>"There are very few categories where you get to directly see a very powerful benefit and not just a brand share," he notes. </P> <P>"From the category perspective, on the one hand you've got the amazing speed and transformation but on the other hand to see someone smile who's never made a phone call before..."</P>