SINGAPORE Motorola is gearing up to launch a multi-million dollar global marketing campaign for its new Motofone model, which the handset maker hopes will solidify its brand presence among less affluent consumers.
The Motofone, which has started to roll out in several markets across Asia and Africa, has been tipped to shift the conventional pricing ratios of handset models, given its range of features at an entry-level price.
Motorola has tasked Ogilvy RedCard Singapore with devising the global creative, which will launch this year in India, Pakistan and Southeast Asia, before launching in Africa and Eastern Europe in 2007.
"It's a very important phone for us,"said Motorola high-growth markets marketing director Neil Stewart. "Finally, we've got a phone specifically aimed for the entry level which does not sacrifice in terms of looks and quality."
The initiative will include TV, print, outdoor, radio and activation - with Stewart hoping that the push will create greater resonance than global campaigns usually do.
"We've got to really dial up the relevance and empathy,"he said. "Holding up a mirror to (the target audience's) lives is probably not the most aspirational and desirable image, so you'll see a combination of traditional characters and situations with an unconventional twist."
Media spend is expected to exceed US$5 million, although Stewart declined to comment on the outlay.
Meanwhile, IDC personal systems market analyst Aloysius Choong pointed out that - after Motorola's success through the GSM Association's emerging markets programme - the company is aiming for greater brand relevance among less well-off consumers.
"What Moto wants is that iconic status, even among low-end consumers,"said Choong.
According to the latest figures from Gartner, Motorola boosted its global market share to 20.6 per cent for Q3 2006, year-on-year, including record growth in several Asian markets.
