Nokia unleashes PR blitz for 8800 launch

Aiming to create credibility and word-of-mouth appeal among a high-end target audience, the market leader used celebrity-laden launch events to generate significant buzz, and also published a 64-page custom title to amplify its positioning as an opinion leader.

Working with two local PR agencies, Max Communications on the event and AVC on general activities, Nokia is positioning the US$900 model as the handset of choice for a 20 to 45, male skewed, VIP demographic -- accentuating its design, rather than product features. "This phone is focused more on design and uses more emotive branding," explained Nokia Vietnam marketing manager Dr Thang Nguyen. "In Vietnam, people who make a lot of money are very concerned about their face, and they don't care about the price. They want something that reflects their position in society."

The launch parties in Hanoi and HCMC featured local business leaders, along with singers, models and fashion designers -- all of whom were sent a specially designed invitation set including an 8800-shaped box, a 12-page booklet on innovative designs, and silver card embossed with the recipient's name. PR efforts centred around generating media coverage of the event, and also the global launch TVC. "What we have done really differently from other markets is PR for the TVC and event, rather than just the product itself," said Nguyen. "For that kind of high price, people seek information not only from advertising, but also from newspapers, magazines and friends. We wanted to influence people, so the reliability and trustworthiness are very important."

As part of this strategy, Nokia published a custom title called Premium, complete with a 10,000 print run targeting expensive car owners and premium establishments. The title includes content relating to the 8800 launch, along with other articles on architecture, movies and music -- all attempting to leverage the 'designed for the senses' tagline. Fifty thousand 16-page supplements were also inserted in the Saigon Economic Times, featuring 8800 tone composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

According to GfK, Nokia has a 55 per cent share of the market, followed by Samsung and Motorola, with 24 per cent and eight per cent respectively. The country is expected to have eight million subscribers by year-end, marking an annual growth rate of 100 per cent. New entrants to the market include Korea's Pantech, and China's Panda.