Heed The Aged?

We live in a youth-obsessed but ageing world, a world where the elderly are often ignored. Well we do in the first world. Elsewhere, the vast majority of populations are heavily skewed to the under 30s, yet respect for elders is pronounced.

Why that is and whether it will change seem to me to be important questions for marketers to ponder.

Nokia and AT&T announce $10 million App Developer Contest

Nokia seems to be increasing it’s efforts to improve it’s poor market share in the US Market. The latest move is a new developer contest in partnership with AT&T. Is this an indication that the Symbian^3 handsets including the N8 are hitting AT&T this holiday season ?Calling All Innovators contest highlights mobile content for North America

San Francisco, CA, USA – Developers now have 10 million more reasons to create their next great app on Nokia smartphones. Nokia and AT&T* announced today an unprecedented developer contest with USD 10 million in cash and prizes. Winning applications are selected by Nokia, AT&T and, for the first time, by consumers who can use their downloading power to indicate their favorites.
The 2010 Calling All Innovators, North America contest is open to developers from around the world to create apps for North American consumers. All submitted apps will be made available exclusively for download via the Ovi Store by Nokia which is filled with thousands of apps, games and media from the content industry’s biggest names along with independent developers. With AT&T as the exclusive co-judge, developers have a unique opportunity to get started today developing for the latest Nokia devices including the Nokia N8.

Nokia, in conjunction with AT&T, is also inviting developers to a free session, hosted during CTIA Enterprise and Applications in San Francisco, for a special tour of Qt and Nokia Web Runtime and Java tools. Additionally, each participating developer will receive a complimentary Nokia N8 developer pack from Nokia. Developers can register for the free session at: http://www.ctiaenterpriseandapps.com/events/eventdetails.cfm/1154

Calling All Innovators, North America
Developers have until January 28th, 2011, to submit their applications in more than 17 categories. For the first time, consumers will contribute to the finalist selection process by “voting” with their download power; the number of downloads – both free and paid – counts as part of the winning criteria. The final judging will be made by Nokia and AT&T where three winners in each category will be selected. Additionally, an overall contest app and game will be selected as grand prize winners. Category prize winners receive USD 150K each for a total of USD 4 million and grand prize winners receive an additional USD 100K each. Although submissions must be relevant for the North American consumer, developers from around the world can participate.

Winning developers will also receive more than USD 6 million in marketing promotion by Nokia and AT&T in the North American market.
“The commitment from Nokia is a clear message that we are serious about the North American market,” said Purnima Kochikar, VP Forum Nokia. “Developers have the tools, the support from AT&T and the marketing power of Nokia to get visibility for their apps”, she added. “Additionally, developers can make their Qt-based app available in Ovi Store to Nokia customers globally reaching tens of millions of customers.”

Contest details, judging criteria and submission categories can be found at http://www.callingallinnovators.com/10M. AT&T products and services are provided or offered by subsidiaries and affiliates of AT&T Inc. under the AT&T brand and not by AT&T Inc.

What's Wrong With Marketing?

On an obscure train journey one afternoon this week, I sat near a microcosm of marketing myopia - three executives working in the promotion of horse racing in this country. In the space of ten minutes (and in their own words) they revealed a number of common marketing/business traits.


1) Assuming homogenous demand.

One of the three was bewildered by the fact that while Chester racecourse had booming attendance in recent years this was not reflected in the static television viewing figures of their racing.

The answer is that Chester, an idiosyncratic historic venue with a tight oval track, is a great place to visit. But, because of this, the racing is also idiosyncratic,harder to follow on screen and less appealing to those who bet.

She was wrongly assuming that viewers wanted the same thing on their screen as they did when attending in person. When you put yourself in the customer's shoes, you have to remember they have different shoes for different occasions.


2) Diversifying the product to increase demand.

One of the ways racing has sought to expand its attendance and television audience has been through additional features designed to appeal to specific demographics. Thus, there is a rise of fashion shows and themed "ladies days" aimed at enticing more women and post-racing rock concerts seeking out the elusive youth demographic.

To some extent this works in terms of attendance, but there has been some alienation of the core audience. Moreover, there has to be a question of what these new customers are buying and whether they will have any loyalty. Is their attendance the physical equivalent of a webpage impression or is it more substantial?

Expanding your offer is not necessarily the same as enriching it. While that may be a justifiable move if you're moving your business (and implicitly acknowledging that your original business is in terminal decline), it is also the road to the industrialisation of novelty that William Gibson derides in his new book. Intensifying your product is the better way to go.


3) Hiring from within.

In the course of their conversation, the executives spoke of their backgrounds and how they all understood racing. One man noted how the industry was a small world where "people do seem to pop up in different places and circle around". That's no doubt factually true and hardly unique to racing, but there was no questioning of whether that was good thing.

In a fast-moving world knowing what your industry did five years ago may have some value, but it's definitely a diminishing asset. Knowing how things were done five years ago is of questionable value, especially if your industry is declining and/or you looking to get new customers. On the other hand, being able to determine why it's declining is invaluable.

If you want to be successful, look at what successful marketers do and adapt it to your industry. Not the other way round.


4) Celebrating the deal.

Finally, there was a lot of discussion and back-slapping about the deals and partnerships they'd each negotiated with various third parties. These all were apparently "good fits" and destined to provide great success in the future.

Doing the deal isn't enough, even if your bonus structure might suggest otherwise. That's just the beginning of the work that must be done to ensure that they have a successful outcome for your business. When that happens, you can celebrate and look for the next one. Not before.


I'm sure there was more I could have learned from these guys, but unfortunately I had reached my destination.

Nokia N8 won't be late to the party, ships on 30 September

If you have already placed your Nokia N8 order, there is a chance you’ve heard today N8 is delayed with a few weeks. Nokia denied the flagman needs any further work, all pre-orders should ship in time.

Nokia N8 official photos
Earlier today Nokia sent emails about delaying N8 because of “some final amends”. Here is the statement:
"The amount of preorders has exceeded our expectations and we are working hard to deliver the Nokia N8 to the market. In some markets, we had planned to start delivering the Nokia N8s to our pre-order customers by the end of September. To ensure a great user experience, we have decided to hold the shipments for a few weeks to do some final amends. We're thrilled with the response that we've had to the Nokia N8 and assure everyone who've pre-ordered it already that it'll be worth the wait! We expect consumers to get their Nokia N8s during October."
Following this, Nokia just issued an official press statement rejecting this. The company still has 30 September as a launch date for pre-orders. Any possible delays would be related with the shipping itself and not with additional work on the phone.
Pre-orders will start shipping on 30 September. In the worst case scenario you’ll get your N8 in the first days of October and if you mind, you should take it with the postal service.
Are we the only ones who find the contradictory statements disturbing?

Source

Nokia N8 shipping update

By Maija posted on the 21st of September 2010 at 8:54AM

ESPOO, Finland – There have been a few stories this morning about the N8 availability which we feel need clarification. As we have previously said, we still expect to start the shipments by the end of the third quarter. As with every global launch, when the device reaches the hand of the customer will vary by market and operator.
We have received a record number of online pre-orders for the Nokia N8. We had targeted our online pre-order customers to receive their N8s by the end of September. As it can take time from the beginning of shipment to arriving at their doorstep, in full transparency, we have advised our pre-order customers that they should expect their new Nokia N8 in October.

Nokia N8 release date delayed for a few weeks

Nokia is good in two things, making good devices and delaying them. I have a bad news for folks who are currently looking forward to the Nokia N8. Engadget is reporting that Nokia is delaying the device for a few weeks, and they will launch it in early October instead of launching it in last week of September. The reason of delaying is that Nokia want to make some final amendments to the N8. So folks hopefully we will see the N8 in the first weeks of October. Have a look on the full statement:

“The amount of preorders has exceeded our expectations and we are working hard to deliver the Nokia N8 to the market. In some markets, we had planned to start delivering the Nokia N8s to our pre-order customers by the end of September. To ensure a great user experience, we have decided to hold the shipments for a few weeks to do some final amends. We’re thrilled with the response that we’ve had to the Nokia N8 and assure everyone who’ve pre-ordered it already that it’ll be worth the wait! We expect consumers to get their Nokia N8s during October.”

Gaurav was first to indicate a delay but we decided to wait till 23rd to confirm the delay. Stores in Chennai told us handset would become available to customers who pre-ordered it on 23rd Sept but could not confirm the pricing but they indicated a price range of Rs.23000 – Rs.28000.

We want the Portrait Mode Firmware For the Nokia N900 Now! (ONLINE PETITION)

I think we have waited long enough for the portrait mode firmware for the Nokia N900. Please sign this online petition so we can put pressure on Nokia. Simply sign your name and comment in the comment box. Thanks.

Nokia E7 vs Nokia N8 Full Specs Comparison

Announced just today during Nokia World, the Nokia E7 is being presented and perceived by many people and bloggers as essentially a Nokia N8 with a Qwerty minus the awesome 12MP camera. And to some degree it is, but to some other degree it isn’t. See, Nokia always likes to complicate things, so we had to go spend more than an hour digging around Press Releases, Images, Spec Sheets to pinpoint every single difference between these two new Symbian^3 beasts.

Below you’ll find this full table comparison, highlighting in green the areas where one of the two beats the other.

As you’ll notice, the E7 is in fact very similar to the N8, both are Symbian^3 devices (which comes with the new homescreen, social features, new Nokia Messaging, Ovi Store and Ovi Maps, threaded SMS view, image and video editing), both have the same processors, amount of RAM, sensors on board, with Digital Dolby plus support, and come in the same colors. But the similarities stop there.
The E7 has a larger 4″screen with ClearBlack Display technology on top of the AMOLED, more internal memory, as well as a lot of cool enterprise software bundled in, like QuickOffice Premium, Microsoft Communicator and others. On the other hand, while the E7 comes with HDMI-Out and USB on-the-go, it does not come with the 2 adapter cables in the box that are featured with the N8. It also lacks an FM Transmitter, a MicroSD slot, the ability to be charged via the 2mm charger. It is larger and heavier than the N8, and on the camera front, it replaces the 12MP Carl Zeiss sensor with a non-branded 8MP sensor, with no autofocus, no xenon flash, and no ambient audio recording.
What do you think of these two devices? Does your heart sway the N8 or the E7 way? Are you willing to compromise on some of the features of the N8, the most important one being the amazing camera capabilities, to get a full 4-row hardware QWERTY on the E7? Let us know in the comments below.

Shouldn't Marketing Speak With One Voice?

Where I questioned Coke's lack of local distinction last time, today I'm bemused by what I perceive to be Old Spice's defensive localisation.

The ad above is one of a series that has appeared recently. This one refers to jet fighters and punching as designators of the manliest man in town, another cites monster trucks and tool boxes. To me, the tone of voice is completely at odds with the intelligent wit of "the man your man could be" that is also airing here.

It's much more aligned with the status quo of the marketplace and seems to be designed to appeal to (or more precisely not alienate) the traditional Lynx/Axe customer.

But, unless you're the market leader, your marketing must surely be designed to change your world in some way. A status quo in which you're floundering is exactly what you're fleeing and any hint of trying to sell your product in the same way the competition does should be avoided.

New Nokia N8 camera samples are here, ready to blow up your mind

Straight from the Nokia World 2010 show floor here comes a bunch of photos created with the Nokia N8 that might seriously shake you up. Or at least if you are one of those guys who thought mobile phones will never match digicams for image quality.

Prepare to be seriously impressed and check out some of those shots. Of course, quite a lot of effort has gone into creating those shots so chances are you won’t be getting as impressive results each time you press the shutter key but the potential is all there for you to exploit.

Nice, eh?

Second touch-enabled S40: Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type announced

Nokia is getting serious about touch on S40 - they just announced the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type, the second touch enabled S40. It's got a stainless steel body like the 6700 classic, 5MP camera, 3G and adds Wi-Fi to the mix.
Of course, the key difference between the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type and 6700 classic is the touch part - the new C3-01 has a 2.4" touchscreen, like it's more music-minded sibling - the Nokia X3-02 Touch and Type. It has a 12-key hardware keypad too.

Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type official photos
Like the X3-02, the Nokia C3 Touch and Type has some of the best features ever on a Series 40 device. A 5MP camera with flash and Wi-Fi make it an S40 royalty. It's got quad-band GSM/GPRS/EDGE connectivity and also 3G with HSPA. The internal memory is expandable by microSD cards up to 32GB.
On the software side, the Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type has Twitter and Facebook integration, the latest Nokia Messaging and email along with Ovi Store access.
The Nokia C3-01 Touch and Type has a slim stainless steel body - it measures 111 x 47.5 x 11mm. It should offer a lot of bang for the buck - it's expected to cost 145 euro (190 US dollars) before taxes and subsidies. It will ship in the fourth quarter of this year.

SOURCE:

Launch: Nokia C3 Touch and Type

By Ian posted on the 15th of September 2010 at 10:04AM

LONDON, England – The second day of Nokia World has seen the surprise announcement of a fourth device at the show. The C3 Touch and Type device combines a traditional keyboard with the benefits of a touch screen. What else is new in the latest Cseries to be announced? Read on after the break for more.
The design is reminiscent of classic Nokia devices such as the Nokia 6700 classic and Nokia 6300 phones, and gives users familiar with such models both the familiarity of their trusty older devices and single-handed operation. Plus a taste of the modern through the ability to operate the device through a touch interface.
The Series 40 device promises best-in-class communications, with Quad band phone calling, and both 3G/HSPA and WiFi internet connectivity. It comes with Nokia messaging 3.0, the latest incarnation of Nokia’s email, instant messaging and the Communities client offering Facebook and Twitter access. The device also allows users access to games and other applications through the Ovi Store.
The new C3 offers a high-quality build for your money, with a 100% stainless steel case and a 5-megapixel camera with flash on board. It will come in Silver, Warm grey and Khaki Gold colour variations. It measures 111 x 47.5 x 11mm, with the screen measuring 2.4-inches, diagonally. The device supports MicroSD memory cards for storage up to 32MB.
The C3 Touch and Type is expected to cost €145 before taxes or subsidies and will start shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.

Nokia announces powerful family of smartphones and Ovi services at Nokia World showcase; vision of location-based future brought to life (Nokia announces E7, C7 and C6-01 Symbian^3 smartphones)

Nokia World is in progress - they just announced three new Symbian phones. Meet the Nokia E7, C7 and C6. They are joining Nokia N8 to the Symbian^3 party with 720p video recording of their own along with generous use of steel and aluminum.

Starting with the Nokia E7, it's got a tilting 4" AMOLED touchscreen with nHD resolution and a four row slide-out QWERTY keyboard. It's got high-end connectivity - 10.2Mbps HSDPA, 2Mbps HSUPA, Wi-Fi b/g/n, Bluetooth 3.0, A-GPS and Cell-ID positioning along with USB On-The-Go.

Nokia E7
The Nokia E7 highlights list continue with an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash, 720p video capture, and 16GB of built-in storage. There's HDMI port with Dolby Digital Plus surround sound support. The Nokia E7 weighs a hefty 176 grams - but that's because it's made of anodized aluminum.

Nokia E7
The Nokia E7 display uses the new ClearBlack technology, which promises darker blacks, better sunlight legibility and lower power usage. The E7 is expected to cost around 495 euro (637 USD) before taxes and subsidies.
Here are some live photos of the Nokia E7. For more, check out our live coverage for our hands-on impressions of the E7.

Nokia E7 hands-on photos
Next, we're moving on to the Nokia C7 - this stainless steel beauty is just 10.5 mm thin. It too has an 8MP camera with dual-LED flash and 720p video, and the same excellent connectivity features as the E7, except the HDMI - it relies on the more traditional composite video-out instead.

Nokia C7
The Nokia C7 has a 3.5" AMOLED screen with nHD resolution and 8GB of built-in memory. But unlike the E7, the C7 memory is expandable through the microSD card slot. The Nokia C7 is expected to cost 335 euro (430 US dollars).

Nokia C7
Finally, the Nokia C6-01 (as opposed to the C6-00) is shorter than the C7 - 103.8mm vs. 117.3 mm. The screen size has been reduced - 3.2" AMOLED touchscreen with nHD resolution using the same ClearBlack technology as the E7.
The Nokia C6-01 boasts the same camera and connectivity features as the C7 (sans TV-out) and its 8GB built-in memory is extended by a 2GB microSD card in the box. It too has a stainless steel body though it's quite a bit thicker than the C7 - 13.9 mm.

Nokia C6-01
The Nokia C6-01 is the cheapest of the bunch, it is expected to cost 260 euro (334 USD). The trio comes with free voice-guided GPS navigation (of course) and are expected to start shipping some time in Q4.
And before we go - a piece of bad news. Nokia won't be announcing MeeGo devices during this event.

SOURCE:

Nokia announces powerful family of smartphones and Ovi services at Nokia World showcase; vision of location-based future brought to life
September 14, 2010

London, UK - At Nokia World, the destination for people passionate about mobility, Nokia today announced a family of smartphones powered by the all new Symbian platform which brings significant enhancements in speed and ease of use. The new devices, which are tightly integrated with enhanced Ovi services and apps, reinforce Nokia's vision of a mobile industry that is increasingly being defined by socially connected, location-based devices and experiences.  

Highlights include:

- Three new smartphones, Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6, which join the previously announced Nokia N8 to form a family of Symbian products. - The latest version of the Symbian platform brings more than 250 new features and improvements and retains the familiarity enjoyed by millions of smartphone users worldwide;
- Showcase of the Nokia N8, the ultimate entertainment smartphone and world's best cameraphone;
- Availability of a richer Ovi Store experience - starting with the Nokia N8 - that includes a friendlier look and feel, and more  popular and unique apps and games;
- The latest beta release of free Ovi Maps with new pedestrian and motorist features.

"Today our fight back to smartphone leadership shifts into high gear," said Niklas Savander, Executive Vice President, Markets, Nokia. "Despite new competition, Symbian remains the most widely used smartphone platform in the world.  Our new family of smartphones introduced today feature the all-new Symbian OS, rewritten to be faster, easier to use, more efficient and more developer friendly." Savander also commented on the high level of anticipation for the Nokia N8. "Based on the level of consumer interest and the highest online pre-orders in Nokia history, we expect big things from the Nokia N8."

A smartphone for everyone.
In addition to the Nokia N8, the new family of faster, more intuitive Symbian smartphones includes:

- Nokia E7 - the ultimate business smartphone. With Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync on board, the Nokia E7 provides direct, real-time and secure access to corporate email inboxes and other personal applications.  Equipped with a 4-inch touchscreen display featuring Nokia ClearBlack technology for improved outdoor visibility and a full keyboard, business users will find the Nokia E7 is the perfect shape and size to work on documents, review spreadsheets, or read and edit slides. For corporate peace of mind, a combination of business grade security solutions is available. Estimated retail price is EUR 495, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia E7 image

- Nokia C7 - beautifully crafted, sleek social networking smartphone. Get live updates from social networks such as Facebook and Twitter and keep track of new email from your Yahoo! or Gmail accounts directly on the homescreen. The Nokia C7 features a 3.5-inch AMOLED display and a stunning combination of stainless steel, glass and soft edges. Estimated retail price is EUR 335, excluding taxes and subsidies.

 Nokia C7 image

- Nokia C6 - the small and stylish smartphone. Sporting a 3.2-inch AMOLED display with full touch capabilities and Nokia ClearBlack technology for improved outdoor visibility, the latest Nokia C6 (C6-01) features the best of social networking and mobile entertainment in a stainless steel and glass design. Stay connected to email, access millions of tracks through Ovi Music, and download apps and games from the Ovi Store. Estimated retail price is EUR 260, excluding taxes and subsidies.

Nokia C6 image

As a smartphone family, the Nokia N8, Nokia E7, Nokia C7, Nokia C6 share several similarities. All are built on the new version of Symbian, the world's most popular smartphone platform. It strikes a balance of innovation and intuition offering a variety of improvements and features such as support for multiple homescreens, visual multitasking, gesture-based interactions and a noticeable reduction in prompts -- all while presenting a familiarity that means millions of people can pick up one of Nokia's new smartphones and instantly know how to use it. People will also discover free Ovi Maps, access to Ovi Store, messaging, social networking and other experiences that come standard across all of these smartphones.

The Nokia E7, Nokia C7 and Nokia C6 are all expected to begin shipping before the end of the year.

...with content for everyone
The new family of Symbian smartphones will include a completely updated Ovi Store experience. The new store experience is driven by a friendlier user interface and a new collections feature to quickly access popular apps and games available now, or soon, such as foursquare, Angry Birds, Need for Speed Shift and Real Golf 2011. Additionally, Ovi Store will continue to offer exclusive apps including Audiotube, Tesco and others along with favorites such as Fring, Shazam, and Asphalt 5.

For developers, the uniform Symbian platform together with the Qt development environment enables easy smartphone application creation and extensive reach.

A mobile world centered on where you are
Free access to Ovi Maps, the world's most comprehensive walk and drive navigation, to Nokia smartphones was only the start. With the latest beta release of Ovi Maps, available for download today, people will benefit from new features and even greater map detail. Ovi Maps beta adds visibility to subways, trams and trains in 85 cities around the world, real-time traffic, safety alerts in or out of navigation mode, visibility to parking and petrol stations, and speed limit warnings. In addition, people can use the improved search capabilities and share their location immediately via text messages or email to other browser-enabled phones.

New gear for on-the-go
Nokia also showcased the Nokia Bluetooth Stereo Headset BH-905i offering an improved audio experience with active noise cancellation and a collection of five unique new Bluetooth headsets designed for a variety of needs, including hands-free multitasking, talking and navigating in the car with voice guidance.

Please visit www.nokia.com/press for press materials, including photos and product information.  For more information on Nokia World 2010, please visit: http://events.nokia.com/nokiaworld.

About Nokia
At Nokia, we are committed to connecting people. We combine advanced technology with personalized services that enable people to stay close to what matters to them. Every day, more than 1.3 billion people connect to one another with a Nokia device - from mobile phones to advanced smartphones and high-performance mobile computers. Today, Nokia is integrating its devices with innovative services through Ovi (www.ovi.com), including music, maps, apps, email and more. Nokia's NAVTEQ is a leader in comprehensive digital mapping and navigation services, while Nokia Siemens Networks provides equipment, services and solutions for communications networks globally.

Media Enquiries:

Nokia
Communications
Tel. +358 7180 34900
Email: press.services@nokia.com

www.nokia.com