There are no second thoughts to the fact that Social Media is here to stay. Primarily, what has enabled social media to reach such stellar heights is the explosion of Smartphones empowered with Social Media widgets that let one stay social, practically all the time. It is only justified now to take a look at what these various handset manufacturers are themselves doing on Social media to woo prospective buyers.

Nokia:

During the launch one of their products, Nokia N95, which came in about at the same time as that of Apple’s iPhone launch; the team at Nokia anticipated how overwhelming the enthusiasm about iPhone would be and how it will overshadow their device. What followed was an aggressive social media campaign spanning multiple platforms, prior to the launch and post that too.

Nokia did an extensive research while meticulously listening to what customers think and feel. For sharing experiences, annoyances and ideas about cell phones in general, it set up a dedicated blog.

During the development stage, there were constant blog updates by employees, developers and enthusiasts alike to keep one and all in the loop. Post launch, a viral campaign for the Nokia N95 about ‘jealous computers’ generated a massive online response. This one most definitely qualifies as one of the most highlighting campaigns of all time that testifies to doing social media, right.

The jealous computers website as a part of the viral campaign

More recently, the launch of Nokia Lumia had the Social Media set abuzz along with support from on-ground activation. Nokia UK on its launch of Lumia in London, uploaded a video on YouTube of an actual activation that brought together Sound artist, Deadmau5 and world’s most advanced 4D projection technology to create a sensation. In no time the video went viral and created waves across the World Wide Web.

Nokia Lumia ties up with Deadmau5 for its London launch

Nokia’s Facebook page currently has over 8 million fans and hosts dedicated tabs for ‘Discovering Nokia Lumia’, ‘Lumia Family’, the next big product from under the Nokia banner, ‘Nokia 808 PureView’.

Meanwhile, Microsoft has already started experimenting with the latest platform to hit the Social Media world, Pinterest. Microsoft is holding a contest where one stands a chance to win a brand new Nokia Lumia 900. Users have to re-pin a massive image of the phone and create a board explaining what he/she would with the free time. Although a bold move, the results of its success is yet to be ascertained.

Samsung:

Samsung Galaxy S III social media presence campaigns have already shown us what is next. The live ‘Unpacked 2012’ in London for the launch of the same, a video uploaded by Samsung on to YouTube has already garnered close to 35,000 hits in a week’s time. With a robust 7.5 million strong Facebook fan base, Samsung has a dynamic showcase of their latest products to have hit the market. Dedicated product tabs for Galaxy Nexus, Galaxy Note, Galaxy Tab 10.etc. give out essential details regarding the device and viewers are encouraged to interact real-time on Twitter.

Samsung Galaxy S III Unpacking at London

YouTube videos of Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 consisted of a mix of professionally produced promo films and homemade videos presented in a honeycomb reactionary flash navigation at the top of the Samsung YouTube channel.

Professionally produced videos include the Samsung sponsored Superbike Team (Samsung crescent racing team) shown using the Samsung Galaxy tab as a part of their race preparations on test day.

Samsung Galaxy tab 10.1 being used in race preparation

BlackBerry:

The Canadian based former heavyweight in the mobile manufacturing business, Research in Motion’s (RIM) flagship Smartphone line, Blackberry has, despite having lost its unique position in the marketplace today, has a loyal and a strong fan following of more than 11 million on its Facebook page. Its YouTube channel boasts of a staggering 36 million views and counting. Despite not having an aggressive social media plan, it has still managed to hold the interest level of its customers through the 3 primary social media channels i.e. Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

The Twitter page for RIM has Blackberry community managers on their twitter background, lending more credibility to the overall real-time networking with customers and prospects. Dedicated Tab on Facebook celebrating their flagship property, ‘BBM (BlackBerry Messenger) Generation’ is a way of connecting to fans. This encourages fans to participate in various challenges, share experiences and grow as a community. Other tabs serve as a library for product catalogs and Apps.

One particular campaign exclusively promoted through the Facebook brand page tab, BlackBerry Trade Up has been a unique initiative by Blackberry to let users upgrade to a higher model by going through a systematic procedure as explained on the tab. By the end of the procedure, the user gets a final shipping label with a final quote that he/she can use at the store to procure the handset.

BlackBerry’s Trade Up tab on Facebook

Micromax:

This Indian, wireless telephone manufacturer has been gradually notching up its social media presence as a way to combat competition from global giants in handset manufacturing business.

Micromax Mobile’s YouTube channel has been seeing a steady rise in the number of views and currently stands at about 410k which is pretty decent a count for an underdog in this business. Through Facebook, it targeted its gradually climbing user base by holding a unique youth oriented ‘Re-design the logo’ Contest is in association with Talenthouse India, an online platform for artists. The response was overwhelming and this idea of social crowdsourcing was an ace in the books for all who are trying to create an impression on the Social front.

Micromax’s Re-design the Logo Contest on Facebook

The road to El Dorado!

From what is evident, mobile is the key element of future. Chances are, more handset manufacturers would foray into the market and in due course of time enter the big league. A look at Micromax and we can pretty much anticipate similar ventures. With the competition to outsmart rivals growing intense and the traditional mediums not showing a definite promise in making a sure cut, Social Media is going to be the differentiator.

Whoever gains the majority share of voice in the social space has an edge over the rest. The ones in the big league are doing it already. The ones who are coming up, are getting there, the others are bound to follow suit. With the advancement in technology aiding seamless integration of social and real-time media, this industry can expect a lot of action in times to come.

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Tags: BlackBerry, Micromax, mobile phones, nokia, samsung, Social Campaigns, Social Media

This entry was posted on Tuesday, May 8th, 2012 at 9:30 AM and is filed under Brand Promotion, Social Media, Social Media Marketing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.