What Nokia needs to learn from Apple Keynotes

If the decision–makers at Nokia had a more “open” approach to things like this, then I suppose they wouldn’t be where they are right now.

Nokia press conferences are always just oh–so–typical.

“You need to have a believable, friendly, and really motivated speaker” I love this one, check out this talking about the N8, he's so freaking boring its ridiculous:

hire someone if no one can do it at Nokia but seriously would you buy from this guy, I would not

Ah dear. Is this not the product manager? I do like to see the product managers describing what they've made; but yeah, this is perhaps aimed at the ultra keen Nokia fans.

Remember this ad? Made me want an N93 immediately:

Wow, thanks for the mention on MobileIndustryReview Ewan. Quite an honour ^_^.

I'm hoping that there are many internal things at Nokia that I'm just not aware of, and without such knowledge my suggestions/rants maybe misplaced and that despite what it appears to look, Nokia actually do know what they're doing.

That's what I keep telling myself anyway. As you know, there's no way in hell such a big company could be repeating such blatantly obvious mistakes unless they're doing it on purpose, there's a reason behind them and they're not actually mistakes.

Then there's my fear that BECAUSE they're such a big company, it's difficult for one spectrum of their company to communicate with another which is detrimental to creating and executing efficient strategies.

I'm hopeful, Jay, that your piece is being distributed around Nokia's executives as I type.

Wow. I still want one 😉

The N95 only sold in the squillions because it had 5MP written on the side of the box and on the billboards.

Nokia keep expecting people to intrinsically understand why their phones are better. With a 5MP Zeiss sticker when everyone else was 3.2, that understanding was easy.

Like you say/Jay say, Nokia need to take the fight to the street. Not the geek.

Good reading and althou nothing new in it I agree.

Sometimes I think certain people (senior management people) should be tossed out right in the middle of a ordinary crowd. There, without any slides and not standing on a comfortable platform looking down, they have a pitch time of 5-10min to explain how and why their product (oh for the fun of it, say the N8) is the answer of all prays…or something.

So what you say, Mr. Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo. Are You ready to rumble?

I wonder if that would be a painful experience to watch?

“Perception, Perception, Perception” – I may be woefully out of synchronization with the rest of the mobile phone buying public for saying this, but I like the fact that Nokia do not go round ramming their products down people's throats like Apple do. Those Apple Keynotes are, for the most part, just cases of self-aggrandising drivel of the highest order. I like the perception that I have of Nokia, namely one of them wanting people to use their phones. For, and in, what ever way they so choose. Without them first needing/wanting to tell me how.

“Create new terminology for old features (‘FaceTime’, ‘Retina Display’)” – Nokia are not totally guilt free on this, but like with many companies I can manage to ignore it, however if they were to sink to the level of Apple on this then, quite simply I would never use another one of their products again, and would use what ever influence I have with my family and friends to ensure they would not either. It is, in my opinion some of the most insulting and unethical behaviour any company in any field can partake in. The message that sort of thing sends to me is something like “We don't give a damn when this feature came out, we like acting like we invented it and we think our customers are so insanely gullible they will believe what ever we say!”

“Marketing babble – Hyperbole power” – I am not stupid. I do not want not to be sold a “dream” device. I want the facts. With zero garnish. I want to be able to make my own mind up. And the assumption stated in the article that “Most people won’t have time to make their own decisions. They’ll just agree.” makes me so angry that I have smoke coming out of my ears! Seriously insulting. Even if I am not “most people” I have been brought up to believe that making sweeping generalisations of, and about, people like that is tantamount to racist behaviour of the highest order.

“The public don’t know what they want – you need to tell them” – Well, this is as the above point.

“It’s all about creating the perception of need: Make your own game with your own rules” – The sub heading of “Smoke and Mirrors” says it all. The forthcoming N8 will have plenty to offer, and I cringe, really cringe, when I think that Nokia might try this trick with it. I mean how is anyone meant to make an honest and assertive choice about buying this device when someone is trying to flog them a line. Yes, companies want to sell their products so they will not go negative at a launch, but if they don't get sucked into a game of smoke and mirrors then when people make their own minds up about a product, I believe, and if it is a negative one then at least they will not feel massively deceived! And when it is a positive one they will feel more positive about the company as a whole, given that they themselves have reached the conclusion that it is a great device and that in turn will lead to much better, and ultimately more worthy personal recommendations than people just blindly buying into the hype and then telling other people, that essentially, they believe the hype.

“You need to have a believable, friendly, and really motivated speaker” – Not if it is just someone up there for the hell of it, we would all benefit much more from having the project manage/engineer/developer stand up and share their thoughts and processes behind the latest phone from Nokia. After all we are fed so much marketing/PR crap in so many other purchases we make wouldn't it be nice for once to just get the real inside line. This point also links to points 3 to 6, inclusive. It all comes down to if you want to be spoon fed every thought, if you want all your decisions made for you, if you want to buy in to the dream or if you want to be a human being.

Superbly comprehensive, Gareth!

Can I answer with this viewpoint. I'm a Range Rover driver. I like the car because it works in fields which is useful when I go to Scotland (the proper bits, not the concrete lowlands). I also like it because it's big and as a result, people see the car easily (compared to driving my brother's Ford Ka).

But I know f-all about cars. The best I can do is stick in some coolant and the stuff for the windscreen wipers.

I like the fact it says 4.6 litre. Again, couldn't tell you what that means. It just sounds good because other people go 'wow, 4.6?' What it probably means is I am being routinely hosed at the petrol pump (£100 a tank each time).

I like the fact it says 'VOGUE' on the back. Again I am given to understand that VOGUE is better than HSE.

I like that it's got big tires. I'm less a fan of the blacked out windows — but my wife liked that for the baby.

It's got sat nav. And whatnot and blah blah.

I look at the advertising and think 'yeah, that's the one I want.'

Then I see Jeremy Clarkson driving up a mountain with it. Again, that confirms what I'd like.

Then I see various other media outlets talking up the Range Rover and it makes me feel good.

I don't know anything about cars. I just take what Land Rover's marketing says for granted and I feel good.

Now, translate that viewpoint to mobile phones. If I wasn't a mobile and tech geek, I think I'd really, really, really appreciate the Apple explanation, branding and fanfare. Because it helps me make my decision. And if the manufacturers of other phones don't jump in to help me make an evaluation, chances are, I'll believe everything that comes out of Jobs' mouth.

Good points all of these. And entirely relevant to the “Apple” case. But then I have plenty to say about anyone who has made any sort of purchase without fully understanding all the possibilities open to them in every single aspect. I guess it's a product of being conned too much in my early teenage years. I got taken to the cleaners too many times with bad Spectrum/Amiga game purchases, useless books, crappy movies and stupidly moronic gadgets that I just started reading up so much on things before I parted with my cold hard cash that I have now got used to playing my games, watching my films days and buying my phones weeks and even months after everyone else. I feel that most things can wait until after I have read as many, contrasting, reviews/opinions as possible and taken the time to have a good long think about it. And I think buying a car would be the longest process! Because I would want to test drive as many as possible, in as many different environments as possible. And truth be told I wish all people would be more like this. “It pays to know what you are buying”. But then the worlds most best PR/advertising/marketing departments and companies would not be as powerful as they are if everyone was like this. It is a flaw of human nature as much as anything else.