Nokia hopes Lumia 1020 campaign will make it ‘famous’ again

Nokia is hoping the marketing push behind the launch of its 41-megapixel camera smartphone will help the Lumia 1020 device become a “famous” halo product for the rest of its range and boost the appeal of the Windows Phone operating system.

Nokia Lumia 1020
Nokia CEO Stephen Elop at the launch of the Lumia 1020 in New York earlier this month.

The Finnish phone maker – the fifth biggest smartphone manufacturer in terms of market share in the in Western Europe according to research firm IDC’s first quarter figures – plans to position its marketing push around the 1020’s ability to cut down the need for consumers to carry multiple devices around with them.

The campaign, which is currently being co-created with Microsoft’s marketing department and lead agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky, will feature heavily across digital, digital outdoor and experiential to showcase the camera’s photo-taking ability and will feature “fun” and “cheeky” creative focused around the strapline “zoom reinvented”, according to UK marketing director Adam Johnson.

The 1020 marks the “next chapter” in Nokia’s imaging story, which began with the Lumia 920 device, through to the low-light photography messaging in the most recent Lumia 925 advertising campaign

Speaking to Marketing Week, Johnson said the 1020 is a “proud innovation statement” from the company and that it is a “marketer’s dream” to work on a product where its specs alone will grab attention of both the “tech leader” audience and a wider pool of consumers. 

He adds: “You can imagine the fun we will have around reinvented zoom and hidden images. We are planning to make this our famous flagship device and there will be a massive opportunity to open up the more traditional media channels as well as other channels that map the customer journey.”

Johnson says Nokia and Microsoft are now “forging ahead” making Windows Phone the “third ecosystem” and the company is working hard to get noticeable absentee apps – such as Instagram – on to its marketplace.

Nokia’s marketing budget is considerably smaller than that of Apple and Samsung’s but Johnson says his team employs an “if you can’t outspend, outsmart” mantra, which is helping it achieve cut-through.

He adds: “We have been there before as a market leader and Microsoft definitely gives a bigger share of voice than we would have alone. [But having a smaller budget than rivals] can be good for us. You’ve seen us do comparative [marketing] in the past with the [Lumia] 925, which is real challenger brand behaviour and when you know your product is better than the competition you can take these risks.”

“We will keep that cheeky element in the 1020 campaign but I doubt we will do the comparison because it is so far ahead of the competition. But we will definitely be proud in our messaging: if you want to feel like a photographer, this gives you the tools to do so.”

Johnson was promoted to the UK marketing director role in May this year following a reshuffle which saw the previous incumbent, John Nichols, joining the company’s global brand strategy team. 

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