<FONT COLOR="#FF0033"><B>OAC 2006:</B></FONT> Motorola's outdoor stint

Motorola is one brand that uses outdoor media both effectively and extensively. In fact, according to Lloyd Mathias, marketing director, India, Motorola Mobile Devices, Motorola keeps a sizeable chunk of its total media spend for outdoor.

Mathias was addressing delegates from the industry at the Outdoor Advertising Convention held in Mumbai recently.

According to Mathias, large-scale use of outdoor media had better recall value than any other medium, no matter what the city.

He cited the example of how Motorola made its impact among consumers by using corporate neons, huge building wraps, LCD wraps, airport displays, bus shelters, neon billboards and Moto-Buses and Moto-Cars.

Moto-Buses and Moto-Cars were mobile vans which roamed around the city, not only displaying the range of Motorola phones, but also serving as a place where consumers could get their mobile phone serviced and even download different value-added services such as ringtones and wallpapers for free.

In a recent outdoor innovation for its latest model, MotoPEBL, Motorola used the open-shut flap of the handset on the billboards, which would open and shut automatically at just a slight touch of the thumb.

Mathias said, “This effectively conveyed how easy it is to fold and unfold a MotoPEBL.”

Motorola’s objective was to provoke people to think of the brand as their next upgraded handset.

Similarly, in Dubai and in Milan, projections were used on the buildings to create the full image of MotoSLVR. At night, the 11.5 mm thick handset gave the cities the look of a silver city.

In yet another outdoor promotion for MotoCOLR, colour strips covering the entire span of the floor, in a combination of colours, ran through shopping malls, footpaths and public places, giving people a feel of colour everywhere.

Mathias attributed part of the success of MotoRAZR to the outdoor media. He said, “The USP of the MotoRAZR was its design and no media other than outdoor could have displayed the design aspect so effectively.”

He added, “After the success of MotoRAZR, Motorola has been known for its sophisticated and superior designs. Such initiatives create a stir among consumers, which, in turn, increases the curiosity about the product.”

Mathias said that Motorola had a strong technical heritage and was the No. 2 brand in mobile handsets globally. It is leading the markets in North and Latin America and is the No. 2 player in Europe, Asia and Africa. It is best known as the maker of the tough black walkie-talkies. Recently, the market share for Motorola went up from 13.5 per cent in 2004 to 21 per cent in the first quarter of 2006.

Through the years, Motorola had evolved from cell phone to lifestyle product. It had become a style statement that represented individual personality and attitude.

Commenting on the Moto designs, Mathias said, “Design is at the heart of the Moto mission. It is the vital element that sets the Moto user distinctly apart from others. More than that, it is about humanising technology and putting the user at the heart of innovation.”

© 2006 agencyfaqs!