IT is evidently clear that Nokia was at least the hottest property in business parlance and its dominance in mobile phones was a force to reckon with.
You will remember how the mighty mobile phone manufacturer was famously known for its durable products and a solid battery life. Not in a million years would the ordinary people have imagined that Nokia’s fortunes would take a sharp turn for the worst.
The decline in market share and influence of Nokia begs a pertinent question as to how the giant iconic brand fell from grace. This article will attempt to establish the dynamics of that fall.
Slow to adapt to phone evolution
In a fast-paced world of technology, Nokia failed to realise how deft mobile operators were and how fast they were garnering momentum on advancing smart phone technology and improving the lives of techno savvy customers.
Nokia became too relaxed on the smart phone evolution and made the dire assumption that consumers would continuously be lured by a lengthy battery life and durability of mobile phones.
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While durability was an imperative factor, the smart phone evolution became an attractive feature to the 21st century customer, who realised that life would be made less complex through smart phone technology.
The emergence of android gathered serious pace and Nokia was caught by surprise as people started preferring the smart phones.
A lacklustre operating system
When Nokia realised that smart phone evolution was the future, they should have produced a top of the barrel operating system that would overshadow the android system, which had emerged. Unfortunately, the Symbian operating system was marred with flaws and could not make the desired inroads.
The android system was a well-polished operating system, which saw many loyal customers running from Nokia. This was a major cause of downfall for the Nokia brand.
Poor marketing strategies
Marketing plays a significant and pivotal role in shaping a brand’s success and perception. Brands like Samsung and Apple adopted the umbrella marketing strategy, which was a focal point for expanding their product lines.
However, Nokia failed to follow suit on the umbrella branding strategy, missing out on the opportunity to create a cohesive and recognisable brand identity.
Inefficient selling and distribution methods further eroded customer confidence, which was sufficient to diminish their market presence.
Overconfidence in brand strength
Nokia firmly believed that despite launching their smart phones late, people would still flock their stores and make purchases and yet in essence, those delays in making the technological advancement was also proving to be a litmus test as far as staying relevant was concerned.
It was always imperative for Nokia to move with the times and take advantage of their edge as they had been in the industry for a considerable amount of time.
Taking chances and leaving it until the last hour proved to be a grave mistake and cost them a whole market share.
Conclusion
Nokia's failure can be attributed to a combination of factors that hindered its ability to adapt, innovate, and stay competitive in the mobile phone market.
The resistance to smartphone evolution, missed opportunities, ineffective marketing strategies and a lacklustre operating system proved costly.
Ultimately, Nokia's decline serves as a reminder of the importance of staying agile, embracing change, and continuously evolving to meet consumer demands.
Nyatanga holds a Bachelor’s degree in banking and investment management. — blessnyatanga@gmail.com/ 0784909184.