The multimedialisation of marketing

Singapore - Marketers do not always remember that building a sub brand takes as much consistency and determination as building a brand - there are no short cuts, according to Nokia's senior VP for multimedia marketing Tapio Hedman.

From experience in creating the Nokia Nseries sub-brand two years ago to establish the brand in a new category of mobile devices called multimedia computers, Hedman said the balance can be a delicate one.  

"Staying true to the Nokia mother brand promise and identity, whilst at the same time differentiating the sub-brand with its own unique twist, is not a simple equation. We want Nokia Nseries to be seen different - but not distant - from the Nokia mother brand," he said.

As more and more functions are added to devices and convergent products gain in popularity, multimedia marketing is evolving rapidly as marketers scramble to target the technological savvy audience, which is one of the most demanding consumer segments to target and please.

Hedman highlights three trends in the area of multimedia marketing - that technology is transforming media consumption; the rise of mobile advertising as an increasingly attractive channel for brands; and the importance of experiential marketing.

"The new media space is increasingly virtual and digital, and we have moved our focus from traditional ATL-centric marketing to digital and experiential marketing. As advertisers struggle to reach personalised targeting with traditional media, digital marketing is evolving into an increasingly dominant role. One-to-one marketing, where we aim for continuous dialogue with the consumer, is a critical part of this," Hedman said.

"With mobile advertising, its unique added value is the ability to offer location based relevancy - you can receive information and offers that are specific to the place that you happen to be in."

Hedman also revealed that in marketing multimedia, there are certain characteristics unique to Asia. For instance, consumers in Asia tend to be more brand conscious and technologically savvy than those in Europe. Nokia's research cites Japan as one of the most advanced countries with up to 78% of those surveyed browsing the internet on their mobile device at least once a month, while India is setting the standard for digital convergence by adopting photography and music functionality more than other countries in the world - up to 88% of all Indians believe their mobile phone will replace the digital camera, while 86% feel it will also replace their iPod/MP3 player in the near future.

Hedman spoke to Marketing ahead of the upcoming Global Brand Forum at which he is a speaker.