HMD Global dials up PR and social efforts in Malaysia with new agency partner

HMD Global, the brand licensee holder for Nokia, has appointed Team Lewis for PR and social media campaigns in Malaysia. The agency will provide brand, communications and issues consultancy, as well as media relations, content creation and monitoring for Nokia mobile within Malaysia. It will also work alongside HMD Global’s marketing team to bring the brand’s vision to life and strengthen Nokia mobile’s presence within the community.

As the consumer technology industry continues to evolve at a rapid pace, HMD Global is looking to build a positive brand reputation and increase focus on marketing efforts to further expand its footprint in Malaysia. The appointment is for a year and follows a three-way pitch. According to the brand's spokesperson, all three agencies each displayed individual strengths in their own way. However, traditional marketing as what the industry knew before COVID-19 no longer cuts it anymore.

"We needed an agency who could think out of the box and yet has all the data available which would be able to assist us in making decisions in the new normal era. An era that we’re pretty unfamiliar with and still learning," the brand said.

Malaysia country manager Goh Doh Hau said while building its technology, it also wants to draw focus to its sustainable business practices. "We look forward to creating breakthrough campaigns with Team Lewis that drive our key messages forwarded," Goh said.

Meanwhile, head of marketing-Pan Asia, Liew Huey-Ling, said Malaysia's smartphone industry is a competitive space. Hence, it wants to work with an agency partner that is able to offer deep industry insights, understand its marketing requirements and go beyond conventional tactics to deliver creative solutions that increase its brand penetration in the market.

"We were impressed with the consumer technology experience that Team Lewis brings to the table. As such, we look forward to working with Team Lewis to bring the brand to greater heights," she added. Meanwhile, Team Lewis Malaysia's MD Ann Chong said it is excited to work with a progressive brand like Nokia mobile and looks forward to effectively translating the brand's vision into reality with our creative storytelling. 

According to the brand, agility and flexibility are key to cut through the marketing clutter. However, caution in planning must be exercised with "painstaking detail", the brand said. The pandemic has also accelerated changes in several areas, such as online buying, and HMD Global sees them as opportunities to be seized.

"We are ready for recovery and we will be ready to capture the resurgence of demand. Afterall, change is constant, and we will thrive through change with the new normal," the company said.

Last August, HMD Global bagged US$230 million in funding which was used to fuel four key areas. The company aims to accelerate its mission to make 5G smartphones accessible to consumers worldwide and further transition to digital-first offerings as part of the a new post-COVID reality. Last year, it also launched an international data roaming service, HMD Connect, enhanced its mobile cybersecurity capabilities with the acquisition of assets of Valona Labs, and built dedicated resources on software, security and services with a new research and development Centre of Excellence in Tampere, Finland.

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