It was supposed to happen sooner, and it was supposed to have an earthshaking impact on the consumer mobile market. Neither of those predictions came to pass, and now that Microsoft has finally got Nokia’s device unit under its wing, the software giant has a lot of ground to make up, in both market share and consumer confidence.
Ronn Torossian, CEO of 5WPR in NYC, says Microsoft has weathered PR problems before, but now consumer PC sales are plummeting, and the mobile market is more than taking up the slack. Not only are people who used to buy PCs now investing in hand held devices, consumers who never did “get” the personal computer are grabbing tablets and smart-phones in droves.
Microsoft freely admits it came late to the game – and its early forays into the market offered a less than stellar track record. Bringing Nokia into the fold instantly vaults Microsoft into a second place position in mobile device manufacturing, with about 14% of the market, but its Windows OS is lagging far behind industry powerhouses Apple and Samsung. Since the acquisition, Microsoft is predicted to see its OS grow faster than any competitor, but, four years from now, it is still only expected to account for about 7% of the market. If that’s the silver lining, Microsoft has some work to do.
From a public relations and a market strategy position, Microsoft is starting off on the right foot.
The mobile first and cloud first approach is new for Microsoft, and from a PR perspective, a major shift in their consumer brand understanding. Major, but definitely necessary. The world is no longer tethered to anything, and Microsoft must shed its “family PC” image if it hopes to compete in the present and future of the consumer computing marketplace.
PR companies with experience working with the Nokia brand include Cohn & Wolfe, Text 100, Ogilvy PR & APCO Worldwide.
About Ronn Torossian
Ronn Torossian is the Founder and CEO of 5W Public Relations. He is an experienced leader in the public relations industry with over 20 years of experience. Ronn Torossian has been named as Public Relations executive of the year by the American Business Awards, and has run countless award-winning Public Relations programs.
