Goafest 2009: "Market needs to build on trust": Nokia India's Taneja

Goafest 2009 formally began with the Media Conclave held at the venue on Thursday afternoon. The theme for this year's conclave was 'Making the Best of the Slowdown," which saw large attendance from marketers who participated as speakers.

Vineet Taneja, head of marketing, Nokia India took a leaf out of Nokia's brand journey in India, in his presentation.

Taneja, in the first part of his presentation, focused on “What Nokia did right” to reach a position it is in today. He outlined points such as ‘Spotting opportunities from a distance’ and ‘Sailing unchartered waters’ that helped Nokia take a top-of-the-mind spot in consumer’s minds as a brand that brings in things first. 

Another strategy that helped Nokia leap ahead of competition was ‘Managing brand stretch very well’. “As a market leader, it was important for us to be present in all segments,” he said. Taneja then showcased some of the campaigns that brought forth different objectives that Nokia outlined for the Indian market, including engagement with the entry-level consumer; sell do more with your handset brand proposition and connect with the tech-geeks with the N-series campaign.

Taneja’s suggestion to tackle the recession was to take it in one’s stride and to revisit the times when the going was tough. “We need to innovate, spend smarter and look at the digital media as an option that delivers more for less,” he added “We have increased our digital spends from 9% last year to 16% in ’09.”

He also stressed on the importance of ‘trust’, a factor that gets more important than ever. “Market needs to tap and build on trust.”