Has Wieden got the idea for the Nokia N8 right?

Wieden and Kennedy’s launch ad for the Nokia N8 features blind photographer Gary Waite taking pictures with the new Nokia phone. Has Wieden come up with a winning idea for the struggling mobile phone manufacturer? I’d have to say no I don’t think so.

The reasons?

The ad, while conceptually strong, doesn't address key perceptions or misperceptions about the brand. Nokia is largely seen as a has-ben (at least as far as smart phones are concerned). It’s technology is both indistinctive and of questionable relevance and value to consumers today. This is a key issue that the advertising hasn’t addressed and needs to urgently if it’s to take the brand some place other than the mortuary.

What Nokia needs to be doing, whether through the N8 or a separate brand initiative, is giving its prospective buyers confidence. Confidence comes from providing people with a vision, one they can relate to and want to be part off. Nokia has not provided this through advertising or any other form of communication with its audience. Until it does so, it is unlikely to dislodge its competitors as a brand of choice in the competitive smart phone category.

The ad is strategically weak. It is based on a tenuous platform – better pictures. If people are interested in high quality pictures, they’d be using a proper camera - not a phone that doubles up as one.

The credibility for their camera feature is weak too.

It’s based on an award from ‘what digital camera’ – how many know the brand or see it as a credible source of endorsement I ask?

True, Wieden would have had its challenges doing this ad, the biggest among them being a product with nothing much to talk about but its camera feature. Still, it remains, the agency hasn’t cracked one of its trademark game-changing ideas the way it has for Old Spice, Nike or even most recently the Chrysler 300 (show where you’re going, without forgetting where you’re from).

Wieden, like Nokia, need to figure out what their brand story is, is relevance to consumers lives and why they should believe and buy it. 

An idea is what it's all about

Martin Puris, of Ammirati Puris once said that ’80% of all advertising fails because it is not based on a strong idea.’

Martin knows a thing or two about ideas. He’s come up with quite a few in his lifetime. Including BMW, ‘the ultimate driving machine’ and Club Med -‘the antidote to civilization.’  

What these ideas were successful in doing was position the brands that held them successfully against their competitors carving a unique niche for themselves in the process.  

Other brands that also developed clear ideas for themselves were POSB - ‘neighbours first, banker’s second.’ Absolutely brilliant. Hasbro - ‘the family is together again.’ And Disney - ‘magical experiences.’ 

What makes each of these ideas special? Again, they vocalize a belief or point of view that competitive brands don’t and create a unique and resonant position for themselves.

O,k so a few brands have created a clear idea for themselves. Why is defining this idea so important however? The reason is this - a clear idea gives a brand focus. And in doing so keeps not only communication but also products, people and investments on track. 

The trouble with brands today?

Not enough time is spent defining the core idea on which they will be based. The result is logic that’s fuzzy, and advertising and customer perception that invariably is too. 

The process of developing an idea for one’s brand is quite straightforward really. It starts with a look at the category in which the brand operates, the brand itself and the consumers it serves. Usually, I’ve found, an opportunity will reveal itself once the 3 key areas (category, consumer and brand) are put underneath the microscope. 

From this point on, a creative leap is required however to turn an opportunity into a genuinely strong and resonant idea.  It’s a lot of work to do this, but the result - a much sharper focus for your brand - is well worth the trouble and effort. 

The Planning Agency has a number of tools to help clients define the core idea their brand stands for. To find out more, call us on 9386 8678 or e-mail patrick@theplannignagency.com.,sg