What Kind of Marketing Strategy Does WP Need?

[A895]

Again, those people are of the few. Look at the statistics. Everyone isn't playing those games, just a few are. Millions does not equate to the hundreds of millions of smartphone users.

There is no particular reason why people should use a WP. The only reason I can think of is subjective.

No millions are playing those games. And this is just Android numbers, millions on iOS are playing it too.

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[FinancialP]

No millions are playing those games. And this is just Android numbers, millions on iOS are playing it too.

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

Like I just said. Those millions don't equate to the hundreds of millions of smartphone users.


Downloads don't equate actual users either btw.

 

[FinancialP]

Hold up some quick searches actually support your argument.

38-50% of smartphone users play games. Ouch. I'll post the links

http://www.iacquire.com/blog/smartphone-activities-study

http://www.insidemobileapps.com/201...nd-close-to-200-hours-per-year-playing-games/

Ouch. I thought most people didn't play games.

Learn something new everyday.

 

[A895]

Like I just said. Those millions don't equate to the hundreds of millions of smartphone users.


Downloads don't equate actual users either btw.

*In 2012, the number of us playing games on our phones exceed 100 million, and we're likely to clear 120 million this year. This industry is generating real dollars, with revenues expected to be well over a billion this year.

Source:
http://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2013...n-2013-part-ii-would-you-like-to-play-a-game/

Here's another one too:

http://www.insidemobileapps.com/201...nd-close-to-200-hours-per-year-playing-games/


Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[FinancialP]

^ look above. I learned something new. Lol.

 

[A895]

Hold up some quick searches actually support your argument.

38-50% of smartphone users play games. Ouch. I'll post the links

http://www.iacquire.com/blog/smartphone-activities-study

http://www.insidemobileapps.com/201...nd-close-to-200-hours-per-year-playing-games/

Ouch. I thought most people didn't play games.

Learn something new everyday.

Yeah a good number of smarptohne users use their smartphone mainly for games. I was the same way in high school hut now I am in college I use it for web browsing, emails, calendar and checking news and forums. I do play Badlands here and there too.

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[Mellifluous]

The major problem with Windows Phone is that 1) phone shops don't push them and b) people don't have the opportunity to try them and see how fluid and user friendly they are.

Microsoft need to develop a strategy that results in knowledgeable sales people who have the ability to give WP as much attention as Android and iOS. Not necessarily push the product but just know the advantages and disadvantages and know that despite the app gap, that there are plenty of apps available.

They also need to create events that get people hyped about the product as well as allow them to experience the OS. E.g. they could have an event in a city like London which allows hands on experience. They could use special phones which allow people to set up their accounts on them and see for themselves how integrated the phones are, which are easily reset-able for the next person to use. They could also have a giveaway of lots of handsets to a number of people who use the phones to complete some actions, like taking a creative selfie and sharing it on Twitter/Facebook/Instagram etc with the phone, using various apps etc. Basically they need to create an experience like Apple when people queue overnight to buy the new iPhone. Excitement. Interest. Curiosity. Desire.

 

[TechFreak1]

They really need to get agressive, I have yet to see a windows phone advert on tv - probably saw a handful compared to ipad, iphone, galaxy and htc one m8 adverts. Sure you can offer to incentives to sales men and women, but people being people will always have a bias towards their own preference. You can spot this behavior a mile away from the way the vocal tones and body language changes.

Furthermore MS needs to have reps that make occassional visits to key places i.e Westfields in Stratford city to make sure the stores are giving WP a fair game - I have seen so many "dead" windows phones not set up properly, plugged into faulty charges, turned off and no way to turn it on as the power button is covered by the locking mechanism - All this is used by sales rep to further their egoistic bias.

This is not isolated to windows phones either but surface's as well, I went to try a surface 2 at Currys' in Mile End and it was turned off. I asked the rep why wasn't it turned on - her reply was because these devices are crap and just short out unlike the ipad gleefully . A bit annoyed I walked further down the store and I asked another rep, he came fumbled around, then gave up and asked if i would like to look at other tablets. I asked (again) out of curiosity what the problem was and he said its probably the battery, when I said why not replace it with a working unit and he said it was the only display model in stock..

Maybe it's just me and I just some how automagically trigger the sales rep's confirmation bias where as others may have a better experience lol...

 

[A895]

They really need to get agressive, I have yet to see a windows phone advert on tv - probably saw a handful compared to ipad, iphone, galaxy and htc one m8 adverts. Sure you can offer to incentives to sales men and women, but people being people will always have a bias towards their own preference. You can spot this behavior a mile away from the way the vocal tones and body language changes.

Furthermore MS needs to have reps that make occassional visits to key places i.e Westfields in Stratford city to make sure the stores are giving WP a fair game - I have seen so many "dead" windows phones not set up properly, plugged into faulty charges, turned off and no way to turn it on as the power button is covered by the locking mechanism - All this is used by sales rep to further their egoistic bias.

This is not isolated to windows phones either but surface's as well, I went to try a surface 2 at Currys' in Mile End and it was turned off. I asked the rep why wasn't it turned on - her reply was because these devices are crap and just short out unlike the ipad gleefully . A bit annoyed I walked further down the store and I asked another rep, he came fumbled around, then gave up and asked if i would like to look at other tablets. I asked (again) out of curiosity what the problem was and he said its probably the battery, when I said why not replace it with a working unit and he said it was the only display model in stock..

Maybe it's just me and I just some how automagically trigger the sales rep's confirmation bias where as others may have a better experience lol...

What can you do? If you have the product, then enjoy it but if other people are missing out because of their biases let them be. We can't make people spend money on anything. They have to convince themselves that they want to get it first.

Sent from my XT907 using Mobile Nations mobile app

 

[HAMEDACC]

I think MS should stop making that kind of advertising who competes other OS(s)
WP is great but he is still a child who should wait to be mature to compete his uncle.
"Revenge is a dish best served Cold"

 

[AngrySprintUser]

It's not about marketing at this point any more. I know that's contrary to popular belief around here, but people know what windows phone is now.

The problem is people just don't want them. No marketing can change that.

It's a conundrum. How can you make people want what they don't want?

I disagree, majority of it is all hearsay.

 

[AngrySprintUser]

I think MS started off pretty well with their ads, "The Wedding" and "The Recital" going after iPhone and Android user's fanboyisms. Even the users of those OS' kind of had to tip their caps and acknowledge that it does get that crazy. Then they started advertising about their amazing cameras.

The thing is, none of their ads really talk about the OS itself. You don't see anything advertising about the advantages of having WP. You can make fun of the competitors as much as you want but eventually you're going to have to show what you're offering. You're going to have to explain why someone would want WP, which I think Apple does a very good job of in their ads that sometimes have no dialogue at all, just people using their iphones in different situations. That's my $0.02 on it.

 

[Guytronic]

What Kind of Marketing Strategy Does WP Need?

Mmmm...
I'll say none as far as popular media.

My instincts indicate MSFT just may go on as a total entity meaning:
Waiting for the FCC to push harder for the allowance of unlocked/global devices to be sold and used on existing carrier networks (US).
More Microsoft owned and controlled retail locations.
Firming up and driving discount sales through large on-line retailers.
Working with entities outside of the usual suspects (Verizon-T-Mo\Metro-AT&T-Sprint) for data/call services.

I think companies such as Xfinity, Amazon etc... are just chomping at the bit to start selling nationwide wireless network services to smart device users.
T-Mobile\Metro may even be the first provider to fall and cut a deal with other massive media providers to open this market up...who knows.

In any case if I was Microsoft this is what I'd do.
Of course there are probably way too many FTC or other governmental roadblocks for anything consumer friendly to happen.

*Disclaimer
Just conjecture of course my views are mine and completely unfounded.

 

[Citizen X]

The major problem with Windows Phone is that 1) phone shops don't push them and b) people don't have the opportunity to try them and see how fluid and user friendly they are.

Microsoft need to develop a strategy that results in knowledgeable sales people who have the ability to give WP as much attention as Android and iOS. Not necessarily push the product but just know the advantages and disadvantages and know that despite the app gap, that there are plenty of apps available.

I agree. For much of Windows Phone's history it was relegated to a dark back corner of at&t stores. They've definitely improved it's positioning in stores but the sales effort is abysmal. No one sells these phones. MSFT and Nokia need to do secret shopper routines in US retail stores and see just how bad the sales effort is.

Personally I am kind of glad Windows Phone didn't get pushed till now. Now that I have a Lumia 1520 32 GB in my hands I think Windows Phone is ready for prime time. This thing is so much better than an iphone. The only issue now is the app gap. And the app gap is not as bad as some people make it out to be. There is a group of people that don't use that many apps and Windows Phone 8.1 is good for them. Once we get a bigger user base then we will start to get all the niche apps such as regional banks and epocrates.

 

[Jordan Laureano1]

1. 
   

   How does Microsoft need to go about improving their marketing strategy? Is it a bad strategy? Is there one at all?

   
   For me, i think it will be awesome if windows phone central apps is preinstalled to all windows phone .. Just like some apps which comes pre installed in phones.. For my experience, your updated news from windows phone are a helpful tool it keeps me updated all times.. So hope it comes pre installed so users or new users will be aware of your site almost always.. Love reading your articles

 

[Citizen X]

For me, i think it will be awesome if windows phone central apps is preinstalled to all windows phone .. Just like some apps which comes pre installed in phones.. For my experience, your updated news from windows phone are a helpful tool it keeps me updated all times..

The problem is the forum is full of people saying Windows Phone sucks or is broken so that won't help the perception side of things very much. I was merrily using whats app on my Lumia 1520 with WP 8.1 installed and I had to come here to learn it shouldn't be working and I should be upset and get an iphone.

 

[Muralidhar Parimi]

It should be like this.!

If Microsoft is working on some major apps to bring it windows phone OS then they should not inform the same thing to us early... (like BBM coming soon Cortana coming soon to other country's Etc....) because I'd they said the same thing people are expecting it very soon... For some reason if Microsoft delayed that then every body will think that Microsoft is getting delayed on everything... They will go back to "Dabba Android". They don't the value of our perfect Windows Phone OS. ( I mean no other OS will give these many of updates and older version phones also can update to new version of is.. At-least a half they can update. I mean 7.5 to 7.8 & 8.0 to 8.1 dies anybody gives like this.) ?

 

[EC Translating Services]

How does Microsoft need to go about improving their marketing strategy? Is it a bad strategy? Is there one at all?

I think marketing aside their devices are lacking core functions and good apps (This last is slowly changing) and are not ready for certain market segments, especially on the high end. So even pushing on marketing with hoards of people flocking to buy their devices, many would end up unhappy past the "tile enthusiasm" moment. Apart from this, they are slow in fixing things; there is a underlying bad attitude that makes some users (even those who, like me, have been MSFT aficionados for decades, including mice and other peripherals) leave in disgust. They really need to rethink the way all this is working and beef up the OS and the lacking functionalities.

 

[Citizen X]

I think marketing aside their devices are lacking core functions and good apps (This last is slowly changing) and are not ready for certain market segments, especially on the high end. So even pushing on marketing with hoards of people flocking to buy their devices, many would end up unhappy past the "tile enthusiasm" moment. Apart from this, they are slow in fixing things; there is a underlying bad attitude that makes some users (even those who, like me, have been MSFT aficionados for decades, including mice and other peripherals) leave in disgust. They really need to rethink the way all this is working and beef up the OS and the lacking functionalities.

Do you have any concrete substantial examples to back any of those vague statements?!

I think if you look at the objective reviews of the Lumia 1520's camera you would see it goes toe to toe with many "high end" phones. By which I mean it is BETTER than just about all of them. Also I haven't seen a single 6" phone put out by anyone with the gorgeous build quality of the Lumia 1520. I also don't see anyone with a track record of putting out phones with built in GPS with downloadable maps for the entire planet.

I use HERE Drive, Maps, and Transit all the time. I totally agree there is an app gap. There is no epcrates and no app for my regional bank. There are a lot of niche apps missing. But as far as functionality my girlfriend has to either pay through the nose for apps to do what my 1520 does right out of the box or she is simply SOL if she wants a bigger screen on an iphone or more control of her camera. I remeber my old Lumia 900 even had LTE way before she had an iphone with LTE. I was like all those apps are great but if your internet is moving at a snail's pace what good are they? Windows Phone gets no respect. HERE Drive and transit are incredibly useful apps. They are far more useful to me for business and pleasure than a billion social media apps.

It is astonishing to me that when the Lumia 900 was launched they didn't say FREE GLOBAL DOWNLOADABLE MAPS OFFLINE GPS and LTE. On road trips my phone was so much more useful than my girlfriend's. I loved watching streaming movies on the highway while she just looked sad.

 

[James8561]

^yea I agree they need to feature the phone more. especially tangibly useful features such as offline maps, live tiles, speed and smoothness, and build quality. Not many vendors talk about build quality these days as they expect people to use cases. I and many other hate cases so Lumias are best.
Also, stop being so mean to your girlfriend LOL! what does she have? I'm guessing android?