A product that is under-marketed due to insufficient marketing campaigns is Microsoft’s smartphones. The exact marketing strategy used by Microsoft is unknown because the phones are only mentioned if and when mobile service providers mention one of the models while promoting their mobile plans. Unlike Apple and Samsung, there are few is any commercials that highlight the smartphones’ features and ownership benefits.
If I was the marketing manager for Microsoft’s smartphones, I would use three primary strategies to increase the brand’s recognition and overall sales. The first method would be the development and implementation of a social media campaign. Through companies like Facebook and Twitter, the devices would appear in sponsored ads that would only appear on the pages of individuals in the company’s desired target market. For example, if the target market is individuals between ages 18 and 45 years old, the ads would only appear on their pages. The ads would be interactive, attention-grabbing ads to ensure they are not overlooked.
Another method that I would use would be celebrity endorsement. Like certain types of shoes, Microsoft’s smartphones need to be perceived as “cool and acceptable” among the target market to encourage consumers to try them. Therefore, the marketing team would be advised to select a celebrity that has a balanced following. The selected celebrity would receive compensation for promoting the products on their social media networks as well as be required to use them in public to ensure the paparazzi capture them using them during the normal course of their lives.
The last method would be to offer promotional pricing that would allow mobile service providers to easily promote the phones to current and new customers. For example, Microsoft could allow mobile service providers to provide discounts up to a certain percentage or dollar amount to make the devices more affordable and more attractive for customers with limited budgets. Additionally, the mobile service providers could be offered increased incentives to promote the phones equally with popular models offered by Samsung and Apple.
