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Hey Nokia: don’t label me

By: , IntoMobile
Tuesday, December 5th, 2006 at 6:38 PM

People

One of the interesting running themes of the Nokia World conference has been the way Nokia is splitting consumers (i.e. us lot) into 12 distinct segments, which are being used to help the firm design its new mobile phones.

The categories are based around what you do in your life and how you use mobile technology. This morning, the company’s VP of sales and marketing in Europe, Phil Brown, showed a slide with all 12 listed. Which one are you?

- Pragmatic Leaders
- Life Jugglers
- Mature Acceptors
- Family Providers
- Simplicity Seekers
- Style Followers
- Image Seekers
- Life Builders
- Style Leaders
- Young Explorers
- Technology Stylist
- Technology Leader

Source: Mobile Digest

Your motto is connecting people, and to me that expresses the face that you care about the connection individuals make, not groups of people that fit into a nice and compact group for marketing reasons.  It may be a pretty graphic, but when you start assuming what I, as a customer want, you can go shove it. I want to tell you what I want before you even try and offer me anything. Retailers, marketers, and ordinary humans make assumptions about what people crave and desire. While we might be right a few times here and there, the best thing we can do, as human beings, is to shut up and listen.

Then and only then will you build a solid relationship with the person who already wants your product in the first place, you just have to make him feel confident in his purchase.

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About The Author

Stefan Constantinescu

Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.

  • Tommi Vilkamo

    Don’t take the categorization personally, Stephan. While I don’t like it either, it’s a necessary thing to do. How else are you supposed to decide a portfolio of products, that would cover most of the people on earth? As you know, it’s not feasible to tailor-make the devices for each individual on this planet :)

  • Tommi Vilkamo

    Stefan, I mean. Sorry for the typo…

  • Stefan Constantinescu

    Of course Tommi I understand this, but I wish Nokia got that point across better.

  • Eismaus

    I don’t see your problem.

    I like to have the highend technic gadges. But when i have to buy a now phone for my mother, it has to be the simple and eaysiest to use model avaible.

    If the made a few phones for every group and let the groups oberlap, than you have enough to choose from.