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June 2, 2005
Nokia outlines strategy to reduce total cost of mobile phone ownership for consumers in new growth markets
Unveils Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600, affordable, easy-to-use mobile phones, and Nokia Prepaid Tracker
Nairobi, Kenya - At a press conference held in Nairobi, Kenya, Nokia outlined its strategy to bring the benefits of mobility to new growth markets. Today, Nokia also introduced the Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 - two new mobile phones aimed at first time users and consumers in growth markets like Africa. At the same time, Nokia unveiled the Nokia Prepaid Tracker, the world's first completely networks-based solution that enables prepaid users to monitor their account balance on the handset display after each call. The Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 join Nokia's range of entry level phones which emphasize ease-of-use, reliability and affordability, and contain technological features which reduce the total cost of mobile ownership for consumers. Both models are expected to be commercially available during the third quarter 2005.
"The number of new mobile users in fast growing markets continues to rise dramatically and nowhere is the rate of growth more evident than in Africa. By the end of this year, Nokia anticipates Africa will be home to 100 million subscribers and expects the African subscriber base to double to 200 million by 2009. Nokia has been instrumental in propelling the industry towards the goal of 3 billion people connected globally by 2010 because mobility offers so many benefits, such as creating employment, opening new channels of communication for social services and even helping to stimulate economies," said Juha Pinomaa, Vice President, Mobile Phones, Nokia.
Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600
Nokia handsets are renowned for their ease of use. The Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 phones continue this tradition with a new, highly intuitive user interface that makes full use of graphical icons and large font sizes. The Nokia 1110 has an inverted black and white display (ideal for sunny conditions) whereas the Nokia 1600 has a 65,536 color display. With the new menu structure, basic features, such as managing calls and contacts, are made easier to access. Other new features include a Speaking Clock with Alarm, which announces the time in the user's local language, as well as large fonts to allow greater readability.
Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 phones have excellent voice quality and coverage based on state-of-the-art radio software with AMR and SAIC. The AMR (Adaptive Multi Rate) technology enables operators to add voice capacity within their networks smoothly and cost-efficiently. SAIC (Single Antenna Interference Cancellation) is a network independent capacity enhancing feature in the handset, improving network capacity and call quality.
Both the Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 also feature a "Demo Mode," an on-screen visual guide of primary phone functions for first-time mobile phone users. The demo guide also allows consumers to play the pre-installed games or hear the Speaking Clock without a SIM card inserted into the phone.
In addition to polyphonic ring tones with MP3-grade sounds, the Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 also feature a number of cost management features, such as Nokia Prepaid Tracker support to help users monitor their phone usage.
Weighing 80 grams, the Nokia 1110 has a talk time of up to over 5 hours and a standby time of up to 380 hours. The available colors for the standard sales packages will be White, Blue, Painted Silver, Light Grey, Mid Grey and Dark Brown. The estimated retail price, before subsidies or taxes, is expected to be 65 euros.
Weighing 85 grams, the Nokia 1600 has a talk time of up to 5, 5 hours and a standby time of up to 450 hours. The available colors for the standard sales packages will be Black, White, Light Silver, Bluish Silver. The estimated retail price, before subsidies or taxes, is expected to be 85 euros.
Nokia Prepaid Tracker
The majority of mobile subscribers in new growth markets tend to opt for prepaid services. Nokia Prepaid Tracker's up-to-the-minute account information eliminates the need - and expense - of contacting the operator for basic balance inquiries, a common cost in new growth markets. Both the Nokia 1110 and Nokia 1600 are the first to offer built-in support for Nokia Prepaid Tracker, which automatically notifies prepaid users of their account balance after each call or message.
Nokia Prepaid Tracker is available to operators now.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 11:39 AM | View the original post
Chevrolet Continues to Reach Asian Audiences with New Era Campaign
DETROIT – Chevrolet is continuing its outreach to the Asian community by extending its New Era/Revolution advertising campaign with the introduction of a new in-language ad and the launch of an industry-leading Chinese website. Chevy will also continue its unique in-store grocery campaign begun last year.
The new website — www.chevy.com/chinese — takes Chevrolet into a pioneering position by offering an in-language site not matched in the industry. The site went live in April and offers detailed product information in Chinese. No other automaker offers such a comprehensive site.
Maria Lee Rohrer, Chevrolet manager for Diversity Advertising and Promotional efforts, said it’s critical for Chevy to reach out to the Asian audience in an applicable, genuine way.
“The U.S. is a mosaic, filled with diverse people and remarkable cultures,” Rohrer said. “Chevrolet is part of the fabric of the American mosaic, and we must do our best to reach all our nation’s people in a culturally relevant way. That means reaching this audience with the right promotions in the right language.”
Rohrer said Chevrolet is stepping up its efforts to reach Asian consumers in a number of new ways. For example, GM’s call center in Portland, Oregon launched a Chinese toll-free number with six fully trained bilingual staff members who speak Mandarin. The toll-free number is 1-866-801-8011.
Chevy’s newest Chinese television spot launches this month with two versions of a Cobalt ad. The first is in Chinese to target in-language audience, and the second version is in English to target second generation Asian Americans. The spots will run in New York, LA and San Francisco on appropriate programming. In New York, the spots are targeted for Sino Vision TV and Sino TV; in LA they will appear on KSCI-Ch 18, Power TV, the Jade Channel and Phoenix TV; and in San Francisco the spots will run on TSF and Jade TV. In addition, Chevy is running the spots on the International Channel and Phoenix TV on the National satellite.
The effort works within the context of Chevrolet’s “An American Revolution” Campaign and offers Chevy a chance to create special promotions. This is the second year the division will host in-grocery store vehicle promotions featuring signage and static vehicle displays. The promotions are planned for weekends throughout the summer in Asian grocery stores located in the same target cities as the television spots.
Last year Chevrolet released a spot called “Dream,” featuring the Malibu Maxx. The dream spot has received acclaim, earning Telly Awards in the automotive and art direction categories, as well as an award from the Asian American Advertising Federation. Chevy’s intent for the future is to look at other Asian language opportunities such as Korean, Vietnamese and Asian Indian.
Chevrolet is a division of General Motors (NYSE: GM), the world’s largest vehicle manufacturer. GM designs, builds and markets cars and trucks worldwide, and has been the global automotive sales leader since 1931. GM employs about 350,000 people around the world.
Edited & Posted by the Editor | 10:44 AM | View the original post
