A marketing expert has assessed the trend of entry and exit of Smartphone brands from Nigeria on account of poor understanding of the market and therefore proffered solutions for survival in Nigerian market, Africa’s most populous nation with about 200 million people.
Increasing competition in the smart phone market, high price of phones and low income of consumers and other factors may have forced those who exited the country. But speaking in Lagos recently, Habib Somoye, marketing director of Xiaomi Corporation, a Chinese electronics company in Nigeria but with headquarters in Beijing believed some brands enter Nigeria and later pull out because they did not take care of certain marketing strategies.
Somoye who was head of marketing for Gionee, another Chinese phone manufacturer before joining Xiaomi listed four factors that will enable phone brands to survive in the competitive Nigerian market.
One of the factors is after sales service. He said this should be pan Nigeria instead of Lagos alone. Speaking at the introduction of new devices from Xiaomi, Mi Note 10 and Mi Note 10 Pro and hosting of Christmas party for his consumers, Somoye said his company’s after sales service cut across pan Nigeria.
He also identified quality of phone itself is another key factor to thriving in Nigerian market. “Another differentiating factor in Nigeria’s market is offering quality and value phones with more affordable pricing”, he said.
Somoye who displays understanding of smartphone marketing also told marketers that entry strategy of devices in terms of marketing is critical key to surviving in Nigerian market. He said for instance, Xiaomi is nine months-old brand in Nigeria but it is already competing with other older brands that have been in the market for years.
“We have entry model for all segments of the market, low, mid and high categories. We don’t want to be positioned that the phone is for the rich or for the poor, it is innovation for everyone”.
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