Proof: #Nokia on #Android won’t be another “generic smartphone” @nokiatech
|In May this year, Nokia announced a comeback in the mobile market via an interesting corporate scheme. Nokia licenced its brand and patents to a Finnish start-up called HMD Global, owned by Smart Connects Lp whose president is former Nokia executive Jean-Francois Baril. Nokia secured a seat in the ‘Board of Directors’ and pledged to control and supervise each and every aspect of the usage of the Nokia brand.
NokiaMob has found two jobs posting that confirm that Nokia Technologies, part of Nokia responsible for brand licencing, will indeed control every aspect of HMD’s operations. Job postings reveal that Nokia Technologies will supervise the build quality of Nokia-branded devices and marketing activities in which the Nokia brand will be used. The two positons open are:
Head of Brand Experience for Brand Partnership
This is a new and dedicated role in the brand licensing team created to work with HMD which has an exclusive global license to create Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets.
In this role, you will be responsible for coaching and approving the brand/marketing related activities that our brand licensee will be planning and executing across all markets. You will manage the relationship with a team of brand managers that will be recruited over time.
To support and ensure the success of our brand licensees, you will need to:
- Act as the Nokia brand custodian and expert in the day-to-day planning and execution of activities with Nokia’s brand licensee for phones and tablets.
- Coach and approve all use of the Nokia brand in activities (marketing, events, products, customer service, press relations etc).
- Leverage the activities of the brand licensee and grow awareness, preference and consideration of the Nokia brand in the consumer space making sure there is alignment with internal Nokia teams (other business units, corporate etc)
- Help monitor, highlight and drive corrective actions for any deviations from our brand requirements by our licensee
- Support the Head of Brand Partnership in creating a collaborative relationship with our partners.
This position reports to the Head of Brand for Nokia Technologies.
Requirements
In order to succeed in this role, we expect you to have:
- Bachelor in business majoring in marketing or brand management
- 12+ years’ experience in brand management, marketing, brand licensing or a combination
- Experience in the technology industry is a definite plus
- Able to manage across markets in a dynamic setting
- Great interpersonal skills, is able to work collaboratively with internal and licensee teams
- Good presentation and negotiation skills
- Able to travel : 20% – 30% of the time
Brand Manager for Brand Partnership
This is a new and dedicated role in the brand licensing team created to work with HMD which has an exclusive global license to create Nokia-branded mobile phones and tablets.
In this role, you will report to the Head of Brand Experience for Brand Partnership and work with him/her to help coach and approve the brand/marketing related activities that our brand licensee will be planning and executing across all markets.
To support and ensure the success of our brand licensees, you will need to:
- Support the head of brand experience in actions protecting / growing Nokia brand value and achieving BP business targets in the regions.
- Help develops and communicate Nokia brand requirements in the regions.
- Validate regional marketing campaign execution and visibility and manage requests for local deviations.
- Help coach our partner’s marketing organization on the Nokia brand and its use.
- Lead Nokia marketing contributions in the region (comms, online, brand research).
- Validate partner GTM and marketing execution in region.
- Support the Brand Director for Brand Partnership in creating a collaborative relationship with our partners.
Requirements
In order to succeed in this role, we expect you to have:
- Bachelor in business majoring in marketing or brand management
- 7+ years’ experience in brand management, marketing,brand licensing or a combination
- Experience in the technology industry is a definite plus
- Able to manage across markets in a dynamic setting
- Great interpersonal skills, is able to work collaboratively with internal and licensee teams
- Good presentation and negotiation skills
- Able to travel : 20% – 30% of the time
This revelation should ease the scepticism surrounding Nokia and HMD, and debunk the popular statement that Nokia devices powered by Android will be just generic ‘Made in China’ smartphones with a Nokia logo.