It’s the day that the expected iPhone 5 is to be announced.
Around the World, people are staring at their computer screens for a glimpse of the new messiah, tweeting endlessly about what features they think will be on the new messiah and talking ad nauseum about what they’re going to do when they get their hands on the new messiah.
All this hype for a mobile phone must be sickening for brands like NOKIA, Samsung, Motorola and SONY Ericsson – once the undisputed kings of the technology.
“How can we upset Apple’s applecart?” whispers one PR individual at NOKIA HQ.
“I know …” screams another, “… let’s fill social media with something interesting about us, something that will grab people’s attention and see us as the originators … the innovators … the driving force behind the entire industry”.
Which is possibly why, mere hours before Apple were going to underwhelm the World with their 4S, I spotted this tweet from Nokia:
And there – in just 11 words – explains NOKIA’s fall from grace.
Irrelevance. Bad timing. Self delusion. Lost opportunities.
I loved NOKIA.
Hell, in some ways I still do.
NOKIA was my first mobile phone.
And my second.
And my third.
I once waited outside DIXONS electronic store to buy their first ‘style’ phone, the 2110.
Yes, even then I was a sad electronics bastard.
Based on their mantra of ‘human technology’ – they were genuine innovators.
Voicemail.
Profile Settings.
Send/Receive Emails.
… and that’s before you even get to their simple to use/understand navigation settings and accessories.
Simple. Meaningful. Effective.
How tragic that their modern history sees them resorting to either executing embarrassing PR stunts … stunts that highlight how off the mark the brands has now become … or putting out press/tweet releases at the most pointless times ever.
At a time where they should be keeping their head down and making something awesome, they are making pointless attacks on the very competition they should now be learning from.
That was why I was so impressed when I read their new CEO’s attack on the companies lethargy to innovate meaningful products.
He could see the issues … he could address the elephant in the room … he could make the changes that could make the changes.
At present it’s too early to see what will happen to this once proud beast.
Early signs are mixed, but overall more positive than they’ve been in a long time … and I hope it continues, because while their current situation makes a great case study on how even the biggest brands can be brought to their knees through blindness and arrogance, the fact is at their best, NOKIA totally ‘get it’ and if they were to recapture this spirit, then Apple would have the competition they need to really push their potential as opposed to following their current strategy of prettying-up existing tech, giving it a cool name and selling it as cutting-edge innovation.
We can hope.