Mobile Marketing - Nokia moves the goalposts

Mobile Marketing - Nokia moves the goalposts

February has seen the announcement of a new deal between Nokia and Microsoft, which will see the Finnish manufacturer adopt Windows Phone as the operating system of choice for its future smartphones.

A lot of people have taken their eye off Nokia recently, preferring to watch Android and the iPhone battle it out for smartphone leadership. In contrast Nokia, the one-time undisputed mobile phone champion, has been in the doldrums, with its Symbian operating system looked increasingly dated, even in its most recent incarnation.

Nokia is still the best-selling mobile brand in the world, though, and the alliance with Microsoft could revive its ailing fortunes. If it does, the implications for mobile marketing are significant.

• Firstly, for customers wanting free satnav on a smartphone, Google Maps is no longer the only game in town. Access to Nokia’s Ovi Maps is rumoured to be one of the sweeteners that attracted Microsoft to the deal. If your business is not already listed there, now would be a good time to add it.
• Secondly, the future search engine of choice on Nokia’s phones will not be Google but Bing. Many of us are tempted to overlook Bing in our search marketing in favour of Google, which has over ten times the market share. On the mobile platform battle is not won, however. Smart marketers will hedge their bets by optimising for Bing search as well – and by making sure their company is listed on Bing Local as well as Google Maps.
• Lastly, looking at mobile advertising, Google is as dominant right now as it is in search, with something like fifteen times the market share of Microsoft (source: IDC). For companies looking to push advertising to either the iPhone or Android platforms, Google’s AdMob leads the pack by a country mile. But with the deal between Microsoft and Nokia, that could be set to change.

Bruce Townsend is an expert contributor to Marketing Donut and online marketing specialist at Actinic.

For more information on mobile commerce, read our guide to mobile marketing.

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