Every new smartphone these days has a feature that is its USP. Sometimes it’s the camera, sometimes it’s the battery life and so on. Oppo however added extra glamour to features for their Find N3 Flip. The brand has onboarded Zeenat Aman, Jackie Shroff, Janhvi Kapoor and Siddhant Chaturvedi as ambassadors for their new campaign that targets to bridge the gap between the past and present. The new spot is a take on combining the best features of the brand’s previous flip phone and the new one.
Damyant Singh Khanoria, chief marketing officer, OPPO India, talks to Storyboard18 about their new campaign, staying ahead in the competitive smartphone market and more.
Edited excerpts
How does OPPO’s #MadeToBeIconic campaign aim to bridge the past and present, and what are its core objectives in the context of the launch of OPPO Find N3? Can you elaborate on the specific role that Bollywood icons from two generations play in reinforcing the brand message for the OPPO Find N3 Flip within the campaign?
OPPO’s #MadeToBeIconic campaign, accompanying the launch of our newest foldable, the OPPO Find N3 Flip, is a remarkable attempt to bridge the past and present, bringing together two generations in the world of Bollywood to celebrate the phone’s timeless elegance. The core objective of this campaign is to generate excitement and anticipation for the OPPO Find N3 Flip launch.
By featuring the ‘OGs’ (original) and ‘Gen Zs’ of Bollywood like Zeenat Aman, Jackie Shroff, Janhvi Kapoor, and Siddhant Chaturvedi, OPPO aims to emphasise the phone’s capacity to transcend time and trends.
This is showcased through Janhvi Kapoor recreating Zeenat Aman’s iconic ‘Laila O Laila’ moment with the OPPO Find N3 Flip, symbolising timelessness. Jackie Shroff and Siddhant Chaturvedi, each with their unique charm, reinforce the idea that the OPPO Find N3 Flip is a device that can resonate with individuals from all walks of life and age groups.
This aligns with OPPO’s reputation for style and innovation, making this star-studded lineup a perfect fit for the brand.
What are your media plans around it? How would you be using the World Cup to amplify reach and engagement?
The media plan for OPPO’s #MadeToBeIconic campaign strategically integrates a multi-channel approach, with TV and digital platforms as key drivers along with ads between the World Cup to maximise reach. This synergy between our product launch and the campaign plan will amplify brand visibility and engagement, ensuring that a broader audience gets to know about the OPPO Find N3 Flip.
In the competitive smartphone market, how do you plan to stand out?
The OPPO Find N3 Flip redefines flip phone innovation with several industry-first features, including a triple camera setup developed in collaboration with Hasselblad, bringing a unique approach to photography. It offers an authentic UI experience and an array of artistic filters to amplify the creative potential of users. Moreover, it is TUV Rheinland certified, ensuring exceptional durability with 600,000 folds, equivalent to over 100 daily folds for 16 years of use.
The phone’s vertical cover screen represents a paradigm shift, supporting more than 40 of the most popular apps, such as Gmail, Google Pay, Maps, X (Twitter), Outlook, Uber, WhatsApp, and Calendar.
It’s remarkable that users can access all these apps without even opening the phone. One standout feature is the Flexform Interval Shooting, which enables users to capture multiple photos with a single tap and effortlessly select favourites to create captivating GIFs.
It’s like having a world of customisation right at your fingertips, making it the most versatile cover screen on any flip phone.
Could you shed light on OPPO’s broader strategy and objectives behind the launch, and how the OPPO Find N3 contributes to the company’s goals, particularly in the premium smartphone segment?
OPPO is driven by a strong commitment to technology innovation, making significant strides in smartphone photography, materials, durable design, creaseless foldable displays, safe fast-charging battery technologies, and OS optimisation. We believe that Indian consumers are well-informed with very specific needs, and our offerings will resonate with people who are looking for a smartphone that suits their purpose and lifestyle.
Foldable phones have been driving the premium segment, so it made perfect sense for OPPO to step into the foldable market earlier this year with the Find N2 Flip.
The Find N2 Flip—a culmination of five years of R&D— brought together the best in foldable technology and design and created an inflexion point in the flip phone industry. After the success of the Find N2 Flip earlier this year, we are excited to introduce our latest flip, the Find N3 Flip. This new iteration improves the Find N2 Flip’s winning formula with upgrades in cover screen functionality, camera experience, and performance.
With our strong growth in the Indian foldable phone market, we are anticipating a 2X growth for our next foldable, the Find N3 Flip, compared to the last one.
As a marketer, what are the top trends to watch out for in the space in terms of marketing strategy as well as consumer preference, in the rest of the financial year?
In today’s ever-evolving marketing landscape, a few key trends are shaping the path ahead for the remaining financial year. Firstly, there’s a growing emphasis on a unified marketing approach that blends online and offline strategies seamlessly. Consistency in branding, whether it’s in the online or offline realm, is vital for establishing and reinforcing brand recognition.
Social media has a central role in bridging the gap between digital and offline marketing efforts. Encouraging customer interaction through social platforms, offering incentives, and cross-promotions are effective means of achieving this synergy. In addition, combining online analytics with offline customer data provides invaluable insights into the customer journey, thereby boosting marketing strategies.
Different generations have diverse expectations, and it’s essential to tailor marketing strategies accordingly. Gen Z, with its growing influence, demands authentic and non-traditional campaigns, while millennials, Gen X and baby boomers require unique approaches to engage effectively.
An example of this approach is our #MadeToBeIconic campaign, which brought together both OGs and GenZs of Bollywood to celebrate our phone’s timeless elegance. Additionally, our partnerships with celebrated celebrities like SS Rajamouli, Varun Dhawan and Ranbir Kapoor in various series also exemplify our diverse marketing strategy.