Nokia eyes youth via sports, fashion shows

Telecommunication equipment major Nokia plans to make India its second largest market globally. The country is at present the fourth largest market for the company.

Towards this end, the company has adopted a series of marketing initiatives to capture youngsters who constitute 60 per cent of the company's customer base. According to the company, China was the largest market for Nokia, followed by the US and UK.

Devinder Kishore, director - marketing, Nokia India, told Business Standard that the initiatives included organising music and fashion shows, apart from organising sports and games championships.

"During the last one year, we have organised 10 big music events in the country by sponsoring singers like Brian Adams (in Bangalore in February 2006) and Rock Rules in association with music channel VH1," Kishore said.

Besides, the company is soon going to sponsor a show by Australian music band Flip Side in Mumbai. Apart from music shows, the company is also sponsoring campus rock events in colleges and smaller pubs.

Kishore said, "The chances of a musician getting sponsorship from Nokia is very high, if he/she is coming to India."

Nokia studies the markets where it operates and provides features as the requirements, he said.

"Apart from sports and games, the company is also conducting fashion shows in key cities in the country to encourage youth participation."

According to the company, Defend Your Turf is open to all Indians between the age of 15 and 25. The challenge is a seven minute street football match comprising five players on each sides.

In the first round of the competition, Nokia will spot regional champions in New Delhi, Bangalore, Mumbai and Kolkata who will then playoff against one another in Kolkata on June 17 for the national finals. The winning team will finally play against a five-member team from Brazil at Maracana stadium there.