Deputy Marketing Manager, TECNO Mobile Nigeria, Mr. Attai Oguche, spoke with technology reporters in Lagos on the company’s plan to increase its market share in Nigeria through the adoption of best-in-class mobile technologies and innovation that will drive customer loyalty. Emma Okonji presents the excerpts:
TECNO Mobile as a brand has been operating in the Nigerian market for some time now, how has the journey been so far?
It has been a very interesting but challenging journey so far but we are proud of all our achievements for the years we have done business particularly in places like Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya where we control their smartphone market space. In our close to 11 years of opening shop, TECNO smartphones can proudly be seen in nearly 40 countries around the world and this is not a mean feat but something worth celebrating. When we started, we noticed a market that was highly competitive, and we faced a lot of challenges but with dedication, today we can boldly say, it has been a journey that is worthwhile.
TECNO has obviously displaced some leading smartphone brands in Nigeria and most Africa countries. What will you say has been the key winning strategy?
Our successes are end products of several key strategies. So, why it might be difficult to specifically say which strategy has made our rise possible, it is important we note that our knowledge of consumer insight, local realities, market dynamics and good product segmentation have been an essential ingredient in our rise to prominence.
TECNO has bagged several notable awards and is recognised across the world for its products and contribution towards the mobile world. What is the impact of the awards and achievements on the brand?
We are humble at the recognition and several awards won so far, and we feel elated because they are evidences to our hard work. Also, we would not have achieved these much without the help of our local teams across different regions, our stakeholders and of course, our patriotic consumers.
Since the launch of the new TECNO Phantom 8, it has enjoyed impressive review from several tech analysts who claims the device has ground breaking specs. How apt is this statement?
This is not something new for us at TECNO. We are a brand that continuously innovates and when you take a look at our history in the market you will see that this notion is clear.The new TECNO Phantom 8 is unique in a lot of ways and it is one device every classy smartphone lover should have. On the Storage department, the new TECNO Phantom 8 got all it takes to beat any other smartphone right now. Powered by latest android version 7.0 media-core processor, a massive 6GB Random Access Memory (RAM) and a 64GB read-only memory (ROM) which is expandable to 128GB via its MicroSD slot.
The design of the TECNO Phantom 8 is beautiful and carries a lot of modern influences: an all sleek-metallic luxury finish with rounded chamfered edges and subtle curves to deliver an amazing touch. These elements balance the beauty and the strength of the device.
How will you describe the strength of the new TECNO Phantom 8 in terms of image capturing?
Of course, users will capture amazing images with the 20MP selfie and 12/13MP rear camera that the new Phantom 8 flaunts. One amazing thing about the camera of the device is that, the 20MP selfie camera captures stunning, high-resolution photos with zero shutter lag. These are just some of the things the Phantom 8 users will enjoy.
The Phantom 8 enjoyed a massive global launch in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates just like its predecessor TECNO Phantom 6/6Plus. Is it then appropriate to say that TECNO is totally shifting market focus to South-east Asia and the Middle-east?
Not at all. We are simply spreading our wings and doing all we can to take over every market we get into by continuously dishing out top of the line devices. At TECNO, we have adopted a unique strategy we like to call ‘Glocal’- that is, think global and act Local. This concept has helped us and our over 250 engineers to endlessly produce enough smartphones with tailored features for both our African and global customers while maintaining a truly global standard in product innovation and quality.
Last year’s edition of the Phantom was the Phantom 6 and this year’s edition is the Phantom 8. Why did the company skip the Number 7?
Well, we know our esteemed users expected the Phantom 7 as it is meant to be the immediate number after the Phantom 6/6 Plus but since our engineers did a wonderful job during production, we decided to budge ahead with the Phantom 8 and I can confirm to you, that users are in for a big treat with the device.
The market challenge of after sales, comes with increased mobile shipments to any market. What strategy has the TECNO Mobile brand adopted to cope with increasing after sales demands in Africa markets?
CarlcareTM our after sales division currently host the largest network of after sales centres with trained local engineers. In Nigeria alone, we have about 95 centres which employ over 100 engineers. Our updated after sales policy also reflects innovation in customer service.
We strive to stay ahead of the curve in customer satisfaction and that is what is endearing customers to the brand. For instance, TECNO Mobile introduced 12+ months warranty to Nigeria’s mobile market. We have taken that even a step further. Now CarlcareTM operates return policy for factory defect products of the TECNO Mobile brand. For our flagship products, we now offer free expense screen insurance policy, which means that users of our premium phone lines like the TECNO Phantom 8 smartphones can enjoy free screen insurance on their device in CarlcareTM outlets nationwide, even though it comes with some terms and conditions attached to it.
Tell us more about yourself and the TECNO brand that you currently represent?
I will like to begin with the TECNO brand, which comes with lots of innovation that will continually enhance customer experience. The brand will continue with its research and development plan to always create customer-tailored mobile devices that are affordable and still meet the customer needs, in line with the customer lifestyle.
For my details, I am a graduate of the Lagos Business School (LBS) and I have worked with top brands such as P&G, Airtel, Reckitt Benckiser, Cadbury, La Casera, British council, Coca- Cola, Nokia, Google, Diageo brands like – Johnnie Walker , Baileys to name a few. Having garnered wealth of experience in my previous employments, I have brought such marketing innovation and communications experience to managing the Tecno Mobile brand. An astute communications person with over 10 years of professional work experience with top flight agencies, I have been responsible for conceiving and executing numerous brand activation and sponsorship campaigns for the TECNO Mobile brand.
