Nokia’s New Phone

I saw this article the other day, about Nokia’s comeback phone:

I asked people on Facebook if they thought it was a goer.

There was some interesting responses which you can check out here:

Here’s my take on it:

Nokia can no longer compete with Apple or Samsung, so they are actually being different by bringing back the old Nokia.

Will their version of “being different” work?

Maybe, maybe not.

It all depends on the market.

Everything depends on the market.

If they have done their research and discovered there are a lot of people like me out there by actually interviewing people, then it could be a winner.

So who am I?

I’m the guy who’s got an iphone, but it’s a distraction. I fiddle with social media apps, etc. when I should be focusing.

This hampers my productivity.

And yet, I need a phone on to take calls at times.

But in many ways, I’d like a phone without distraction.

Ideally, I’d have an old Nokia, and a new iPhone… with the same number.

If I’m at a networking event, I use my iPhone to connect with people.

If I want to work without distraction, or just hang out with my family, I take my old phone.

There’s a book called Willpower by Roy F. Baumeister which explains this in detail.

It’s very hard to resist distraction if it’s sitting next to you.

So that’s where I think there could be a niche in the market.

And the angle could be:

—

The Phone that Boosts Your Productivity by XX%

Did you know that having your iPhone next to you while you work is a major distraction which could be costing you thousands?

It’s true.

According to XYZ study [whatever study reeals]

This could be costing you thousands of dollars in lost productivity every year.

Here’s a better way, etc.

—

Then again, I could be completely wrong.

Perhaps I’m a lone ranger. Perhaps I’m the only one that feels this way.

In that case, that campaign would flop like a dead fish.

And that’s why it’s so important to understand your market.

Yes, I know Henry Ford said “If I asked people what they wanted, they’d tell me a faster horse.”

And Steve Jobs dissed market research as well.

But these guys understood the pulse of their markets deeply.

Which is the key.

Understand your market, as intimately as possible. Understand their problems.

Find their bleeding neck.

Because if you find something they are desperate for a solution for, which nobody else spots, that could be your business unicorn.