Nokia TECH was looking to disrupt the tech industry by shifting its focus to an entirely new market: virtual reality. RFI Studios worked with Nokia to devise an integrated marketing campaign that would build buzz around the Nokia brand and its reentrance into the tech world with OZO, the first VR camera designed for professional content creators.
With Nokia introducing OZO as its first VR product, it was crucial to build credibility in this emerging space. RFI needed to clearly distinguish Nokia TECH's camera as the industry standard, positioning OZO as the preferred solution for professional content creation, as well as promote thought leadership in tech, innovation and PR to position Nokia as an industry leader.
The program started with an "always-on" content approach, which kicked off months before the official consumer launch of the camera and helped establish the OZO brand. Harnessing themes such as VR education and "Nowhere Now Here," RFI created original social content for platforms including LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook that positioned Nokia TECH as a thought leader in the industry and generated engagement with fans. RFI also produced live content from OZO's announcement event in July and OZO's official commercial launch in November – including live tweets, image posts and a live edit of a behind-the-scenes video from the top of the Capitol Records tower. Posts were supported by paid media that was targeted to specific audience segments, such as industry professionals and certain members of the informed public.
RFI Studios and Nokia worked closely with VR industry influencers to position and promote OZO as a game-changing camera. RFI identified eight professionals who were able to shed light on the impending impact of OZO across fields such as virtual reality, filmmaking and journalism, and highlight the impressive technical specs of the product. Influencer posts were spread strategically over the course of the program and culminated in an invitation to the OZO launch event, giving influencers a chance to gather exclusive content for an additional post or article.
In a groundbreaking program, RFI Studios and Nokia partnered with Capitol Records to produce the first ever live-stream in virtual reality, recording the indie band Best Coast on the roof of the Capitol Records tower and streaming it live to the OZO launch event in downtown Los Angeles through a VR headset. This allowed the viewer to feel like a participant in the experience, which generated much excitement with executives, reporters and event attendees alike and lent new meaning to the phrase "I'm with the band." Besides the actual VR output, RFI was able to capture some behind-the-scenes footage to nicely complement the event coverage and content, which can be viewed here.
The digital program was complemented with message development, media relationships, speaking opportunities at industry events and internal engagement at Nokia.
This integrated campaign successfully repositioned Nokia TECH as an innovator in the VR market, joining brands such as Samsung, Google and Facebook, and reinforced the company's ability to reinvent itself in an evolving industry. The campaign brought Nokia TECH, a newcomer in the VR space, to the forefront of the industry and demonstrated its value and potential to peer companies and customers. Engaging with influencers, connecting with media and introducing the first-of-its-kind product through two launch events positioned Nokia as a leader in the market and set a new standard for VR content creation. During a time of transition for the company, RFI helped Nokia establish itself as an innovator in an innovative market and continue its reputation of connecting people around the world through technology. The success of the campaign was reflected in the quality of secured coverage, influencer content generated, social media metrics and positive feedback from Nokia TECH employees worldwide. Topline results include:
- 100 pieces of owned and influencer social content, generating over 34 million impressions
- 967,000+ social engagements and over 1.4 million video views
- The first-ever 360-degree VR concert livestreamed from the roof of Capitol Records
- 680+ total articles published globally to-date aligned with key messages
- 1.3 billion+ media impressions in the U.S.
- 100% of coverage positive to neutral in tone
- 23 executive interviews secured
- 500+ views of internal visual launch recap and employee engagement demonstrated on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook
