Vivo targets big players in crowded smartphone market
A marketing blitz recently put China-based multinational technology company Vivo on the radar, and for obvious reasons. With no less than National Basketball Association star Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors heading an aggressive campaign to push its line of phones – particularly Vivo’s flagship Vivo V5 Plus – the Guangdong founded company has found resonance in a growing base of consumers.
Founded in 2009, Vivo is today ranked fifth among smartphone vendors according to International Data Corp.’ s Mobile Phone Tracker. This swift ascension is underscored by a year-on-year growth rate surpassing 100 percent.
As the company strives to maintain its global growth arc, its commensurately moves aggressively in the Philippines – overtly declaring that the likes of Oppo, Samsung, and Huawei are in its crosshairs, says Vivo Philippines product manager Mark Cuevas to The
STAR in an exclusive interview. The brand’s unique value propositions prioritize “value for money (and) the latest technology.” He submits: “We create products with the latest technology. With our research and development centers, we have manufactured smartphones with first-to-market innovations, such as the Vivo X1, one of the slimmest phones in 2012, and the world’s first smartphone to feature a Digital-to-Analog (DAC) converter Hi-Fi chip, the Vivo X3 in 2013, the first smartphone in the world with a 2K resolution display, and now, the Vivo V5 Plus, the first smartphone to have a 20-megapixel dual front camera.”
One of the hallmarks of an effectively positioned brand is that it doesn’t try to be everything to everyone. Indeed, Vivo Philippines vice president Hazel Bascon shares with this writer that Vivo targets “young, energetic, welleducated 18- to- 35- year- old professionals, ( along with) trendy urbanites (who) seek pleasure and pursue a high standard of living.”
Obviously, the local cellphone market is awash with players in all price points. Cuevas insists that Vivo “makes sure to provide the best value for money so that consumers will continue to trust the brand.” Along with affordability, Vivo pushes the envelope of innovation. “We never stop researching and studying to come up with the best products for our consumers.”
The Vivo Philippines executive adds that taking heed of feedback is also vital. “We believe it’s a tool that lets us know what people really need and want,” he maintains. “(And) we provide the best possible consumer shopping experience – with our product specialists always ready to reply to concerns and questions.” Through its two series of phones, the Y and V, Cuevas says the company is able to achieve a more tailored fit for specific profiles of buyers – depending on budget and demand for capacity and capability.
Vivo Philippines isn’t coy about its end goal – to be “the number one smartphone brand in the country,” declares Bascon. This explains the determined, visible push in retail centers such as malls. Vivo is sold in over 1,300 retail stores throughout the country, as well as 39 brand concept stores, lounges, and kiosks.
By no means is the company done. “We are constructing more stores and service centers,” shares Bascon. “We are already in NCR, Visayas, and Mindanao; (and we) are now expanding to the rest of Luzon.”
The company will further strengthen its portfolio. Following the much-publicized, celebrity-filled launch of the V5 Plus, Bascon discloses that the unveiling of V5 Lite model – “also a selfie-focused model” is expected to happen “very soon.” She promises: “This year, we will continue to listen to what the consumers need and want, and we will provide them the best and latest technology for smartphones.”