New entrant poised to conquer local smartphone market

MANILA, Philippines - Having formally opened shop in the Philippines only in April of last year, global electronics and technology service provider Oppo wasted no time making its presence felt in an already constricted mobile device market.

The business strategy that enables it to enter the arena dominated by established, larger players is  encapsulated in two concepts, according to Oppo Philippines operations manager Garrick Hung, in an exclusive interview with The  STAR, the executive declares: “In Oppo, we assure our consumers with two words: quality and service.” With research and development work ensuing in California, and production facilities in China, Oppo is hoping that its value propositions will find resonance in more customers around the world looking for value-for-money devices.

Three value propositions drive Oppo marketing, continues Hung. First is its own proprietary ColorOS operating system that enables, among other things, an enhanced imaging experience and more intuitive interface. There’s no need to download, and is readily available for users. Second, continues Hung, is Oppo’s effort to maximize battery life and shorten charging time. Finally, Oppo wants to be known for customer service, enabled by a multi-channel support system. “That makes us different in this market.”

No matter the price point for its individual products, Oppo is “targeting people who demand more (from their gadgets) in terms of more technologically advanced features,” insists Hung and adds that people want something elegant regardless of the tag.

The quick global rise of Oppo, a relative youngster founded in 2004, is undoubtedly fueled by its eagerness to enter into and secure strategic partnerships to keep itself a big blip on the market radar.

Case in point are the popular Fast and Furious 7 film, reality-TV staple America’s Next Top Model,  and storied FC Barcelona (which is the second most valuable sports team in the word) all count Oppo as sponsor.

Locally, Oppo secured celebrity and noted The Voice Philippines coach Sarah Geronimo as its endorser.

“Our direction has always one to be one of the leading brands,” Hung maintains. But despite the aggressive moves in propping up its brand equity, the Oppo Philippines executive declares: “Right now, our strategy is to slowly penetrate the market as much as we can… We go slow, we go steady. At the same time, we try to go big.”

Much of its moves, he avers, depends on customer needs revealed by Oppo’s own market research. “Slowly, as we analyze and learn more from the market, we adjust our (moves).” Oppo’s studies show that, shares Hung: “People look for value. That’s why we pack our phones with as many features and functions (as we can).”

From Baguio to Davao, from youngsters to professionals, Oppo is making its products available to more discriminating, budget-savvy consumers.

The name of the game is still value for money – striving to offer the same for less. “In different market segments or product segments, we definitely try to offer the best,” underscores Hung. “They get more for what they pay… In terms of service, we are here, and we stand by our product… We’re new, but we’re global. We’re satisfying a lot of consumers, not only in the Philippines.”

The bottomline, Garrick Hung concludes, is still good-ol’-fashioned sales and marketing sense: “At the end of the day, people want a good phone, and we’re quite confident about our product, the features we pack them with, and we try to be there for them whenever they need us.”