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Ajeet Nokia Contraversy
Ajeet Nokia Contraversy
New Delhi, Aug 19, 2007 (UNI) Mobile phone-maker Nokia is undeterred over the controversies surrounding its ''BL-5C'' batteries and hopes that consumers will appreciate the measures taken by the company to resolve the problem as soon as possible, a top company official said. ''Our foremost priority is consumer's interest and for that we are taking all possible measures to sort out their problems,'' India Director Marketing Devinder Kishore told UNI. Nokia has warned consumers that 46 million batteries used in its mobile phones could overheat and has offered to replace them for free, Mr Kishore added. ''Nokia has a quality system in which customer is in focus,'' Mr Kishore said adding that the matter will be resolved in a customer-friendly way. ''We are transparent and do not want to disturb day-to-day life of customers. Hence, we issued a product advisory for the Nokia-branded BL-5C battery manufactured by Matsushita Battery Industrial Co Ltd of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006 on Tuesday.'' After the product advisory issued on Tuesday, the company has received 31.6 lakh messages through SMSs, calls and websites, Mr Kishore informed and added that the company is committed to consumer's safety. Nokia's US shares closed down 64 cents or 2 per cent at 29.84 dollars on the New York Stock Exchange. Its European shares had closed down 1.55 per cent. When asked if the controversy would impact Nokia's sales, Mr Kishore said that till now trends in sales have been positive and the company hopes that this advisory will have a positive impact on the company's overall business. Nokia, the world's top cell phone maker had said about 100 incidents of such overheating had been reported globally, but none had involved serious injuries
or property damage. Nokia took prompt notice of the matter and made several public advisory announcements about its faulty BL-5C battery, which was manufactured by Matsushita Battery Industrial Co. Ltd of Japan between December 2005 and November 2006. Nokia further offered to replace for free any BL 5C battery subject to the product advisory.
Nokia has immense credibility as a brand and things like this can happen to any brand. The point here is that this wont harm the image of the brand to a large extent or in the long run, as public memory is short. In the short term, it will have an impact, but as the brand has taken corrective measures, rather than having a negative impact on the brand image, it will only enhance the Nokia identity, adds Kapoor. When faced with a controversial situation like this, responsibility and accountability on the part of the brand is essential, states Kapoor. An honest approach, transparency and quick response are the factors that tide a brand through controversy, say industry experts. These should be followed under all circumstances to build a strong image for the brand in the minds of the consumer and the marketer. Industry experts also warn brands against going on the defensive and denying outright that they are at fault, as did Coke and Pepsi. Advertising experts believe that the media plays a major role in this situation. The Nokia situation was handled well by the media. Clear communication is the need of the hour and this can be done through honest, responsible advertising, which builds bridges, rather than portraying half-truths and messages that are muddled about their intentions.
PUBLIC RELATION
Brand- NOKIA Issue- Nokias BL-5C Battery controversy