Earlier this week, a couple of tech blogs reported receiving invites from Motorola Mobility, indicating that the Lenovo-owned electronics manufacturer is looking to make another comeback in the local market after years of near-total absence that allowed other phone manufacturers to flourish.
If that is indeed the case, then this is pretty big news, particularly for people who want to get their hands on the Moto-made Nexus 6 and Moto 360 smartwatch, not to mention those who already own Moto devices. Because even though there’s no guarantee Motorola will honor the warranties of imported devices, the company is all but guaranteed to set up repair centers and provide adequate after-sales service in the Philippines.
But it needs to do more to win consumer trust and leap back into relevance; for Motorola to be successful again in the Philippines after a lengthy period of dormancy, it must do at least three things:
1. Bring its most popular and well-received creations to local shores first.
Motorola doesn’t need to sell its entire product line in physical and online stores. In fact, I wouldn’t mind seeing the company launch with just four products, namely the Nexus 6, Moto X (2014), Moto E (2015), and Moto 360.
These are among the best in their respective categories, and by now it’s pretty much a given that Android fans know what to expect from them (for one, they can expect a near-stock Android Lollipop experience) so it makes sense to sell them first.
2. Launch the awesome Moto Maker service in the Philippines.
Motorola’s Moto Maker website does what its namesake says: It lets you customize the hell out of the Moto X with a choice of front and back colors, trim finishes, and back cover materials, among other things. And who wouldn’t want that? Those wood and leather options cost extra, though.
3. Work with carriers to lower the cost of devices.
As any Nexus 6 or Moto 360 owner can attest to, Motorola devices, in general, don’t come cheap. That said, one way to make them more palatable to consumers is to sell them with carrier subsidies plus a two-year contract.
Given Motorola’s close ties with U.S. carriers like Verizon, working with telecom companies in the Philippines shouldn’t raise any objections. Not if it results in gaining market share quickly in a country where competition is fierce from top to bottom.
Keep in mind that this article isn’t a blueprint for a local resurgence. There are many ways to find success in the mobile space, but in my opinion, these three things in particular seem like the best ways to get things off on the right foot.
[youtube link=”https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j_V-tgfgwyU” width=”560″ height=”315″]
Moto Maker for the Moto X
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