HMD Global, the company behind modern Nokia smartphones, has hired Adam Ferguson, former Marketing Director at OnePlus Europe, as its new Head of Product Marketing.
Before joining OnePlus in 2018, Ferguson worked as the Head of Marketing for Tablets and Mobile Wi-Fi at British carrier EE for three years. He also brings a wealth of experience from the FMCG (fast-moving consumer goods) area, having held senior marketing positions at Nestle and Unilever.
At HMD Global, Ferguson will be responsible for the overall product marketing strategy for the whole lineup of Nokia phones. His job will include positioning of a product, to PR and digital marketing for both smartphones and feature phones.
“As a mobile phone enthusiast, I am delighted to be able to work at HMD Global. There are not many devices that captivate the audience and inspire as much confidence as Nokia smartphones. I look forward to living up to this legacy and helping to offer fans of the brand what they expect: the best quality design and the latest technology at an affordable price,” Ferguson said.
Ferguson will report directly to Stephen Taylor, Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) at HMD Global. Taylor himself recently joined the company, in April to be precise. He previously worked as the CMO with some of the popular brands such as PayPal and Samsung. He has over 30 years of experience in sales and marketing.
“I look forward to working closely with Adam in his new role,” Taylor said. “I am confident that the team can learn a lot from his experience.”
HMD Global hires Adam Ferguson to strengthen its leadership team
Nokia’s smartphone business hasn’t enjoyed much success under HMD Global. After an initial surge early on, Nokia phones have been failing to attract buyers lately.
The company only shipped around 1.7 million smartphones in the COVID-19 pandemic hit Q1 2020, worst since Q2 2017. Even its feature phones have been underperforming of late.
It appears poor strategic business decisions are hurting the company. In response, HMD Global has now hired an experienced duo of Adam Ferguson and Stephen Taylor to lead its product marketing team. The duo will be tasked with coming up with a new marketing strategy for the whole lineup Nokia phones.
The most recent Nokia smartphones include the Nokia 1.3, Nokia 5.3, and the Nokia 8.3 5G, which is also the company’s first 5G smartphone. These devices arrived in March, just when the COVID-19 pandemic had began to spread rapidly.
With the pandemic disrupting the sales of the company’s latest release, its shipment figures for Q2 might look worse.
It’ll be interesting to see how the recent change in helps bail HMD Global out of the economic crisis. Expect a major shift in the company’s marketing style and strategy in the future.