OnePlus One sold more than half a million devices in less than a year with just a marketing budget of $300- TechnoBuffalo
So, how did one plus disrupt the mobile Industry with the marketing budget that is so small?.
And here the things every startup can learn from OnePlus
Strategy 1: Narrow Market(Geek community)
At the start as the resources for a new company are very little. It’s very important to narrow its focus and attention to one segment of customers and excel
But to choose that market such that they consists of early adopters and the word spreads fast among them.
One plus one aced this strategy by reaching out to the bloggers and geeks community through forums asking them for help in developing their product which made them gain trust among those communities
source: Oneplus
source: Oneplus
This even created a greater belongingness among the geek community for Oneplus as they helped them to develop the product and gained them many favourable reviews in blogs.Giving it its initial traction and word further spread to others too as whenever we want to buy an electronic device who do we look up to?
YES! That one geeky friend we have, who already heard about this amazing mobile called one plus.
And he passed it on to you his great advice to buy one plus.
Strategy 2: “Smash the past campaign”
Another master move by OnePlus is asking its customers to smash their old phone and upload it on YouTube and 100 lucky winners will get their phones for $1.People started smashing their old phones and uploading videos.
People smashing their high-end smartphone to enter this competition.These are the stories are meant to be shared right.
How often do you see people breaking their smartphones?
source: YouTube
Later that campaign was changed to donating the phone rather than smashing but the stories already spread.
Strategy 3: Invite System.
I know every guy who so wanted to buy this OnePlus and didn’t get invite must have cursed this system but it was “home run strategy” for OnePlus One.It created Scarcity.
Scarcity and exclusivity boost word of mouth by making people feel like insiders. If people get something not everyone else has, it makes them feel special, unique, high status. And because of that they’ll not only like a product or service
more, but tell others about it.― Jonah Berger, Contagious: Why Things Catch Onsource:Amazon
And when something isn’t easily available we start valuing it more. Which converted every customer into raving fans and ambassadors who are now spreading the word further with so much passion and enthusiasm.
You will never hear OnePlus One user saying ill about it, at least until he visits their customer service center (Yes its, customer service is bad)
But keeping it side as a marketing strategy it helped OnePlus to estimate the demand of their devices and produce them accordingly.
When you create products in Bulk and they didn’t Work well in the market it’s hard to Pivot (Future entrepreneur’s take note).Use small bets to prove your assumptions then go ahead.
Strategy 4 Low Price and Amazing Feature’s:
Your true worth is determined by how much more you give in value than you take in payment” ― Bob Burg and John David Mann, The Go Giver: A Little Story About A Powerful Business Idea
And the worth of one plus brand is perceived high as it provided flagship killer at two times cheaper price than other high-end smartphone brands.
They saved money on marketing and by selling it only online(no middle man)
No doubt OnePlus caused disruption in the mobile industry with its creative marketing strategies and using resources efficiently.Do you know more marketing strategies OnePlus used?
Leave A comment below.
You might want to really wanna know how other great startup’s market.Check here
