Dragon mouth. This name may not speak to you if you are not tech savvy, but you must have something around you. And maybe more than you can imagine.
From smartphones to hearing aids, from things connected to computers or cars, Snapdragon chips power a host of products. Without these chips, your Xiaomi, Motorola or Oppo (and soon Samsung) smartphone wouldn’t work, your photos wouldn’t look beautiful, your mobile games wouldn’t look as smooth and beautiful. And yet, few are those who know it.
“Most people probably have one or more Snapdragon electrical devices at home or in their car and don’t even know it,” admits Tech&Co Don McGuire. “It’s something we’re going to fix,” he promises.
Stepping out of Qualcomm’s shadow
For some time now, Snapdragon has decided to get out of the shadow of Qualcomm, its matrix specialized in 5G modems and other means of connectivity, to emancipate itself a little more, in order to make its technological aura shine beyond the only specialized sectors. “We are a bit like Xbox and Microsoft. Microsoft is Microsoft, Xbox is a branch of video games, but it evolves in parallel,” he dares with the comparison. “There is an association between the two where it makes sense for the public, for investors or for legal reasons. But for Xbox console owners, Xbox is Xbox.”
So Snapdragon wants to find its identity, build its own brand image, “especially in Europe, where perhaps we are less visible,” he stresses. And to aspire: “We want people to say: ‘It looks good, I like that logo. I want to know more about them.’” And for this, the Californian company has given a serious turn to communication.
But informing people and educating them about the power of Snapdragon chips, what they do for them every day, isn’t easy when you’re hiding inside a product made by someone else. In the past, some have, however, successfully exited the game…
Intel Inside, the model to follow
“Intel has been brilliant with their advertising slogan intel inside” admits admired Don McGuire and who is the former house of Intel. “It was a fabulous program that over 25 years built this association in the minds of users that what was inside was the most important thing to look for.” Back then, it didn’t matter if you were shopping for an IBM, Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, or another PC, shoppers looked for the attached logo intel inside guarantor of multiple possibilities of the device and abundance of power. It is this same philosophy that Snapdragon wants to take up again to make itself known, “but adapted to the sauce of the 21st century.”
The chipmaker has provided its own tagline for this: the power to move (the power to move) to show their willingness to move forward and their commitment to mobility in all its forms (smartphones, tablets, wearables, cars, mobility, etc.). To take it all, he has also revised his strategy in order to attract Gen Z and Millennials in particular with a “cool” image before seducing with his technological appeal.
“You have to start by interesting people as a brand, then as a product, then in your technology and what it can do for them. This is how we have to see it and Cristiano (Amon, the CEO of Snapdragon, editor’s note) really understood this and defends this direction, “underlines the marketing manager.
Music, sport, video games: seduce on all fronts
This strategy is gradually being implemented for the low-key Tech brand. If you take a closer look, you haven’t just heard of Snapdragon by possibly looking at your phone’s data sheet or some connected objects added to your home (thermostat in particular). The company recently signed a partnership with Manchester United in order to offer exposure to a renowned club, a video clip to seal the union. And it does so by providing mobile connectivity experiences at Old Trafford and for fans.
Sport being fertile ground to seduce, and Snapdragon also officiating today in the automotive world with listed partners such as Renault or Mercedes, what better than to also appear in Formula 1 and alongside Ferrari. He even got into esports with his first mobile competition under the banner of ESL, the world organizer, Snapdragon Pro Series. But the culture also attracts a brand that also boosts audio quality in headphones and smartphones using its chips. The rojiblanco logo is also displayed at various concerts organized by Live Nation and held at the Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego (California).
“Everything is built deliberately and strategically,” acknowledges Don McGuire. Finally, he only goes to areas where he is already technologically present and where he knows that his innovations will then be better perceived. But for that, he also has an army of choice to aid him in conquering her minds: the insiders snapdragon. Fans of the manufacturer are ready to do anything to defend their choices and evangelize the crowds.
After a year and a half, there are already eight million identified around the world who prophesy in its name, talk about the brand and evoke the star products. During the Snapdragon Summit taking place this week in Hawaii, 30 lucky winners were even able to voice their joy (hysteria?) at all the news revealed during the conferences in particular. An already intense love that symbolizes Snapdragon’s first successful step in generating excitement for something as tiny as it is transparent to the public at large.
Source: BFM TV
