• by Larissa Faw , July 25, 2017

Motorola, along with agency partners Ogilvy and Motomentum, a custom Publicis Media shop, is shifting the Moto Z campaign strategy away from social and digital media.

"We spent quite a lot on Facebook last year," says Jan Huckfeldt, VP, global marketing & communications, Motorola, adding the social network even touted the partnership's success as a case study in an earnings call.

However, Motorola discovered that this strategy didn't "move the needle overall," he says. "We were disappointed it did not grow enough."

The Moto Z campaign is part of a re-launch  effort by Motorola and parent Lenovo that re-introduced the iconic catchphrase "Hello Moto" and aligned with social media influencers.

"When we launched for the first time, we were only distributed in Verizon which is only 35% of the distribution channel," says Huckfeldt. "So we said, 'Let's be as targeted as possible'" by targeting the "low-hanging fruit" of Android users.

It turns out, however, that when a brand like Motorola needs to revive its entire identity, "digital and social are not good tools," he says. "When consumers are going through content, when something doesn't have a hook, they just skip it. It doesn't break through the clutter."

Now, Motorola is introducing the newest phase of its Moto campaign with a media mix heavily skewed to TV. "Television is a major part, complemented with digital, social and out-of-home (OOH) to increase reach," says Huckfeldt.

Digital and social executions, he adds, have a "powerful role to play" once a brand is established.
The new creative features a group of dinner party attendees absorbed by their phones until the new Moto Z Mod appears on a silver plate. The Mod attachment transforms a phone into a projector that sparks interactions among the guests. Another scene touts a new shatterproof screen.

The latest creative work expands the campaign's broader narrative from comparing the brand to its competitors to addressing lifestyle behaviors. "There is a real issue consumers have with balancing their phones and their lives," says Huckfeldt. "Consumers are losing their connections over their phone addictions."

One key point of differentiation is “our eco-system with the new Mods, including the 360 camera projection,” he says. The shatterproof screen is another.

The strategy moving forward will continue to focus on building a highly distinctive brand. "We want to be a solid number three," says Huckfeldt.

Motorola has spent $25.63 million on advertising during the first six months of the year, according to Kantar Media.