And I’m seeing a common mistake in how they’re used: Often, they don’t take users to a mobile-optimized landing page…

The basic value proposition of a QR code is that it makes it easier and faster for people on the go to connect with information. Specifically, it bypasses the need to have to type a URL into the web browser of a mobile phone — an activity that’s notoriously annoying, error-prone, and time consuming. Instead, you use a scanner app to take a picture of the QR code. It then uses that information to launch a web page in your phone’s browser.

(List of QR code scanner apps for just about any kind of smartphone. They’re usually free.)

In my experience about half the time the resulting web page is not mobile optimized! That is, I must pinch-and-zoom to magnify the text, and then scroll horizontally or vertically to view all the content on that page.

Not exactly the most efficient way for someone to experience information on a mobile phone.

Here’s an example: At a comedy show last night, I picked up a postcard featuring a QR code, promoting something called Quizitter. Try going to that page right now. If you have a smartphone handy, try using the QR code below. Where does it take you? To a full web page where you have to use extra manual navigation effort just to figure out what they’re talking about.

And bang, you’ll lose a lot of your mobile audience right there.

quizitter

Postcard I saw last night promoting an online checkin service. Try this on your mobile device. Notice any problems?

Many of these sessions involve me explaining important trends and context likely to affect how people use phones as media tools. Here are 10 key points I think are worth noting…

1. Mobile is huge

According to ComScore, as of December 2010, 234 million Americans over age 13 used mobile phones — about 96% of all American teens and adults. ComScore also says that 68% of US mobile users use text messaging; 36% browse the web from their phones, 34% download apps, and 25% use mobile social media.

Also, recent Nielsen research says that as of May 2010, US mobile users spent more time sending or reading e-mail on their phones than any other internet-enabled mobile activity (comprising 38.5% of mobile internet time spent). Social media was a distant second (10.7%)

These represent huge potential mobile audiences.

2. Mobile internet access is taking over

A year ago, Clyde Bentley noted Gartner’s prediction that by 2013, most US internet access will happen via mobile devices, not on computers. Based on this, he set forth a pretty good mobile roadmap to 2013 for news organizations.

Bottom line: Whether you like it or not, in the very near future your entire digital strategy will be mostly mobile by default. If your design your digital offerings to be inclusive of the full range of mobile devices in use, you’re more likely to success.

3. Don’t overestimate the smartphone/tablet market

If you only read the tech news, you might think that everyone already has a smartphone — or they will by next Tuesday. However, according to ComScore, as of December 2010 close to three-fourths (73%) of all phones currently in use in the US are “feature” phones, which do not run native apps, usually lack touchscreens, have simpler browsers, and usually can only access slower wireless data networks.

Still, most feature phones are web-enabled and can do e-mail or social media. My own research shows that, at least in Oakland, CA, the majority of feature phone owners do these mobile activities daily or most days. (And with the recent Qualcomm/Opera Mini deal, expect feature phone web browsing to increase sharply later in 2011.)

Smartphones and tablets are important and they are becoming more popular. So far, they’re also fairly pricey — $100-$200 to buy (subsidized), plus a carrier plan that typically runs $100/month per more under a two-year contract. (Tablets are far pricier up front.) That’s more than many people can or would pay for a phone. Also, cost-conscious users tend to prefer no-contract month-to-month phone plans, for flexibility.

Although technology is evolving, the affordable low end of the mobile market will almost certainly be the largest part. Focusing your mobile strategy primarily on the high end (with, say, iPhone/iPad/Android apps) turns a blind eye to most of your potential mobile audience.

4. Measuring mobile traffic is tricky

This is true especially for counting feature phone traffic. I’ve experimented with several mobile metrics tools over the past year, and all of them make it difficult to figure out how much of your traffic is coming from smartphones vs. feature phones. In particular, Google Analytics seems to count most feature phone traffic as regular web hits, which can drastically mislead your mobile strategy.

PercentMobile seems to do the best job of counting mobile traffic, although it’s not great. They’ve created their own category of “experience phones,” which doesn’t really make sense to me and seems to comprise the largest part of mobile traffic measured with their tools. Plus, because PercentMobile (or any mobile-only tracking tool) is separate from your other analytics, integrating that data for analysis can be difficult — making it harder to measure and understand your mobile audience.

5. Learn from mobile marketers

Marketers are doing most of the pioneering work with putting mobile media to good use, especially for engagement (an area where the news biz sorely needs improvement). A lot of people in the news business are averse to learning from marketers or about marketing. That needs to stop. I strongly recommend these books:

• Mobile Marketing for Dummies
• Mobile Marketing: Finding Your Customers No Matter Where They Are

And Kim Dushinski’s blog, Mobile Marketing Profits.

6. Social media is inherently mobile

People who use social media generally access it from their phones as well as their computers. I mean, the whole reason why Twitter has that 140-character limit is to play nice with basic SMS text messaging.

Therefore, consider social media one of the key channels to promote your content, engage your community/market, get feedback, and find great story leads or marketing intelligence.

We’ve had tremendous success at Oakland Local with engaging people via Twitter and Facebook. In fact, last weekend our Facebook page crossed the 5000-fan mark!

Again, social media is a field where news/media pros can learn from marketers. Two great books:

• Marketing in the Groundswell
• The New Rules of Marketing and PR: How to Use Social Media, Blogs, News Releases, Online Video, and Viral Marketing to Reach Buyers

7. US carriers have the mobile market here locked down

This is especially true for smartphones, and this is likely to continue. Furthermore, the FCC’s new net neutrality rules exempt wireless carriers from most requirements — leaving the door open for carriers to charge users extra to access content that you might be publishing online for free. (They can’t charge the content or service providers extra to deliver their content at acceptable speeds, but they can ding customers for access, or throttle delivery speed.) As the net increasingly goes mobile, this can drastically change the economics of all kinds of mobile publishing.

8. Wireless networks are getting faster, but still expect traffic jams

Right now, wireless network congestion is getting worse, even as carriers are rolling out higher-speed networks (LTE, HSPA+, and other “4G” technologies). This is because carriers are selling data-hungry devices faster than they can serve them, especially in many metro markets. If your mobile strategy hinges on assumptions about the data speeds consumers will see most of the time (especially key for video), then best reality-check carrier claims of “speeds of up to..” with crowdsourced carrier signal maps.

9. Responsive design for the mobile web

A good idea for planning your mobile web site is to incorporate principles of responsive design right from the beginning. This will allow the delivery and presentation of your content to automatically adjust to the features and limitations of certain categories of devices.

Book: Mobile Web Design for Dummies

10. Let people talk back via mobile

Mobile devices are for communication, not just media consumption. Build into your mobile strategy ways that people can easy contribute content (photos, video are naturals) or participate (polls, etc.) in your content offerings. And don’t forget about audio options — most of these devices are still phones, after all!

Why does this issue matter? Prospective Android users (especially people contemplating switching from another platform, like iPhone or BlackBerry) often want to know which apps are available on Android before they commit to that switch.

Today, Google finally corrected this oversight…

See on CNN Tech: Google unveils Web-based Android Market for phones, tablets.

Google is spinning this as a way to better serve users with multiple Android devices, especially tablets. But I’ll bet this also is a move to entice more iPhone and BlackBerry users to go Android.

After all, as Mark Millian noted in his CNN story: “[Honeycomb's] synchronization features will mean little if Google can’t persuade smartphone customers to purchase upcoming Android tablets.”

Forrester’s rationale for this, according to VP Josh Bernoff, is that “Forrester is an intellectual property company, and the opinions of our analysts are our product.”

Which IMHO is the equivalent of saying “If you work for us, we reserve the right to own your brain and your social/professional network and reputation.”

Here’s why that’s a bad idea all the way around — not just for research, consulting, and IP companies, but for news organizations and journalists, too…

Recently, PR maven Shel Holz rightly called bullshit on Forrester’s IP argument:

The notion seems to suggest that analysts who write about their work on their own blogs are somehow sapping Forrester of its IP. Maybe I’m just dense, but I don’t see how, particularly if those blogs link back to Forrester, bringing the company to the attention of new prospects.

Other companies with bloggers don’t compare because, Bernoff argues, their products aren’t about IP. I would argue that Microsoft and IBM are entirely about IP. Both companies encourage their employees to blog wherever they like. The companies link to those blogs on a page that links to all of the company’s bloggers. (Here are links to Microsoft’s and IBM’s employee blog directories.)

…I’m not inside the heads of Forrester’s leaders, so I can’t say how much of a factor the fear of losing analysts who build strong personal brands played in the decision. I’d be disappointed if it was a major consideration, since it seems petty and mean-spirited.

…If a cost-benefit analysis had been done, I can’t believe it would have led Forrester to adopt this policy. So why, then? It’s either a provincial and wrong-minded understanding of IP or a knee-jerk reaction to the Altimeter Group situation. Either way, it’s a mistake.

Here’s the comment I left on Shel’s post:

This reminds me of struggles that many journalists currently face with the news organizations that employ them (albeit in fast-shrinking numbers). Many news orgs prohibit or limiting not only employees having their own blogs, but also whether and how they use social media on their own time and accounts.

In the journalism world they claim this is to “preserve objectivity” (as if objectivity ever existed, or as if transparency doesn’t promote credibility more effectively). But it’s pretty obvious when you talk to news managers that they often view their own employees as competition when it comes to online media. And they prefer to keep their employees in a one-down position when it comes to personal branding.

Which is not only sad and shortsighted, but dreadfully counterproductive. Especially since companies that adopt this unfortunate mindset certainly aren’t offering financial compensation (say, a couple of years’ salary, or a guarantee of employment for the next 3 years) in exchange for employees giving up crucial avenues for making their own professional opportunities.

It’s bad business all the way around — but it’s especially unfair to the employees.

…Back in 2008 I explained why building a personal online brand and presence that’s under your control (not your employer’s) is the key to having almost any kind of professional career these days — but especially careers that involve media or communications in any significant way. See: Media Career Insurance: Your Blog

time

Want that free Dr. Pepper coupon? Hurry up!

Today’s sleazy, shortsighted marketing move is brought to you by Dr Pepper. This company made a grand, fun, high-profile gesture and got considerable positive publicity for it. But then, they made it such a hassle to cash in on their offer that the truly cynical nature of this marketing ploy is laid bare.

In the world before the internet, they might have gotten away with it. But online, people do talk.

Apparently, today — and today only — you can get a coupon for a free Dr Pepper soda. And you can thank Guns N Roses singer Axl Rose for it.

…That is, you can get the coupon IF you jump on it before 6 pm ET today, and if you jump through a bunch of hoops. And if the site doesn’t crap out on you. Then you wait 4-6 weeks for your coupon to arrive in the mail. Once you get it, you’d better use it fast!

Here’s the backstory, and why this could become a perfect example of anti-marketing in the online age…

The next Guns N Roses album had become known as a unicorn — it was constantly rumored to be just about to appear, yet never materialized. Capitalizing on this pop culture meme, in March beverage manufacturer Dr Pepper announced:

“In an unprecedented show of solidarity with Axl, everyone in America, except estranged GNR guitarists Slash and Buckethead, will receive a free can of Dr Pepper if the album ships some time — anytime! — in 2008.”

Yes, it was refreshing to hear a major corporation make such a fun and seemingly generous announcement — one that, incidentally, did not mention anything about the offer being limited to a single day. But as the Motley Fool pointed out at the time, Dr Pepper’s corporate parent Cadbury plc (NYSE: CBY) “score[d] free marketing, not to mention applause from the legions of aging GNR fans. …And as news of Dr Pepper’s gambit spreads internationally, Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) could also benefit. Outside the U.S., they’re often the ones making and selling Dr Pepper.”

Yesterday, Guns N Roses called Dr Pepper’s bluff. The band finally released its first album in 15 years: Chinese Democracy. At this news, the Los Angeles Times reported yesterday:

“Dr. Pepper, which earlier this year pledged to give soda to everyone in America if ‘Chinese Democracy’ came out this year, is now making good on its promise. That is, if you can actually access the company’s website. …But if you go to Dr. Pepper’s actual website to try to snare a voucher for your free soda, good luck. You’ll likely get a server error. …Update: Dr. Pepper has extended the offer until 6 p.m. on Monday.”

Here’s Dr Pepper’s own announcement of the extension.

MY ONLINE EXPERIENCE: DR PEPPER SITE BOMBS

Intrigued by this, I decided to try to get my own Dr Pepper coupon (even though I loathe the stuff, and I’m no Guns N Roses fan either).

So I logged on to Free Dr Pepper page. I dutifully surrendered to the corporate behemoth my name, birth date, and e-mail address. I saw at the bottom of the form that the terms of this deal include: “Allow 4-6 weeks for coupon to arrive. Coupons will expire on Feb. 28, 2009.” They also provided a checkbox where I could agree to receive e-mail from Dr Pepper — I left that blank, of course.

Then I pushed “submit.” While I was waiting to be moved along to the next step in the online process, I checked my calendar and realized I might not receive my coupon in the mail until Jan 5, 2009. By that time I’d have less than two months to redeem it.

…Finally, the Dr Pepper site chugged along — to a blank page. Nothing. Nada. No way to provide my postal address so they could mail me their piece of paper.

So far, I’ve tried four times to register for my free Dr Pepper coupon — always the same result. And for a while site is down completely. Evidently Dr Pepper’s servers cannot handle the sudden spike in traffic.

Big surprise? I think not…

NOW, THE OBVIOUS QUESTIONS ARE:

1. Why would Dr Pepper make this offer available only for a 24-hour period? That runs blatantly counter to the generous, spirit of the offer. It also is asking for a huge, sudden traffic spike that they obviously couldn’t handle.
2. Why weren’t they ready, and what could that mean? This traffic spike shouldn’t have been a surprise to anyone. Also, Dr Pepper ended up having most of a year to think this through and prepare. Judging by the result, it looks like they probably didn’t think this through at all. That could merely indicate ineptitude, or it could mean that (despite the company’s professed support for the band) they were actually betting against Guns N Roses producing a record in 2008 — which ends up looking cynical, not fun (except to the band’s detractors).
3. Why distribute this coupon only by mail? A printable online coupon would surely be easier and less costly for the company, and also easier for many consumers. People probably want their free Dr. Pepper TODAY, not in 2009. Soda is, after all, all about instant gratification. (A mailed-out coupon could be an option for people without internet or printer access.)
4. Why limit the redemption period to the end of February? It just seems unfair: Consumers must jump through several hoops and then wait and wait and wait for a coupon — but then WE are the ones who are expected to dash right out and get that Dr Pepper? Hmph.
5. Why turn enthusiasm into annoyance? The aggravation, waiting, and hassle that people must endure to get that coupon — let alone the privacy issues (they need your postal address to mail your coupon, plus they’re getting your e-mail address just because) — seems to be an active anti-marketing strategy. That’s right: This move seems destined to undermine goodwill and consumer relationships, not build them.

My guess is that the answers to questions 1-4 are that Dr Pepper wants to look generous without actually having to be generous. Therefore, they’re making it hard for people to cash in on their offer — a standard rationale behind most coupon offers.

And as for #5: Someone at Dr Pepper really just doesn’t get how marketing works in the online age.

RESORTING TO THE TELEPHONE

Fortunately, you can also phone in your coupon order to Dr. Pepper. Just call 888-377-3773. I did that just now.

On my first try the line was busy, but I got through on the second try. Their automated system mentions “delays on our web site. We are taking several steps to resolve the delays.”

Then you go through the process of verbally giving their automated system your name and postal address — and your e-mail address, too. That’s odd, because it’s a telephone transaction. They don’t appear to give you an option to provide no e-mail address (although I didn’t test that, so I don’t know for sure).

Also, although the web-based form required you to opt-in to get Dr Pepper’s spam, their phone-based system offered no such option. It’ll be interesting to see if I start getting spam from Dr Pepper or other Cadbury brands.

STAY TUNED…

Sometime around the New Year I’ll report back on whether I actually received my Dr. Pepper coupon, and my experience redeeming it — and also whether I start getting Dr Pepper spam in the meantime.

It’ll also be interesting to see whether this faux pas really backfires on Dr Pepper. If the mainstream media — especially entertainment media, and TV and radio — catch on to it, that could happen. And they’d deserve it.

But this also could just be something that geeks and bloggers whine about in their own bubble. We’ll see.

“Fed Blotter is Threat Level’s weekly roundup of computer crime cases in the federal courts. If you’ve been indicted, or are about to be, please let us know.”

Nokia has been running a US TV commercial featuring the world’s most inept magician, to tout its high-end N95 8G phone. How appropriate — because today, Nokia’s high-end US market just went “Poof!”

Apple just announced its new 3G iPhone — and I think it’s most of the way toward being a pro-level tool for journalists and mobloggers. I plan to get one as soon as they become available in early July.

I say “most of the way” because the 3G iPhone still has a glaring omission — no provision for an external full-size keyboard, either Bluetooth or docking. That’s a bummer. I’ve demoed the iPhone touch keyboard several times, and have found it frustrating to try to write anything more than a few words at a time with it. That may be fine for the vast majority of iPhone users — but for serious journalists, bloggers, and mobloggers, that’s a serious handicap.

But lack of keyboard support no longer a dealbreaker-level handicap as far as I’m concerned. Not like Nokia’s abysmal US service, which can leave users of the fancy, pricey, delicate N95 (a superior device for journalists and mobloggers, in my opinion) without a phone for up to a month — or longer, some users report.

In contrast, Apple offers prompt, excellent service at many, many US locations. I’ve used that service for other Apple products, and I’ve been impressed.

I’ve said it many times, but it bears repeating: For a high-end, can’t-be-without-it mobile device that people put their entire lives on, service quality is at least as important product quality. Nokia may still have the superior product for high-end users — but their service sends a clear message: We don’t really care about your experience after you buy our fancy phone.

Besides myself, I’m sure that the new 3G iPhone has swayed the opinion of many other would-be high-end phone users in the US who have been waiting (and waiting, and waiting…) for a mobile device that will let us create and share the kind of content we’ve always wanted to make on the go — with the confidence that if and when it goes awry, we won’t be stranded.

This is very, very bad news for Nokia USA. Because…

In addition to the 3G iPhone being nearly as functional as the N95 — it’s also available at fraction of the price. According to MacWorld, the new iPhone “will sell for $199 for the 8GB model and $299 for the 16GB model. That’s a $200 discount from the previous $399 and $499 prices for the 8GB and 16GB iPhones, respectively.”

…Meanwhile, Nokia USA is still selling the N95-3 for $582, and the N95 8GB for $750. (You can save some money by getting them from Amazon.com: $496 and $629 as of today, respectively.)

Nokia, for about a third of your price I’m willing to get by without an external keyboard for now. I’ll hold out some hope that some smart iPhone developer can use the iPhone developer’s kit to hack together Bluetooth keyboard support — as well as, perhaps, cut-and-paste and built-in video editing.

So what’s that sound? I think it’s the death knell of Nokia’s N-Series in the US. Although Nokia’s PR team has tried hard to get the company to solve its glaring US market and service shortcomings, it looks virtually impossible that Nokia will turn that ship around before the 3G iPhone hits US stores in early July. And after that, who’d want to pay three or more times the price of an iPhone to take on far more risk?

It’s a shame, Nokia. I still think your product is better — for now. But it looks to me like you just lost your high-end US market. Unless you’ve got a hell of a rabbit to pull out of your hat — and fast — it’s probably time to say goodnight.

As I noted earlier, this morning Charlie Schick of Nokia USA left a comment on this blog to reach out to me about my recent heartbreaking experience with the Nokia N95. Here’s what he said:

“These are the nightmares that we never want to happen.

“I remember in the days before we allowed users to do their firmware updates, this was one of the worries that could have killed the whole process.

“I think what makes it hard for us is all the disintermediation – the, sometimes small but crucial, gap between us and you.

“And what concerns me is that we know when it happens to folks like you who write about it. Yet, that leads us to a one-time fix.

“How can we spread a policy or procedure down the line that helps anyone with this issue (and without costing the company or you an bundle)?

“I don’t know, and any more speculation on my part might be irresponsible.

“For sure, the more folks who bring this up, the more likely the company will come with a plan that can deal with this in a way we are both happy with.”

Here is my response — which I hope will lead to further constructive conversation and perhaps better options for current and would-be US users of high-end Nokia products…

Hi, Charlie (and Nokia USA):

Thanks for engaging me in this public conversation. I think that’s a very constructive move, and I’m willing to work with Nokia to help address the problems I encountered.

First of all, let me begin by saying that I think the Nokia N95 is an excellent product. I got a chance to try one out in Europe last fall, and was instantly hooked. This was what I’d been waiting for. And for the few days I had it, it worked well and I fell in love with it pretty quickly. It seems that with this device (and others in your N Series, such as the N82) you’ve hit a real sweet spot for people who want a versatile, powerful, pro-quality mobile tool to create and share content. This growing high-end market includes not only bloggers, but professional journalists — like the ones who read Poynter’s E-Media Tidbits, a group weblog I manage.

My complaints are not about your products. Rather, they concern the poor service I received from Nokia USA. For mobile devices (especially high-end, pricey, multifunctional ones like the N95) the quality of service is at least as important as the quality of the hardware. In this case, your service was the dealbreaker for me.

If I had a reasonable assurance that these problems were being addressed (or at least would not leave me assuming an unreasonable level of financial risk) I would purchase another N95 in a heartbeat. I’d also put it through serious paces, and blog the experience extensively.

Fortunately, the quality of your service is something that Nokia would seem to have considerable freedom to improve — IF that’s a priority for your company. (Which it should be, if you’re serious about wanting to sell a lot of fancy phones in the US to compete head-on with the burgeoning iPhone market here.)

To start this conversation, here are the problems I experienced, and some recommendations for how Nokia might improve these situations:

1. Don’t blame your intermediaries.

You wrote: “I think what makes it hard for us is all the disintermediation — the, sometimes small but crucial, gap between us and you.”

In my case, the only intermediary I dealt with was Amazon.com (not one of their retail partners), from whom I bought my N95. The transaction was seamless — and saved me considerable money, compared to purchasing directly from Nokia (more on that next). Buying through Amazon did come with the constraint that I had only 30 days from the date of purchase to return the phone for a full refund — which I think is reasonable. (BTW, Amazon did handle the return and refund promptly and without hassle.)

The problem that turned my lovely N95 into an unresponsive brick occurred when I updated the firmware using the software provided by (and following the process specified by) Nokia. Amazon — or (as far as I know) any other intermediary — had nothing at all to do with that problem. So I think it’s a bit disingenuous to suggest that intermediaries may have been the problem here.

Now if, in fact, Amazon or other online retailers are selling non-US phones represented as US phones, that shouldn’t be the customer’s problem. It’s up to Nokia to resolve that with the retailers and make good with customers if needed. It’s your brand at stake, after all. Customers shouldn’t ever have to wonder if we’ve really gotten the device we paid for, and whether we’ll be left on the hook because of that.

2. Price and sell your product reasonably.

Even before service comes into the picture, there’s much room for improvement in Nokia’s sales practices.

I first tried purchase my N95 directly from Nokia USA, for a total cost of about $860 (including a Bluetooth keyboard and phone cover, plus two-day shipping). I generally prefer to buy expensive, important devices directly from the manufacturer, as long as the price is comparable.

I was very excited to get my N95 — so I was pretty annoyed when, on the day it should have arrived, I learned that your US order fulfillment partner (LetsTalk.com) created an unnecessary delay in the process. That bugged me enough that I took the opportunity to shop around further — and learned that I could save a total of $180 by making my purchase through Amazon.com (with overnight shipping).

That’s a very significant savings. So I canceled my order via Nokia/LetsTalk and re-ordered my N95 and accessories through Amazon. I had everything in hand the very next day, no hassles.

It seems odd to me that Amazon.com can sell the same Nokia phone for nearly $200 less than Nokia can. I’d understand a difference of $30-$50 — but nearly $200?!?!? For more hassles and slower service? Something is seriously wrong with how Nokia is selling its own products in this market. I can’t help but think that’s something that Nokia USA can improve.

3. Speed repair turnaround time and enhance your warranty.

Right now, Nokia’s one-year limited warranty (which, as far as I understand it, applies to all Nokia phones, whether sold by Nokia or other vendors) says:

“Nokia will repair the Product under the limited warranty within 30 days after receipt of the Product. If Nokia cannot perform repairs covered under this limited warranty within 30 days, or after a reasonable number of attempts to repair the same defect, Nokia at its option, will provide a replacement Product or refund the purchase price of the Product less a reasonable amount for usage. In some states the Consumer may have the right to a loaner if the repair of the Product takes more than ten (10) days.”

That’s fine for your run-of-the-mill cell phone, but it’s quite inadequate for a high-end, pro-level, multi-use tool like the N95. People spend a lot of money on these phones, and they depend on them. It’s not acceptable to be without this kind of tool for up to a month (plus shipping time back and forth).

I suggest that for its pricey N Series phones, Nokia issue a stronger and more consumer-friendly warranty that includes these provisions:

• Guaranteed expedited one-week turnaround time — Either to repair and return the device, or to deliver a replacement. That means: one week from the date the device is received by Nokia, I have a working unit with up-to-date firmware back in my hands.
• Guaranteed FREE repair/replacement for all firmware updating-related problems, no questions asked. According to what Beth Kanter learned from Nokia, your company is aware that your firmware update process is hurting and killing some phones. (So far, your reps are contending that it’s happening only when you try to update non-US phones — but in my case, unless Amazon did not deliver to me the US model I purchased, this may not be about mixing firmware versions.) Therefore, when customers call to complain about post-update brickification, it might be smarter for Nokia to assume responsibility and make good immediately, rather than to leave the customer in any doubt that they might be stuck with a bill — perhaps in addition to a nonrefundable brick. (You can verify through your servers whether the phone in question recently attempted or completed a firmware update, right? That should help cut down on fraud attempts.) In my case, Nokia reps told me to ship it in, wait, and see whether you’d fix/replace it for free — which galled me.

4. Frankly and publicly discuss your known firmware update problems.

Right now, Nokia’s firmware update issue is a PR bomb that has only just started to explode. Your company’s lack of coherent, clear discussion on this important point (including that some of your own support reps directly discourage users from doing firmware updates) creates considerable fear, uncertainty, and doubt — never a good strategy for growing a new market where you already have strong competition (Apple).

Firmware updates are a necessary process to keep any high-tech device in working order — yet some high-profile N95 users (including Beth Kanter, Steve Garfield, James Whatley, and Jenifer Hanen) are expressing profound dissatisfaction with and trepidation about your firmware update process. Also, George Frink commented that concerns over your firmware update process put him off from getting an N95 — and he was ready to buy!

Until Nokia can fix that process (which I understand will take time), you could boost consumer confidence considerably by owning up to the problem and addressing it proactively — perhaps through your new Conversations blog.

Also, make your information about your firmware updating problems easy to find. Right now, N-series users are guiding each other through this problem with a patchwork of blog posts and forum discussions. By gathering and presenting the most accurate and up-to-date information about its known firmware update problems, Nokia could regain some trust in this marketplace

5. Fix your firmware update process.

Beth Kanter said it best: Updating my Nokia firmware feels like 1995. Besides the fact that your firmware update process needs to work without significant risk of bricking the phone, it needs to be less clunky and also friendly to Mac users. (Is Nokia even planning to release a Mac version of its updater software? If so, what’s your timeframe? We don’t even know that much.)

This is important because your N Series phones compete directly with Apple’s iPhone, especially in the US — so Nokia is currently the underdog in this fight. At Apple, user experience and quality service are paramount. That’s the hurdle you have to jump. Also, I wouldn’t be surprised if a significant portion (perhaps even a majority) of the content creators who’d be willing to shell out big bucks for a fancy moblogging tool like the N95 are dedicated Mac users. If you want to make serious headway in this market, you need a Mac-friendly firmware update process. The sooner, the better.

6. Expand US local retail availability and service.

I understand this is probably my most costly, challenging, and risky recommendation, but it comes down to this: Is Nokia serious about serving the growing high-end US mobile phone market, or not?

If so (and I hope you are), then you need to become more accessible to your customers. You need to be where they are.

Right now, the only places in the US where someone can walk in and buy (or return, or replace) an N95 are your flagship stores in New York and Chicago, plus a few BestBuy stores. Nice for people in those cities, but lousy for most of the country. With a pricey, fancy phone like this, people want to try it out — and they want to know who’s nearby to run to if there are problems.

Also, as far as I understand it, your warranty only covers service done by shipping the phone back to Nokia — you don’t have authorized local service dealers.

How about this:

• Partner more extensively with major retailers like BestBuy and Circuit City to stock and sell your N Series phones. These phones should be in all their locations — or at least a few locations in each state. People should be able to purchase their phones at these retailers and get them replaced quickly under warranty there, too. (Enough with this ship-and-wait nonsense.) Also, since AT&T and T-Mobile are currently the only US carriers that support unlocked phones, why not get N Series phones in their stores and service centers, too?
• Authorize local service partners to repair N Series phones under warranty.

What I want is a local experience similar to what my friend, happy N95 user from the UK Koan Bremner, reports in this comment:

“In the UK, most High Streets contain little *but* mobile phone shops – if mine went brick-like, I can walk into any T-Mobile store, and walk out with a fresh N95, in minutes (because my warranty and insurance plan includes that option). I am shocked, and saddened, that you don’t have that choice in the (I thought) technologically-superior US.”

…OK, that’s enough for now. Again, I’m glad to hear that Nokia is open to at least starting a discussion on this topic. I hope it continues.

Again, I LOVED my N95. I don’t want an iPhone. So far, the iPhone does not do what I really need it to do — and I doubt it will anytime soon. The N95 is what I want. It wasn’t perfect, but it was wonderful. I’m willing to deal with its idiosyncrasies and learning curve. If I only felt like Nokia really wanted my business and was willing to provide the level of service commensurate with such a vital high-end piece of equipment, I’d buy one again in a heartbeat. But right now, you need to regain my trust.

Ball’s in your court, Nokia. Thanks for listening. I look forward to working with you on this.

- Amy Gahran