Here's how (and why) Nokia engages with the Windows Phone community

Nokia is a massive company, there's no disputing that fact, but the manufacturer has been able to engage with its community of consumers and developers successfully since joining Windows Phone (and prior to that too). Interacting with customers and the community in general, whether it be through social media or even hosting themed events, is an important task but Nokia is one of those companies which is easy to approach, no matter who you are.

A rather detailed interview with Carla Eid, Global Head of Social Engagement and Advocacy, over on Nokia Conversations reveals the "7 super rules of engagement" that the teams under Eid follow:

  • We discover and get involved in relevant conversations.
  • We reward people who create amazing things with their Nokias by showcasing and amplifying their content.
  • We give people the opportunity to test out the latest Nokia products through device trials.
  • We inspire our community to be creative with creative content and challenges on Instagram, Vine, Twitter, Facebook and Nokia Conversations.
  • We take members of the community to key events around the world such as MWC, Nokia World, CES and Social Media Week.
  • We build real relationships through years of community management on social media, telephone, email and most importantly, one-to-one!
  • We provide our community with access to Nokia employees, from R&D to Product Managers to Marketing.

It's incredibly important Nokia takes the above approach when dealing with its community, simply because feedback (both good and negative) is invaluable when interacting with consumers, as opposed to simply releasing product announcements and leaving no room for anyone to have their say. Something that strikes us when attending events Nokia is present at is the enthusiasm employees have, as well as how approachable they are when dealing with consumers, the media (bloggers) or even developers.

Nokia Facebook

It's the little things.

As well as publishing announcements and general communications between both the company and the community, numerous projects have launched over the years, enabling the community to get involved and win some awesome prizes. Nokia even allows you to test drive a Lumia Windows Phone, just in case you'd like to make your own mind up without focusing on reviews, advice and support from third parties. Then you have the array of photography contests running, helping consumers get the most out of their Windows Phone and its camera capabilities.

"We are more personal, more giving and understanding. We amplify and showcase the best of their efforts and encourage budding talent. Building a community takes time, and we have relationships that go back as far as eight years in the Nokia Connects community."

Looking to the future, Nokia Connects will aim to take full advantage of new channels and ways to interact with the community. With the purchase by Microsoft still in the air, we're certainly hoping this will be something which moves across with the hardware division, should the deal eventually be finalised.

We strongly urge you to read the interview in full over on Nokia conversations. Have you approached Nokia in any way? If so, how was your experience?

Source: Nokia Conversations

Rich Edmonds
Senior Editor, PC Build

Rich Edmonds was formerly a Senior Editor of PC hardware at Windows Central, covering everything related to PC components and NAS. He's been involved in technology for more than a decade and knows a thing or two about the magic inside a PC chassis. You can follow him on Twitter at @RichEdmonds.

67 Comments
  • Too bad it won't be the same under Microsoft's leadership.
  • Under Ms will be the same, or even better.
  • ORLY? https://build.windowsstore.com/rewards/?bd_cohort=true#fbid=q-N_W42svn2 vs http://www.dvlup.com        
  • same people. If something changes than the people have not been the right ones in the first place
  • The people act under a certain corporate spirit. Nokia's couldn't be more different than Microsoft's. It will change. Because Microsoft doesn't act like Nokia. And that's specially true for every single one of us outside the US.
  • Better MS than Google or Apple
  • Same people, different bosses.
  • Even the bosses remain...some think that the american way would somehow come to Finland.
    Don't worry! It's already here, but we Finns remain the same.
    Now we have more money and directsupport from the Microsoft OS group.
    That means better products and faster delivery.
    Just wait and see!
    WP 8.1 is almost here...then the fun begins...
  • Horrible bosses
  • They don't reply as i always say that I love nokia and i contacted them before too :(
  • Why would they reply to something so pointless?
  • Lol
  • I'm heart broken to see the end of Nokia phones.
  • With every ending, there is a new beginning, as they say.  You'll get over the loss of the Nokia name from Lumia phones, but Nokia phones will live on, sans the Nokia name.
  • Yeah, that'll not happen, mate. There are no Nokia phones without Nokia. There are Microsoft phones produced by Microsoft people that, by accident, happen to be ex-Nokia employees.
    Otherwise Microsoft lives on in Google since so many ex-Microsoft employees are working for Google. and I bet you won't say that about MS/G.
  • Didn't you just tell me that Nokia retains all its smartphone patents? Two years after the acquisition is finalized, with all those patents, don't you think they will begin manufacturing smartphones again?
  • Yes. And? I said "there are no Nokia phones without Nokia" because some people think that the phones Microsoft will produce are still Nokia phones just because they are build by ex-Nokia employees. They won't.
  • I see. Just a little misinterpretation of your last post then.
  • Not the same thing. You guys need to get over it! At least you might get your wish if SONY makes a WP. It would be great for the platform.
  • If Sony puts windows phone running on the Z1 compact it would definitely ease the pain :) but it's still sad to see one of the very few European mobile phone makers, and one of the best ever, disappear, maybe forever.
  • You don't seem to grasp the symbolic meaning behind the disappearence (even if temporary) of Nokia. Nokia basically created the mobile phone market as we know it. It holds a tremendous meaning to us, Europeans.   I'll still be seeing if Sony will produce a Windows Phone. A Sony Windows Phone is the only thing that would make me consider not leaving WP for Android. The question is: is Microsoft willing to remove their Xbox offerings from WP and have them replaced with Sony's Playstation offerings? Because I can tell you, that's the biggest thing preventing Sony from producing a WP device, I'm pretty sure.
  • Replace XBox offerings? SONY could make Playstation offerings for WP now, if they want to... They don't need to make a WP. XBox didn't stop Nokia from offering a music service. There is no requirement to use XBox.
  • I cant bear reading your dribble sometimes. MS and Nokia both engage perfectly well with me outside if America. MS are way more mature to deal with than say Google.
    MS have some really good hardware people . They have acquired more from Nokia. With the resources at MS and closer integration with development this could produce some amazing future devices.
    You really do need to stop whining about Nokia being bought and that its "fact" everything is going to fail. You don't know that anymore than anyone else here. It could, just produce something amazing.
  • yes its better than Google we all agree thats why we are here, we fear #LOP... hope he doesn't mess with Nokia anymore than he already did. Still believe Belle did things better in 2010 then what WP can do today ..
  • Hey, It was a global company.. even people like me from India liked it... as it was also made in India :). thats the reason its got Major market share in India compared to other countries ...
  • ...hang on... it's a very big difference if you are talking about some people (ex-MS-people going to goole for example) or nearly the whole company (hardware division of nokia going to MS). ex-nokia-people will continue to work almost everywhere with the same people like they did before.
  • It was an example. But, by the way, the D&S division of Nokia is not nearly the whole company. ;)
    Anyway, yes, the people are the same, doing the same job. The direction isn't the same and the corporate guidelines will be different. It's a question of mentorship. Again, look at Apple. When Jobs left, the people were the same, the directors were the same. The mind behind everything changed...and Apple was sinking until Jobs returned.
    Jobs has left...and look at Apple again. I've never seen more Apple-fans pissed off as when iOS7 was released.
  • ok. maybe there is sth true in what you explained... we'll see what the future brings ;)
  • Microsoft is like a tank,slow and unwieldy but powerful when it hits whereas Google is like a fighter copter moving circles around the tank Posted via the WPC App for Android!
  • i like this 'posted via the WPC App for Android' so very much! :)
  • Microsoft is the best thing that happened to Nokia! Im not sayin' that the Nokia was company "zero" before, they always were in the top 3 companies here in Europe. This collab will only expand their market outside of Europe. Go MS, go Nokia!
  • They're listening to us? Why so many awesome Windows Phones without SD capabilities then?
  • who cares about SD capability. clunky, power sucking, security issues. it's right of Nokia to only include such hassles in low-end phones for the cheap masses.
  • I care! SD capability is the one deal breaker for me. No SD Card support, no money from me! As long as there is a phone out there with SD support, I'll seriously consider it over any other phone! All SD card supported phones would have to be absolute crap before I would buy a phone without SD support.
  • The 920, 1020, and 8x/xt are the majority of windows phones?
  • The opening should have been
    "Nokia was a massive company now it is a crucial part of a much larger mega corporation"
  • Except that would be a lie.
  • Contacted Nokia Helps to say my wireless car charger had broken and they said they wouldn't replace it. Will have to follow this up as it was under warranty and the part failed (rather than being damaged). But it's put me off buying anything Nokia again.
  • Agree about the sd option (mentioned above) :) I do feel Nokia engages with feedback, and the customers, quite a bit - i hope this is not impacted upon, detrimentally, by MS's stewardship.
  • The phone and OS companies have a lot of say about phones having an SD option.  They don't want you to have it.
  • I've had a close relationship with Nokia for many years. I've been in contact with them and their products often and I'm nothing but praises to sing about them. Nokia stands for quality in everything, either build quality of the phones or the human quality of their employees. It's unfortunate that heads of Nokia in the last years haven't met this kind of human quality standard they have in their employees.   It will be very unfortunate to see all that destroyed by Microsoft's misguided dream. But I'm pretty sure Microsoft fans who support this deal will end up learning that the hard way once these people move to Microsoft and start operating the Microsoft-way. Except for those in the US. American customers will probably still be happy with Microsoft since the US is the only thing that concerns them.   Oh well, I'll be watching them rage when the change comes, from afar, while I wait for Nokia to be reborn out of the ashes after 2015.
  • I bet people from most countries only care about their country.
  • Not when you manage a global brand. If you want your company to do well around the World you can't just care for your homeland. But that's how Microsoft acts.
  • MS is doing as well as anyone else would. Too bad having good business ethics can't save your company.
  • i wish to believe this, but i don't think maemo and meego community agree. they dumped one of the smartest and strongest communitues in the world. best developers gathered in 1 forum lost. Nokia didnt even bother to pay server fees (around $1000) instead of writing off the whole department, they could've kept it alive with little support and evolve slowly. (jolla team comes in mind)
  • Nokia: An arrogant, company with the initial motto  in the post 2007 apocalypse: "a 3.5 inch touchscreen phne is too large"   The same company that got its ass handed to it by nimble forward lookign companies (Google, Apple, even $hitsung)...   I went through at least 25 Nokia phones (liked the company years back), but its old and retirement nearing management pricks got passed by by the Zuckerbergs, Google execs and Jobs.   Ciao Nokia, you've become homeless (Espoo heaquarters gone)   signed Nexus 5, Chromecast, the Orbit charger, Chromebook owner
  • Google is B*tch ! Your place is not here !
  • I think rim or better yet apple pair well with that motto more so
  • Uau!! Chromebook owner. You must really be a tech guy.
  • LMFAO
  • No one cares about your shitty Google toys.
  • guys guys keep it classy, he got a point with Nokia's old mentality and approach and we all saw it coming, but the chromebook part made me laugh :D will you even buy it for $50 ?
  • I love Nokia, but actually getting hold of their new products is ALWAYS aproblem, they seem to trickle out products and by the time there available to the masses most people have lost interest. Anyone else noticed this?
  • Yeah. Unfortunately their supply distribution has got worse...but that's what happens when you have Eflop in charge, firing people.
  • I'm sure that as Microsoft takes over that will all change. If there's one thing Microsoft is good at is making their products available worldwide in a heartbeat. Just look at the spectacular work they've done with the Xbox one availability.
  • Yeah! I just saw them for sale at FNAC! Oh, wait...that was the PS4.   On a serious note, they actually managed to have the Surface 2 available on launch date here though. Though it may have been the exception that confirms the rule...
  • Please, Microsoft doesn't know how to distribute hardware. Zune, Surface and Xbox are enough examples.
  • I was under the impression that the irony in my response was more than obvious. Apparently not.
  • Would be nice if they updated the 3dk to include phones like the 928 or upcoming 929 (icon) seeing as nokia doesn't seem to make cases anymore & otterbox dont support Verizon exclusive devices
  • Then why don't they answer to the complaints about unsharp (too soft) pictures with the Lumia cameras (since the Amber update) ? Why do they remain mute about the yellowish tint of the pictures ? Why do they keep so quite about the completely yellowish pictures when taken with the flash ?  
  • I love Nokia phone, because I trust it, it's strong. Important for me is the to be satisfyed with it. Go Nokia, go MS.
  • If they care so much about us as customers they should really stop letting hardware quality drop. The 928 is full of bugs and hardware problems. I have to smack the earpiece on mine just to make it work during phone calls.not to mention the soft keys look like garbage compared to even an HTC 8x. I love WP and the design of Nokia devices but they are beginning to slip I feel. Small shortcuts hurt our experience.
  • I just want to let you guys know that I don't have the knowledge on phones like you guys do but I got this app cause my husband said maybe anybody in here will do something about it, the article you guys are talking is sadly wrong trying to Contac Nokia is just hard and if you live in the US is pointless cause your phone company will handle the replacement, on Microsoft side there is no phone number you can even call to about your windows phones, but after having six replacement send to me within 3 weeks and all bad and now this one bad too is just sad,and happen Dec 2-24, and they won't gave me a new phone, I had and iPhone I just want to try windows, I even got me a surface after I got the Lumia928 , I email, call, Facebook, all of those companies, never got a comment back or call or an offer, a try, or a compensation, I'm a stay home mom, I don't want nothing free, but I expected some kind of costumer services, i was 3 hour at the store with my 2 kids and the manager trying to see if the phone can work sadly they couldn't help just order a replacement or pay $600 for a new one, I'm your average person, they say the camera is great gave to everyday moms that want to get their kids that can't afford $1k camera , sad but I will have to get my old iPhone back and hear my family said I toll you!!!
  • You should contact @NokiaCares on twitter, I see them resolve this stuff everyday. Sorry for your experience that is terrible.
  • Proud of being a Nokia customer!
  • I went to a Nokia hackathon in New York City, 4 people showed up, we all won a prize.
  • Wish MS were so intuitive.