Mobiles take a pick off the rainbow

NEW DELHI: Don’t be surprised if the latest mobile phone to hit your neighbourhood retail store is actually inspired by the hues and colours being sashayed down the ramps in Milan and Paris or from the new cosmetic line from a stylish fashion brand.

As colours become the next big thing for mobile manufacturers — in a bid to add individuality and self expression to the ubiquitous device — Indian consumers can look forward to an array of colourful offerings. With every shade from the palette denoting something distinct and adding to your personality, the colour craze seems to have definitively set in.

Motorola recently launched a slew of colours for its PEBL and RAZR series, while Samsung did the same with its E530 model targeted at women consumers. An interesting fact is that the inspiration for the various dedicated design teams flows from industries as disjointed as dye, automobile, textiles and even from subway signage.

That’s not all, there is a concept of seasonal colours as well, doing the rounds just as in the fashion world. Says the chief designer of Motorola worldwide, Jim Wicks, “Colour is a powerful emotive driver that allows us to express ourselves.

With all the colour offerings, our effort has been to humanise technology.” Motorola has a separate colour, material and finish team and has four colours: chrome, classic, soft and basics. The new PEBL range is available in orange, pink, green and blue.

Sudhir Sharma, founder, director and principal designer, Elephant Strategies & Design, a strategy company in emerging markets that helps clients locate opportunities in design, says: “Mobile phones are no longer just an IT product as they carry a personal statement.

He feels that black may work with only a small segment of urban Indians, but in tier 2 & 3 cities, the colour preferences could well throw up some surprises. “Product design companies that are looking to differentiate with colours need to do India-specific market research,” he adds.

Localisation of colours is another significant aspect, which needs to be addressed while introducing colours in the Indian market. Samsung Mobiles’ marketing head, Asim Warsi, agrees: “We do a quick consumer dipstick to know which colours have the potential to move in the Indian market.“

Samsung is launching the ‘Ultra Edition’, a range of slim phones soon, and have tied up with Bang & Olufsen for a premium series of phones called ‘Serene’. Apart from Samsung and Motorola, Nokia has also started working on colours in a limited way.

“Motorola is a leader in the coloured handset market, though initially it probably went in for more market share. However, the marketing will work very well with a certain trendy and young segment of consumers in India”, says fashion designer Ravi Bajaj.