Vivo, the Chinese smartphone maker, recently added one more device to its existing V- series portfolio with the launch of V17Pro. The new smartphone sports the world’s first 32MP dual pop-up selfie camera with ‘moonlight’ flash. The phone also packs a 48MP AI quad rear camera setup with 13 MP 2x optical zoom for stunning pictures.

The new phone will be available for pre-order across offline channels from September 27, 2019, at the price of Rs. 29,990. Vivo claims to be a leader in 20 thousand to 30 thousand price points in India, and according to Nipun Marya, Head of Marketing Strategy, Vivo India, V17Pro will enhance Vivo’s leadership in the segment.

Speaking about the launch, Marya said, “V series is available in 20k to 30K price segment, and Vivo has been a continuous leader there. The smartphone market has grown by 100% in country and Vivo’s contribution to the growth is 55%. In the 25k to 30k segment, which is the exact price point where V17Pro is positioned, the market tripled after the launch of Vivo’s products and we hold 68% of the market share in the price range. We are leaders in the segment and we believe V17Pro will further enhance our leadership there, primarily because of our innovation and technology.”

In April this year, Vivo announced that it will invest Rs. 4,000 crore in its “Make in India” strategy and set up a R&D facility in Uttar Pradesh. In August, the Chinese innovative smartphone brand announced an added investment of Rs. 3,500 crore in the country.These investment announcements come at the time when many economic sectors are experiencing a slowdown.

According to Marya the ups and downs in the market don’t change the fundamentals of the country, and Vivo is certain the investment will generate 5,000 jobs in the first phase of implementation.

“India is an extremely important market for Vivo. There are some macro-economic situations, but the country has an extremely young consumer base. The urbanization in the country is on rise and the income is continuously increasing. Use of social media is also rising.  All this make up for a strong fundamental base. All of this points to the fact that consumer base will keep in increasing and people will buy more smartphones in the future.”

On Vivo’s new association with millennial starts like Sara Ali Khan and Aditya Seal, Marya says the company positions itself as a youth brand.

When asked about Vivo’s marketing strategy, Marya says the bulk of marketing is done by their consumers itself. “Our consumers like our products and then there is a good word of mouth”, he says.

Apart from that the company also has a 360 degree marketing strategy. The brand will be launching a new TVC with Amir Khan ahead of the upcoming festive season. Marya adds, “We are offering good, exciting products, at good price along with good offers to our consumer, and I think that is enough.”

When asked about the brand’s preferred marketing channels, Marya says, “We adequately cover all kinds of channels, be it broadcast, digital, OOH or digital OOH.” He adds that every channel has its own importance in the journey of the consumers.