The company aimed at a niche in the mobile phone market. The luxury sector Based on the same market as Swiss made watches, Nokia believed that they could bring the mobile phone away from a technological device and give it an image of prestige and quality.
Phone companies had already produced top-end phones to appeal to the more wealthy consumer but Vertu was going a step beyond that; they introduce phones as a collection rather than a model and there are currently only three collections available; 'Assent', 'Constellation' and 'Signature'.
This style of retail echo's the likes of Bentley rather than Nokia so its easy to see why Vertu were able to distinguish themselves from the Mother company. Normal phone manufacturers produce mass volumes for short periods, Vertu produce small volumes for long periods. Hand- crafted in Vertu's 'factory' these phones really do compare with the care and attention shown to a Rolex or any other Swiss made watch.
Obviously they need some method of extending their product life cycle and this comes in the form of special and limited editions.
Tucked away in the English countryside the Vertu headquarters has developed some truly magnificent phones. All are crafted with a combination of high-grade leather and metal; depending on how big your wallet is Vertu offer alloys used on space shuttles, stainless steel, silver, gold and even platinum.
The Vertu Assent is probably the most recognized collection. Whilst cheaper than the others it offers an impressive design with incredible features. Perhaps the most notable is the Yamaha audio system, better than any other in the market & capable of a staggering 100dB clear sound.
No doubt your beginning to understand that Vertu don't just offer the best designs and the best materials but also the best technology. In fact, to align themselves with the watch market Vertu try not include any features that are likely to be outdated so as to extend the product life. They are famously quoted as saying 'when they make one good enough we'll use it' in response to a question on why none of their phones have cameras.
To emphasize the luxurious image of the Vertu brand they teamed up with F1 motor sports and created a limited edition series of Assents. Each had a racetrack etched into the back of the phone and racing grade rubber used instead of the leather. There were only a thousand of these produced and all had an individual number to identify them. MONZA?
So has this company been a success? Well, it would be a lie to say they haven't struggled. Entering the niche was a challenge as they were in essence creating a new market. At first consumers were pessimistic of the fusion between luxury and technology in an industry where upgrades are an annual norm. But Vertu's build quality and pinpoint marketing has come through; unit sales are on the increase and emerging markets in India and Russia leave plenty of room for expansion.
In fact the proof of Vertu's success can be seen in the development of its competition. Whilst Assents start at around 2,500 and Signatures rise to about 30,000 these appear to walk hand in hand with the Ferrari owners of the world.
Now, however, a company has appeared that's priced its range alongside the super cars. Goldvish' offer Swiss-made phones for 100,000. Not to mention their limited edition 'le million' which sold for EUR1, 000, 000? Each phone has a minimum of 150grams of gold and is encrusted with numerous diamonds. If were honest the 'bling' phones are not attractive, but are a blatant symbol of having so much money you don't know what to do with it.
Online Store: http://vertuluxuryphone.webasyst.net/shop/
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