OPPO doesn’t believe in following the trends, but rather, in setting them- George Long, CEO OPPO Pakistan

1. How is OPPO performing in Pakistan? What are the company’s expectations?

Pakistan is a very important market for OPPO and Pakistan has been very warm in welcoming OPPO. We began our operations in Pakistan in 2014 and in such a short time span OPPO has become one of Pakistan’s leading Smartphone brands. This, I believe, is an indicator of customer satisfaction and proof of how OPPO has clicked with the people’s choices in Pakistan.

Pakistan is the 5th largest country and 65% of its population is aged between 18 to 35 years. This is a great signal for the further growth of the company as the young generation is very acceptable to our technology and designs

and we focus on creating a connection with them. Therefore, we are sure of a bright future and that OPPO will be Pakistan’s biggest smartphone company in the coming years.

2. Are you satisfied with the market response to your devices?

The Market has always been quick to appreciate our daring styles and innovative ideas. Since our very first phone in the Pakistani market, the impact of our brand on the people has only grown. Especially the youth has been very appreciative of our unique offerings. Whether it is the F7, F9, R17 Pro or the Find X edition, our smartphones have received great response from the consumers. Each technology has been tried, tested and loved by the Pakistani market. As per IDC, OPPO F5 was rated as the No. 1 selling smartphone in 2018. So yes we are very much satisfied with the market response for our devices.

3. What is OPPO’s target audience?

Our target audience is the youth, mainly between the age of 18 to 35 years; those who want to set the trend and be bold with our state of the art technology and beautiful designs. OPPO is associated with Sports and Fashion globally and is always testing out new features to bring excitement and convenience to the lives of users. With the F9 we introduced the Waterdrop Notch, the VOOC Flash Charge and an impeccable Gradient designed exterior. We at OPPO do not believe in following trends, but rather, in setting them.

OPPO is not just a tech phone but also a lifestyle fashionable device so we strive to cater to our diverse audience through our products and innovative marketing campaigns.

4. What sets apart OPPO from other smartphone brands especially its Chinese competitors in terms of hardware and quality?

As I have stressed upon it earlier, at OPPO, we believe in innovation. Our products are designed to stand out in the crowd. We now have over 29,000 registered patents. As the selfie and camera phone experts, we have 1800 registered patents for photography alone. There is also a flash charge technology that OPPO is the sole provider of the VOOC Flash Charge and the SuperVOOC Flash Charge.

Our products are designed to stand out in the crowd. We now have over 29,000 registered patents. As the selfie and camera phone experts, we have 1800 registered patents for photography alone

We believe in consistently innovating to bring new and exciting features to our phones. These features are crafted to give a holistic experience to our users, whether it is in the area of design, color, camera or the battery. This is what makes OPPO different from others. We also believe in interacting with our youth by being a part of their interests. We have been associated with sports and have collaborated with ICC and PSL. We also partner with popular celebrities to engage with the youth. This is our philosophy.

The Market has always been quick to appreciate our daring styles and innovative ideas

5. What is your take on the mobile market of Pakistan? What are the main changes that you witnessed in the device ecosystem in recent few years?

All challenges aside, we believe Pakistan is one of the most important markets for OPPO with amazing opportunities. The market is yet in its developmental stage but people are open to new technologies with the advent of 4G technology. OPPO has maintained its status of being counted in the Top 3 Smartphone brands in Pakistan (Source: GFK). Our Selfie Expert series (F Series) have been loved by the people and the recently launched OPPO F9 has completely revolutionized the smartphone industry. We strive to be the best in the industry, and we aim to become the NO. 1 smartphone brand in 2019.

6. Do you think our regulatory environment is conducive to the digital revolution?

I believe the digital revolution is something we all need to focus on as it has totally changed the world we live in. Both the people and the regulatory bodies of Pakistan are catching up with the digital revolution quite well, and we hope to see the same level of acceptance from both ends in the near future.

Our Selfie Expert series (F Series) has been loved by the people and the recently launched OPPO F9 has completely revolutionized the smartphone industry

7. What reforms do you think are needed to support the development of the ICT industry in Pakistan?

3G and 4G have been readily adopted by the Pakistani population and this is an on-going process. If we are to introduce new technology, there is no doubt that it will be accepted and adopted by the new generation. Smartphones are the future, this can be assessed by the fact that 60% to 70% shopping has been done through these devices. Industries are going digital, so smartphones will be the future. Pakistan is developing and is catching up with the rest of the world when we talk about technology and if such consistency is maintained then the ICT industry will develop and flourish in Pakistan within no time.

8. What are some groundbreaking innovations that we can expect from OPPO?

OPPO is always bringing something new to the table. We are currently working on giving a holistic camera experience to our consumers, by introducing exciting features to the camera. The R17 Pro comes with its night vision photography and triple feature. Not only the Camera, but the battery life of our devices is also something we greatly focus on. We have brought with the R17 pro, the SuperVOOC charging technology which is designed to charge 40% of your phone in 10 minutes. The company has recently invested $1.43 billion in research and development. So you can expect some more groundbreaking features from us in the future.

Both the people and the industry of Pakistan are catching up with the digital revolution quite well, and we hope to see the same level of acceptance from both ends in the near future

9. What are OPPO’s present and future plans for Pakistan? How is OPPO trying to expand its market coverage in coming days?

The mobile phone industry in Pakistan is expanding rapidly. OPPO definitely is well-equipped and prepared to grow with it. We are offering the best smartphones in all categories and price ranges. We have high-end phones with groundbreaking features, like the Find X, to mid-range phones.

We have a smartphone option for each of our customer segment. We are also localizing our communication content to get closer and help our customers to relate and resonate with us as a brand. I think it is very important as OPPO is showing its local customers how important they are to the brand.

10. What is the most important message you feel you should get across our readers and the industry?

I would like to convey that OPPO as a brand is always taking its customers to feedback positively. It is continuously innovating and achieving new benchmarks and setting examples around the industry. Recently, we have started to spend more and more on R&D to come up with better consumer products and to provide the best mobile phone technology to our consumers. I can assure this that OPPO will always provide quality products to its consumers and will continue to impress with each smartphone to come.

OPPO will always provide quality products to its consumers and will continue to impress with each smartphone to come