Back in March, I greeted the launch of Emporio’s phone for old folks with little scepticism. After all, would people over 50 (some still surprisingly youthful) really want a phone that labeled themselves old farts, unable to cope with technology? Surely, if such a phone were needed, a more subtle approach is called for.
Well, it seems that the retail trade agrees (or perhaps they just read MobHappy hah hah), as they’re just not stocking the phone, forcing Emporio to try selling direct. Good luck with that, fellas.
The spin Emporio are trying to put on the lack of retail distribution is that shops want to maintain their yoof cred and are worried about polluting it by being seen to encourage oldies into their stores. Frankly, I don’t think this is fair - I’m afraid it’s just not a well thought out product and my advice is to rethink the design and positioning. In my experience, older people definitely do appreciate a phone with a simpler UI and larger, more legible screen, but not at the expense of being patronised.
Hear, hear! I can’t believe Management Today fell for the distributor’s spin on this story. Vodafone launched the somewhat-similar “Vodafone Simply” a few years back and have recently dropped it - not, I’m certain, because of the embarrasingly high number of elderly people rushing to their shops to buy it. £170 for a prepay phone that no-one over 50 has heard of… or £19.99 for a Nokia.