Realme marketing in Nigeria is a challenge to itel and TECNO

If there are three brands that have phone marketing in Nigeria nailed down for years now, it is the Transsion musketeers – TECNO, Infinix, and itel. Their marketing is not subtle. It is in your face. It is persistent. It is relentless. Everywhere you turn, there is someone marketing phones from one of those brands. Sometimes, it is a bit too much. It is shameless marketing, to be sure. And it works.

The Transsion brands have owned the Nigerian smartphone market for years now. There are multiple factors behind this, but their marketing style is one of them.

What is even more interesting is that new entrant to the Nigerian smartphone market, Realme, has caught on and are going full gung-ho marketing their smartphones after the order of Transsion. Realme is not quite up where those other three brands are in terms of spread and reach (there are elements that are still missing), but they are definitely following in their footsteps.

To be sure, I do not see that there is any other way to reach the budget segment of the market, either. You have to be in people’s faces. You have to be unyielding. And Realme is doing it.

Someone asked if the brand has a chance at gaining a solid chunk of the Nigerian smartphone market. From what I have seen in the last few months, I don’t think that is a valid question. The valid question should be, “How much marketshare will they grab?” That’s what brands like Samsung and Redmi (Xiaomi) should be worried about now. And to some extent, the Transsion musketeers should be worried too. Why?

The entry-level space

This is the first time that there is solid competition coming into the entry-level space. Samsung has generally given up that segment; they have only one model in there. Xiaomi has one or two models in there, and they aren’t marketing them this aggressively. Other brands aren’t serious about this segment, generally speaking. It is a segment that has been ruled exclusively by itel and TECNO for many years [1]. As a matter of fact, as at July last year, the three Transsion brands together held 67% marketshare of the Nigerian smartphone market [2]. But now, Realme is playing there and playing hard.

Realme marketing of their entry-level smartphones is interesting to see. How much of itel and TECNO’s cake will they eat? That is the question we look forward to answering in the year of our Lord 2025.

It is good to see some real competition arrive in the market. The entry-level is where most smartphone sales happen in Nigeria, so this is interesting and it is significant. From here, it is Realme vs itel and TECNO. Let everyone else step aside and play from the sidelines.

References

1. These Are The Top 5 Smartphone Brands In Nigeria 2020, The top 5 smartphone brands in Nigeria 2021.
2. The Top Smartphone Brands in Nigeria, By Sales, as of July 2024.

Author: Mister Mobility

Mister Mobility, a techie with a passion for storytelling. I have owned, used, and reviewed hundreds of mobile phones since 2001. I started Mobility Nigeria Tech Blog in 2008.