'Indian market is witnessing a significant shift toward premium devices', says Qualcomm CMO

India being the largest market for smartphone makers, Qualcomm, the chipmaker is focusing on AI and building a community of tech enthusiasts in the country. With new marketing tools like AI on the horizon, the brand is focusing to create enhanced immersive brand experiences for consumers.

Don McGuire, Senior Vice President, Chief Marketing Officer touches upon how Qualcomm navigated the challenge of marketing a complex technology like Snapdragon to a broad consumer audience, how is Qualcomm planning to capitalize on the growing demand for premium experiences in the Indian smartphone market and more.

How has Qualcomm navigated the challenge of marketing a complex technology like Snapdragon to a broad consumer audience?

Snapdragon processors are at the heart of over 3 billion devices, spanning across smartphones, PCs, extended reality (XR) devices, connected cars and so much more. That number is a strong reflection of consumers’ preference for the premium mobile experiences that can only be powered by Snapdragon. Now in the era of generative artificial intelligence, Snapdragon continues to define premium experiences across device categories.

While today, many recognize the power of Snapdragon in delivering experiences across devices, just a few years ago many consumers would not have thought about the technology at the heart of their device. As the importance of technology and decision making has increased, we have increased our investment in building brand affinity for Snapdragon. Over time this investment has been paying off — awareness is two times higher than the competitive average and it continues to increase year over year.

Now, as we enter the next phase of building Snapdragon as a global consumer brand, we are moving beyond exposure and awareness, to driving affinity throughout the brand funnel and converting awareness into advocacy. In 2024, we’ve expanded our marketing efforts in two major areas: continuing to leverage our brand partnerships, which includes becoming Manchester United’s new front of shirt partner, and building community with our Snapdragon Insiders program. We believe that these efforts will help us further strengthen the Snapdragon brand and drive business growth.

How is Qualcomm planning to capitalize on the growing demand for premium experiences in the Indian smartphone market?

India is an exciting market for us and for nearly three decades, Qualcomm has helped drive India’s growth and adoption of wireless technology. As we look to the future, we will continue to bring cutting edge technology the India market, with a significant emphasis on AI. Qualcomm remains at the forefront of innovation, advancing on-device AI to transform the way users interact with their devices. With the introduction of Snapdragon 8 Gen 3, we brought on-device AI to smartphones, along with unparalleled performance and connectivity. We’re committed to diversifying our portfolio, bringing AI to a wide range of devices: smartphones, XR, PCs, automotive and IoT.

Can you give us an overview about the Snapdragon brand in India and the Indian consumer’s inclination and receptivity towards investing in premium experiences?

The Indian consumer cares about the technology powering their devices. According to insights by the Indian analyst firm, CMR, ~65% of Gen Z smartphone users are aware of AI-powered smartphones and ~83% smartphone users recognize the chipset as a crucial component of their device. Users prioritize value in their purchases and are willing to pay a premium for products they believe will deliver high-quality experiences. The Indian smartphone market is witnessing a significant shift toward premium devices and reflects broader trend of consumers prioritizing quality, performance, and brand reputation in their purchasing decisions.

Snapdragon's impact is extensive in India. Widely recognized and featured in numerous devices, Snapdragon processors have become a preferred choice among Indian consumers, achieving high brand recall and value within the tech community. Snapdragon has also cultivated a dedicated group of Snapdragon Insiders, fostering a community environment for creators, gamers, and tech enthusiasts. Snapdragon has solidified its position as a leader in the Indian market for premium experiences.

What are your views on the impact of new technologies such as AI in marketing?

AI's impact on marketing is truly transformative. There are multiple tools available today that can assist marketers with mundane tasks, which frees them up to focus more on strategy. Given the sheer volume of data that marketers today deal with, AI-driven analytical tools can transform personalization strategies with precision, providing marketers with detailed insights that can help create campaigns, content and overall strategies more efficiently. As the technology evolves, AI will become less prompted and more anticipatory, becoming an essential part of the workflow, unlocking the true potential of AI

Can you share some insights on how and why brands need to craft technology driven experiences?

Technology-driven experiences are at the heart of all our brand partnerships. A great example of one of our technology integrations is in our partnership with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team. Just a couple of months after we kicked off our partnership, we created a first-of-its-kind virtual reality (VR) fan experience ‘VIP Garage Tour’. Typically, an F1 garage is an exclusive space, but we democratized it for Mercedes fans attending Formula One races. Lewis Hamilton acted as the virtual tour guide through the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team garage, and the experience included behind-the-scenes access to the car, Engineering Treehouse and PETRONAS Trackside Laboratory. It also includes exclusive interview content with the Mercedes-AMG PETRONAS F1 Team, including Toto Wolff, James Allison and Jodi Hutton.

We’re looking forward to bringing more of these experiences to fans. Integrating technology into all our partnerships brings deeper fan engagement and a unique opportunity to align our brand with the passion and excitement of the sport.