2. 2
STUDENT’S PROFILE
NAME Nida Nasir
CLASS & SEMESTER M.A (P)- SECOND
SUBJECT TITLE ENTREPRENEURSHIP & INNOVATION ECO.
SUBJECT CODE 5332
DATE OF SUBMISSION 7th-September,2015
SUBMITTED TO Ms. Marium
MARKS OBTAINED
/20
GRADE
TEACHER’S SIGNATURE
3. 3
SERIAL
NUMBER
CONTENTS PAGE
NUMBER
1 INTRODUCTION 4
2 THE STORY BEHIND THE Q
Professional Background and Expertise
Experiences
Interviews from Technology Times and Start-Up magazine
QMobile eyeing to dominate Pakistani Market
5-11
3 CONCLUSION 12
4. 4
INTRODUCTION
QMobile is a new introduction in the mobile phone industry. It is a private company
launched in 2009. LG, a renowned mobile company, relaunched their cell phone
accessories in Pakistan under the name of QMobile. Its headquarters lies in Karachi.
QMobile VISION: Empower our customers to connect with the world around them
through a telecommunication medium that spells quality at affordable rates.
QMobile MISSION: To establish brand loyalty and high revenues through customer
loyalty by offering innovation, quality and reliability with customer care.
Innovation is QMobile. It is Pakistan’s quality brand that offers its users affordability
and reliability all at once. Excellent customer care, with features that spell customer
convenience, makes QMobile stand at 1st position in the mobile phone markets here in
Pakistan. QMobile’s range of stylish yet innovatively advanced mobile products provide
affordable touch screens, QWERTY, WiFi and Android OS smart phones, catering to
customers who are looking out for advanced quality and features at prices that are
extremely affordable. With a varied selection of more than 85 different cell phones,
QMobile positioned itself to meet the demands of the Pakistani market, designing
innovative and specific technologies that suited the region on the whole. QMobile has
built itself a strong image in the market, because it provides fairly high-end features
at prices affordable for most Pakistanis.Qmobile recognizes youth as its target
market. Its success is based upon its Media Planning Strategies which is “Process of
delivering the right message to the right people at the right time at the right place at
the right price”. It has been engaged in heavy advertising from its beginning to present
continuously. Although it calls itself a mobile company, Qmobile doesn’t manufacture
its own devices instead it imports them from vendors in China……comprising its own
technology. It has achieved a measure of respect as a legitimate name in the cellular
phone industry.
The founder and CEO of Qmobile is Zeeshan Akhtar. He is the mastermind behind the
success of Qmobile. He is known to be the youngest entrepreneur in Pakistan’s mobile
phone industry. Akhtar had great success with his ventures, resulting in increased
market share for whichever brand he was handling. Now let’s throw light on the
journey of this young entrepreneur……
5. 5
THE STORY BEHIND THE Q
Zeeshan Akhtar is the founder, Chairman and CEO of Pakistan’s best selling mobile
phone brand QMobile. Educated from US, he started his career in brand marketing, and
worked with LG and Microsoft in Pakistan. Focusing on Pakistani communications
industry, Zeeshan founded QMobile in 2009.He dreams about seeing QMobile Pakistan’s
most used and appreciated handset brand in every major consumer segment.
PROFESSIONAL BACKGROUND AND EXPERTISE:
In the early stage of studentship he moved to the US for his higher education and got his
degree in Business Administration of Business, Management and operations. After
returning to Pakistan, he started working with brands such as LG and Microsoft. At that
time, the Pakistani IT industry was booming, and as such his focus was more on IT and
not mobile phones. However, he soon realized that mobile phones would change the
shape of the Pakistani communications industry. That’s when he started with the LG
and Samsung mobile phone distribution. Zeeshan had great success with his ventures,
resulting in increased market share for whichever brand he was handling. For him, the
sky was the limit… and then QMobile was born.
At 30 years of age, Akhtar took charge of a company that soon became a corporate
giant. Today, Q Mobile is the biggest player in Pakistan’s mobile phone industry.
EXPERIENCES:
-February 2009 – Present (6 years 7 months) Karachi
-CEO, Chairman and mastermind behind the success of QMobile, has come to be known
as the youngest entrepreneur in Pakistan’s mobile phone industry.
- Established QMobile in 2009 as a start up and just in 4 years limited span of time made
it Pakistan's No.1 Selling Mobile Phone Brand.
- Secured more than 50% Market Share in terms of Volume and Value in Pakistan's
6. 6
mobile phone market for year 2013.
- Secured more than 65% market Share in terms of volume in Pakistan's smart phone
market for year 2013.
- Successfully launched more than 50 campaigns on ATL + BTL level
- Launched QMobile "She Q55" mobile phone with an upscale, state of art glamorous
ATL campaign comprising of a breath taking TV commercial which got a lot of
appreciation from industry.
- A successful launch of affordable touch phone E950 which broke sales record in $80-
$120 price segment
- A very bold and strategic essential category campaign comprising of a series of TV
commercial in essential category (E787, E787, E790) making QMobile undisputed
volume and value leader in <$25 price segment
- launched first Paksitani smart phone brand "NOIR" in 2012 which is now the largest
smart phone brand of Pakistan
- Launched "NOIR" DUAL CORE series with top celebrity and Noir A10 became No.1
model in GFK hit list for the very first time
- Launched "NOIR" QUAD CORE series with top emerging Bollywood talent with Noir
A600
- Launched A900 and improved QMobile brand perception in many folds, a
comprehensive marketing campaign which included a top notch production value TV
commercial with Ali Zafar "a singer, actor and composer as well as lyricist"
- Launched Noir Z4 and took QMobile brad perception to a whole new next level by
appointing an A+ Bollywood celebrity "Kareena Kapoor"
Giving an interview to Technology Times Mr. Zeeshan Akhtar said:
“The mobile phone is an extremely personal gadget – you keep it on your side table, in your
pocket, by your pillow. By the grace of the Almighty, QMobile has already become a well-
recognized and much-appreciated brand in Pakistan. In the space of just a few years, we
have grown exponentially and our brand value has also increased tremendously, making
us the second largest mobile phone brand in the market in terms of volume. It’s important
to bear in mind that Pakistan is an extremely volatile market when it comes to mobile
phones; nonetheless, we have maintained a steady pace in terms of growth, quality of
product and service provision to our valued consumers.”
Gaining recognition and trust of the consumers is the biggest challenge for any
entrepreneur who enters in a business. Especially in the telecom sector of any country
as new technology tends to come in and go down.
7. 7
“Telecommunications industry in Pakistan holds tremendous potential for growth and
development. Today, Pakistan is among the fastest growing telecommunications market in
Asia. After the 3G launch we are expecting that smart phone penetration will increase
from 20% to 50% within the span of 18 months.” says Zeeshan Akhtar.
QMobile has gained popularity and status in a very short span of time. This became
possible due to the endless efforts of Zeeshan Akhtar. Initially the company of QMobile
targeted youngsters and people from the low income group who could only afford basic
phones but we offered them better technology. After capturing that segment of the
society we have moved on to target customers from SES A & B such as businessmen, and
etc. Knowing the customers to their very core has been the preference of this young
entrepreneur. “There is no definite definition of success and for me it’s not a destination
but rather a journey. With each success comes a new goal or motto and making the best
and trying to do the best is what keeps me going.” is the opinion of Zeeshan Akhtar.
Bringing QMobile in the telecommunication industry of Pakistan was a great
achievement for Zeeshan Akhtar. But their lies a great competition in this industry,
talking to Technology Times Zeeshan Akhtar said:
“Our biggest challenge was gaining the recognition and trust of consumers. The mobile
phone is an extremely personal gadget – you keep it on your side table, in your pocket, by
your pillow. By the grace of the Almighty, QMobile has already become a well-recognized
and much-appreciated brand in Pakistan. In the space of just a few years, we have grown
exponentially and our brand value has also increased tremendously, making us the second
largest mobile phone brand in the market in terms of volume. It’s important to bear in
mind that Pakistan is an extremely volatile market when it comes to mobile phones;
nonetheless, we have maintained a steady pace in terms of growth, quality of product and
service provision to our valued consumers.”
He further added:
“One of the most essential things that give us an edge over our existing competitors in the
markets is something that makes all the difference and it’s in the fact that we know the
customers we are serving to their very core. We know their needs, their aspirations and
their expectations. For instance, they may not care much about GPRS in their phones but
they would want a radio or a good camera in their phone. And this knowledge makes all
the difference.”
QMobile has always been able to come up with an answer for advanced technological
mobile phone needs of Pakistani market. Moreover, its sourcing and inventory
management model empowers the brand to be competitive in price as compared to its
competition. The extraordinary strategies to cope up with this competition have let
8. 8
QMobile to lead the market. The proper marketing and advertising strategies are of
great importance for an entrepreneur followed by steadfast and future oriented nature.
The brilliant marketing strategies adopted by Mr. Zeeshan Akhtar to get QMobile gain
popularity among its users. Talking to Technology Times, he said:
“Marketing is just one significant part of the ecosystem we have developed in our
organization. The role of marketing is to create awareness in a simple communicative
format for our consumers and potential customers. In a very short span of time we have
created many memorable campaigns, for low-end price segments to high-end price
segments, like the Noir Smart phone Series campaign. The use of celebrity endorsement
has added substantial value to our claims giving us value through this campaign.
But as I said that marketing is one part of the eco system, the other strategies which are in
line with marketing to give proper support to our claim include technologically advanced
mobile sets with excellent service, customer care, and attractive prices that are
comparable to world renowned foreign brands.”
Strategies are an important component of entrepreneurship. Either marketing or
advertising. Both these strategies have been adopted by Mr. Zeeshan Akhtar, his
company’s marketing and advertising is colossal, the reason for sale boom of the
product especially with celebrity endorsement. Giving an interview to Start-Up
magazine, he said:
“Our marketing and advertising strategies were specifically designed after extensive
studies and insights into the market trends. Therefore, calling it one of the major reasons
for the brand’s success is more than true but calling it the sole reason would be extremely
incorrect because there are other factors that play a pivotal role in the popularity and
success of any brand. One example may be building the trust among the retailers,
employees and customers of the brand.”
Not only marketing and advertising is essential but also management of the personnel
you are working with. It is solely important to appreciate the members of the company
to get the desired output…. Mr. Zeeshan Akhtar said when asked about his management
of the crew by Start-Up magazine:
“I take this opportunity to thank my team for I have been blessed with a hard-working and
sincere team of individuals. Building trust is the most essential element when it comes to
managing my team along with the fact that I always push them to learn and educate
themselves with the most modern and effective way to do their job. Everybody’s input is
appreciated at QMobile.”
9. 9
An entrepreneur is also an innovator. Upgrading the product according to the demands
of the customers is a very hard job but QMobile has managed to do so….Mr. Zeeshan
Akhtar said:
“A combination of features spread over different price segments especially designed for
the Pakistani market gives our products a competitive technological edge over others. Our
brand’s motto is to upgrade the lifestyle of our masses by providing cutting edge
technology in a price which is affordable to them. More than 70% of Pakistan’s mobile
phone market is under the Rs. 7,000 price segment, and we have tried to provide a number
of features in as many mobile phones as possible catering to this bracket.
For instance, the QMobile Smart Phone Series Noir and Bolt have gained massive response
from our consumer and the usage of smart phones is increasing day by day.”
Mobile has now entered the smart phone market. This innovation became a massive
step for QMobile, Mr. Zeeshan Akhtar said talking to Technology Times:
“Entering the smart phone market was not an option for us, but a necessity. The future
belongs to smart hand held devices. Moving forward, I believe we will soon see ‘regular’
featured phones (within certain price segments) replaced by smart phones. The world is
changing swiftly and consumers today expect access to information at their fingertips. We
are moving from a device-led environment towards one that is led by solutions. And only
smart phones are capable of providing better software solutions to consumers in the shape
of varied applications.”
Talking about the statistics about cell phones and smart phones users, he said:
“According to Business Recorder, smart phone usage has jumped 79% in the past year,
internationally, and around 450 million smart phones are expected to ship worldwide this
year. The number of smart phone users in Pakistan, according to an estimate given in
Business Recorder, is around five to six million smart phone users. An estimate states that
Pakistan anticipates around 50 million smart phone users to be in Pakistan by 2016, which
will account for 70 percent of operator revenues.”
Pakistan telecommunication industry is growing day by day, thus innovations is an
important factor for its growth. Besides this, customers now-a-days are very choosy
when it comes to mobile applications and devices. When asked, Mr. Zeeshan Akhtar said
in an interview by Start-Up magazine:
“There are two things that we at QMobile value the most. One being the latest
technology and other being research. We keep a check on the market trends along with
keeping deep insight into our customers and potential customers. One thing that users
today crave for is “Better” and we ensure that they get the better in everything from
phones to technology, services to design & quality.”
Entrepreneurs whether young or old, think of economy’s welfare….so does this young
entrepreneur of the mobile industry. Talking to Start-Up magazine, he said:
10. 10
“There is a lot of potential for growth in the Pakistani mobile industry and 5 years down
the road I see us being the largest not just in Asia but world-wide, creating better job
opportunities and positive effects on the economy of Pakistan.”
Even Mr. Zeeshan Akhtar also has a message for young entrepreneurs entering this
mobile industry… In the Start-Up magazine he said:
“One advice I would like to give to young entrepreneurs is to focus and listen to every side
of the situation, access it without bias and then follow your instinct. Respect the advice of
those more experienced as it has always helped me. Lastly, love what you do.”
QMOBILE EYENING TO DOMINATE PAKISTANI MARKET BEING THE TOP
IMPORTER:
QMobile is now Pakistan’s top most importers of mobile phones with nearly one million
units shipped every month, Express Tribune reported on March 24th, 2014. The figures
are based on the tax recipients of Federal Board of Revenue (FBR), which claims that
around 2 to 3 million handsets are imported each month in Pakistan. The report said
that after implementation of 3G / 4G technology the smart phone market share is
expected to grow from 15 percent to over 50 percent.
11. 11
CONCLUSION
At 30 years of age, Akhtar took charge of a company that soon became a giant
corporate. Today, QMobile is the biggest player in Pakistan’s mobile phone industry.
Company Officials claim it was Akhtar’s insistence on quality that led to this success:
concentrating on not only providing advanced mobile sets buts excellent service,
Customer care and attractive prices those were comparable to world renowned
foreign brands. With a varied selection of 85 different cell phones, QMobile positioned
itself to meet the demands of Pakistani market, designing innovative and specific
technologies that suited the region on the whole. Akhtar intends to expand the
company into numerous groups, in order to fulfill the demand of the consumers from
several walks of life. This will be possible through a strategy that will shift the
Pakistani masses towards the smart phones that are more affordable.
For Akhtar and QMobile, it’s all about empowering Pakistan towards better efficiency,
and bringing new, innovative directions to the local cell phone industry. QMobile is
committed to providing an amazing customer experience and is his dream to see
QMobile become Pakistani’s most beloved handset brand in every major consumer
segment.
In the words of Zeeshan Akhtar:
“We have pretty much captured Pakistan’s mobile market; we hope to keep on providing
them the best and latest technology along with expanding our product range such as we
have already introduced Tablets, Speakers and various other gadgets and accessories.
Simultaneously, we plan to go global and make a mark on the world by being one of the
first Pakistani brands to rule international waters.”
