Nokia Turning telecom heritage into a social narrative that rings through

By 2017, Nokia was much more than a phone company. It had launched the OZO 360° camera, acquired Withings, and was building deep expertise in digital health and network infrastructure. The problem? Its social channels hadn’t caught up.

Messages were scattered across teams and regions. Content was reactive, not strategic. Even with 9M+ impressions at major events like  Mobile World Congress, the brand lacked a consistent story once the spotlight faded.

We built a flexible, insight-led framework that could adapt across products, teams, and audiences. Posts were organized around three storytelling pillars:

This approach made the brand smart,  approachable, and grounded in innovation but still easy to engage with.

Visually, we modernized without abandoning familiarity. The signature Nokia blue remained, paired with greens from Withings and circular motifs from the OZO line. Layouts emphasized simplicity: bold type, minimal grids, and iconography that balanced clarity with energy.

Finally, we built a full infrastructure for the team. Scheduling ran through Hootsuite Enterprise. Analytics dashboards measured performance in real time. A social playbook documented tone, cadence, and content formats. The result was a scalable system that any team could use to plan, publish, and measure smarter content.

After six months, the numbers told the story. Engagement rates jumped by 28 percent. LinkedIn followers grew by 33 percent. Twitter saw a 20 percent lift. Click-throughs improved by 15 percent and inbound partnership interest climbed by 10 percent.

Beyond the metrics, the system created something more durable: alignment. Regional teams could share assets, track performance, and respond to opportunities in real time. The framework made Nokia’s evolution visible and consistent, no matter the product line or audience.

Great social strategy isn’t just about posting more often; it’s about helping a brand evolve in public. Nokia’s transformation showed that with the right structure, tone, and tools, even legacy brands can reintroduce themselves to a digital audience. These insights reveal what made that shift stick—and how other brands can do the same.

What legacy brands can learn from Nokia
Relevance is a moving target. Legacy doesn’t guarantee authority in new categories, and audiences reward authenticity over nostalgia. According to Edelman's Trust Barometer, 63% of consumers expect brands to communicate expertise through proof, not promises. Nokia’s success came from demonstrating innovation, not declaring it.

How to design a scalable content system
Experience has taught us that the most sustainable systems aren’t the most complex. They’re the ones teams actually use. By standardizing tools and visuals but leaving room for creativity, Nokia found a balance between control and speed.

Why brand voice matters in B2B social
In B2B, tone is often overlooked, yet it’s one of the most powerful differentiators. Consistency in voice improves brand recognition significantly.  A distinct voice doesn’t just make content sound good—it gives teams the confidence to communicate clearly, which is what audiences remember most.