It appears that Microsoft is entering the final stages of phasing out the “Nokia” brand name for its mobile phones in favor of the new “Microsoft Lumia.”
The decision to ditch the Nokia name really isn’t much of a surprise. Microsoft acquired the Finnish company’s handset business in April for $7.5 billion. As part of the deal the Finnish company got to keep the name but licensed it to Microsoft for 10 years. Well, it looks like the Redmond, Wash.-based company is ready to kick the name to the curb a tad bit early.
Microsoft has been hinting at its plans to kill the Nokia and Windows Phone brands for a while.
Related: 'Brand Equity' Is an Intangible That's Worth Real Money
Last month the company began redirecting visitors from nokia.com to its Microsoft Mobile website and in its latest commercials for the Lumia 930 and HTC One M8, Windows Phone isn’t even mentioned.
Another commercial for Cortana – Microsoft's version of Siri -- makes only a brief URL reference to “Windows Phone.”
If these clues weren't enough, an internal document leaked last month revealed that Microsoft would "drop the manufacturer name [Nokia] from product references during the Holiday campaign.”
Related: Tis the Season to Be Savvy: 6 Ways to Optimize Brand Marketing
France will be the first country to see the rebranding, transitioning from Nokia France to Microsoft Lumia on social-media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Other countries will see the change over the following weeks.
The Verge reports that Microsoft has confirmed the upcoming rebranding. We have reached out for comment and will update this story when Microsoft responds.
Related: The 8 Must-Follow Rules for Rebranding Your Company (Infographic)
