![](https://www.international-sound-directory.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/nokia-locallykb.jpg)
As we see more and more global companies focusing efforts on developing their audio identities, the tendency is to follow audio branding trends and music trends. These trends commonly emanate from Europe and the West, so a big question needs to be asked by every global brand today; how do we stay relevant on a local level through sound and music? We examine how Nokia tackles this challenge, primarily by offering targeted localized ringtones – staying true to the core brand whilst recognizing cultural differences in music and sound around the world.
We look back over 10 years and to the early days of MIDI, when Nokia first offered pre-loaded localized ringtones – ringtones targeted towards a specific country or region. We also examine how user studies and music research have helped to shape the localized offering over the years, from large quantitative studies within different regions, to smaller and more focused music research.
Finally, we present our latest approach to providing locally relevant sound content – “Regional Ringtones, Designed By You”, an extensive crowdsourcing campaign recently conducted through the Audiodraft platform (http://www.audiodraft.com), providing us with a comprehensive collection of localized ringtones for our 2013 portfolio (time period of realization: 2011).