92 years bold: more than just a brand

 

REPOST FROM MOTOROLA'S OFFICIAL BLOG

HelloMoto, everybody! I’m Felipe, probably the biggest Motorola fan in the world and the largest Moto technology and memorabilia collector. I’m so thrilled to be writing for Moto’s official website on such a special day: Motorola’s 92nd birthday.

I could go on and on listing the incredible accomplishments Moto has achieved since 1928. We loyal consumers and fans know so many of them, like the launch of the first mobile phone, radio and video transmissions that made the Moon Landing possible, walkie-talkies, leading the development of the TV industry, 4G, 5G and so many more. 

The truth is, the world wouldn’t be the same without the products and innovations introduced by Motorola over the years. And I can’t imagine my world without Moto. I’ve been a fan since I was an 11-year-old kid, in 2006, admiring the RAZR, ROKR and PEBL phones and especially, the edginess of the Motorola marketing campaigns. At the time my English skills were limited, since I’m from a Spanish-speaking country, but I was able to develop my second language skills by reading financial reports, reviews and articles about upcoming phones.  

In addition to reading tech blogs and news about the company, I also used to send hand-written letters as a 13-year-old kid telling Motorola that one day I would love to work there, designing phones or marketing campaigns. And when I got a reply one day, it meant the world to me.

I then started collecting Moto phones – and at the time that’s all I cared about. Through the years, I built my own Motorola museum at home, disassembling and putting back together (but mostly breaking) the phones. I even figured out how to hack the original RAZR to increase its internal storage size – 13-year-old me felt so brave and smart for doing that.

With time, and with the rise of social media, I got into talking to other fans from around the world, who were just as passionate as me and wanted to learn more about the company and its products. So I built a dedicated website and fan pages, and after some time – it started to get a lot of views and attention from the big guys in the tech world. This even allowed me to interview Martin Cooper, who led the team that developed the first mobile phone in 1973, the DynaTAC. 

I never stopped drawing Moto phones and thinking of cool concepts for marketing campaigns – in my spare time, this is often all I could think about doing. What I didn’t realize with all of this, is that through this Motorola obsession, I was developing my own passions and paving the way for my own future. I became interested in marketing and communications, and that’s even what I went on to study in college. I created a website and social communities because of that passion for Motorola.  And now social media, marketing and design are the fields I work in.

Motorola’s core values of trustworthiness, inclusivity, innovativeness, and resilience were passed on to me and also helped me through personal struggles. During many hard times, Moto was a way for me to escape the real world, while at the same time helping me become the person I am today. Motorola – whether they knew it or not – has enabled me to use technology and pursue my passions in a way that I never imagined was possible. 

For me, Motorola is more than just a brand. It’s actually a part of my life and I owe a lot to that. I’m sure my story is not unique, and I think the bond the brand can make with a consumer or loyal fan goes beyond just me. In fact, I’ve met a number of fans from different countries and backgrounds who are just as passionate as me, breathe the Moto brand as much as I do, and can name Motorola’s history by heart just as accurately as I can. It’s truly remarkable the impact a brand with values that match your own can have on your life and the world around you. 

For 92 years, Motorola has overcome many challenges and has led the industry in terms of innovation, product design and cool marketing. But it has also developed a special magic behind that batwing and bonding with its fans that will live on forever.

Happy birthday, Moto! Here’s to 92 more.