Case study · Market research
Marketing analysis of OnePlus
A smartphone company turned electronics company. Two taglines — "Never Settle" and "Flagship Killer" — set expectations of flagship performance at a fraction of flagship price, and for the most part OnePlus delivered, peaking with the 7 series and Marques Brownlee's smartphone of the year award.
Context
From five employees to a $2bn company
The OnePlus One landed in 2014 with flagship performance, an innovative design and a user-friendly UI at a fraction of Apple and Samsung pricing — breaking open a duopoly.
2013
Founded by Pete Lau and Carl Pei, a subsidiary of BBK Electronics
1.5M
OnePlus One units sold globally by the end of 2014
5M+
Customer base in India today
$2.0B
Approximate turnover, with around 2,700 employees globally
The playbook
Six marketing moves
Selective marketing
Early products were online-only and invite-only — invites came from contests and referrals from existing customers. It optimised inventory and production while they were still unsure of demand, and the scarcity created a sense of exclusivity that pulled attention away from other brands.
Influencer marketing
The Netflix India collaboration for the 7 series released the first look at Sacred Games season 2, shot on a OnePlus device. It drew huge traffic to their social pages, alongside work with actors, models and media personalities.
Digital-first
Far less traditional advertising and much more social — over 2.6 million followers on Twitter and 3.7 million on Instagram, where pricing and specifications of upcoming launches are shared first.
Giveaways
Sponsored giveaways with YouTubers required following the official accounts to enter, and improved your odds if you shared them — turning awareness into a loop.
Collaborative marketing
A three-year partnership from 2021 with Hasselblad — the camera company used by Neil Armstrong for the first photo of the moon — created enormous hype around the 9 series cameras while sharing cost.
Shifting the reference point
The 6T McLaren edition was 30% more expensive than the standard 6T. Against that new anchor, the OnePlus 7 felt like a bargain — 10% cheaper than the McLaren, despite being 20% more expensive than the normal 6T.
Research technique
SWOT
Strengths
- Good price-to-performance ratio
- User-friendly UI
- Excellent customer service and satisfaction
- A range of phones across price points for different audiences
Weaknesses
- The Oppo merger and Carl Pei's departure left imbalance and confusion
- Rising prices on top-tier models
- More bugs in the UI recently
- Cameras still behind Apple and Samsung
Opportunities
- Access to Oppo's R&D for hardware and charging technology
- Rising quality of life driving demand for upper-midrange smartphones
Threats
- Competition from emerging brands like Realme and giants like Apple and Samsung
- Government cutbacks on Chinese companies
- Higher import and export costs
What makes it stand out
Listening, and admitting mistakes
- The 9 series launched in the US at $1,100, competing directly with the S21 Ultra — and was heavily criticised for it.
- OnePlus listened and launched the 10 series at $899, $200 cheaper than its predecessor.
- They also corrected the fingerprint sensor placement after complaints about its positioning.
- Public forums — the OnePlus Community app and the exclusive Red Cable Club — are where that feedback loop runs.
Conclusion
OnePlus became one of the biggest names in Android, and the value its phones offered forced competitors to change strategy — largely down to innovative marketing, from influencer work to collaborations. A good product, marketed properly, becomes ubiquitous. That said, the Oppo merger and the loss of Carl Pei hit the company hard, and it has struggled to find its groove since.
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