Inovent’s Ilumina Launches With Nationalistic Marketing

Over in the Philippines, a tech-startup named Inovent recently unveiled a prototype of the Ilumina, an “LCD interactive TV” that promises web browsing, video and music playback, and recording capability.

Here’s some background: from a tech point-of-view, the Philippines is known more for its very active mobile market and outsourced services. Companies like Texas Instruments and Accenture rely on the country to produce gadgets and provide customer support on the cheap.

In short, there is no home-grown base for consumer electronics, which is why foreign brands like Nokia and Samsung dominate the market. This is obvious for a company like Inovent, whose competitors have years of experience and very established brands.

So it’s gone all nationalistic, doing the launch on a holiday in honor of a national hero (Andres Bonifacio) and trying to make Filipinos proud that there’s a “truly Filipino” alternative. But in a country that has a proven track record of preferring foreign-made consumer electronics—mostly because there is a lack of truly locally-made alternatives—does Inovent’s first effort stand a chance? The Ilumina doesn’t enjoy any special “hook” that makes it distinctive off the bat. You know, like the sub-$2300 Tata Nano?

Save of course, the fact that it was developed by a local team, and made with local parts and expertise. But in today’s cliched “global economy”, is this focus on nationalism enough?

(image from Technograph)