Bad PR + Bad advertising + Bad management equal = ?
Tuesday, September 29, 2009 at 2:53PM Bad PR + Bad advertising + Bad management equal = ? Hint. The answer is Palm.
Usually I like to discuss strategies that can help small businesses succeed, whether you want to advertise on tv, the internet, or use social networking to increase your exposure. Today, you will not be reading one of those posts. Today's post (if you indulge me) will be a rant.
Palm launched the Palm Pre to be a competitor for the iPhone. The Pre has a seductive mobile operating system, and Palm created a buzz when it first announced the device in January. One of the Pre's biggest selling points was that its phone would seamlessly sync with iTunes, something that no other phone maker has ever guaranteed. Palm created a 'workaround' by identifying it's hardware as a genuine iPod. When Apple released an update to it's iTunes software the Pre's ability to sync with iTunes was removed. Later on Palm updated its firmware on it's phone to again sync with iTunes. This is not the way to launch a product that is supposed to save a company from bankruptcy.
Palm advertised that their product would sync with a competitor's software solution, and Palm made these statements without any agreement or authorization from Apple. What did Palm expect? Did they think that Apple (a competitor in the mobile phone market) would allow the Pre to utilize its software? It seems Palm did not see this coming - which in of itself is quite baffling. Palm sent a formal request to the USB Implementers Forum asking them to force Apple to allow their device to sync with iTunes. The USB-IF disagreed with Palm's request and told Palm that their intent to "masquerade as an Apple iPod when talking to iTunes" was against USB-IF policy. Palm's latest firmware update did not include a 'fix' to sync the Pre to iTunes. Their customers have not been formally told that a reliable solution will be created. The Pre no longer can sync to iTunes without the use of 3rd party software, yet their own website details still claims to be able to sync to iTunes - however if you read the fine print you might see this statement "Compatible with iTunes v8.2. Compatibility with future versions not guaranteed."
No matter what mistakes Palm made initially they should have released a solution to their customers. Though I believe Palm never should have advertised iTunes compatibility without an agreement from Apple, they could have handled the issue professionally instead of seeming like their company was run by 2nd graders. Any business - large or small, can learn from their mistakes. If you make a mistake, talk to your customers, and compensate them. Amazon did this when they deleted books on the Kindle that were already paid for by customers. It was reported everywhere - even on CNN. Customers were upset, but later understood the problem and the issue evaporated. Palm did no such thing, and this continues to upset its customers, its investors, its competitors, and even non-profit organizations (the USB-IF).
Bad Palm. Bad.
If this was the only flaw they wouldn't be the subject of this rant. Oh no, they have much more to answer for, like this ad:
This ad was considered 'creepy'. Here are some of the comments that were written about this ad:
InuEars546: I HATE THIS LADY.
swigglys: shes a creepo!
Calyntheartist: She's the reason i won’t get that phone
Again - what was Palm thinking ? The ad resulted in so much 'hate' that a rash of parodies started to flow over the internet. Unlike, the "Can you hear me now?" parodies I blogged about before there was no laughter, and no positive emotion. Viewers were not intrigued - they were actually turned off. Although Palm won't announce it's actual sales for the Pre it definitely did not turn out to be the iPhone killer that they claimed it would be. The iPhone sold over 1 million handsets the first weekend when the iPhone 3Gs was launched. Palm has yet to sell even 500,000 units to date.
Bad public relations + bad advertising + and bad management = Palm. A failed company, that unfortunately that does not understand how to market and advertise a product successfully.
Don't be the next Palm. For more information on how Tonangi Media can help you advertise on television visit www.tonangi.com
Vinod Tonangi | www.tonangi.com | phone: 201.252.7265 | fax: 619.566.4043
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Reader Comments (1)
Palm pre OS is amazing i am using this operating system and according to me this Platform is stable and agile; did not experience any appreciable performance lag as mentioned in your blog. Deck of Cards is massively useful. Synergy is truly unholy. If there is an iPhone killer out there, this is it.