Palm using Verizon "ambassadors" to rekindle sales
updated 08:00 am EST, Fri February 26, 2010
Palm CEO tells staff Verizon helping out
Palm chief Jon Rubinstein sent a memo (sub. required) to employees later on Thursday to explain how his company was tackling the unexpectedly low sales for its lineup. He revealed that the company has been using almost 200 "Brand Ambassadors" at Verizon for the past three weeks, along with its own staff, to increase awareness among Verizon workers. The executive claimed that both experience and actual phone sales have grown weekly since the initiative, nicknamed Project JumpStart, began.
The company has also been stepping up its display ads, such as billboards and public transport ads, Rubinstein added.
While actual sales numbers aren't expected to appear until the company provides its official earnings results on March 18th, the company may not see a significant boost in sales beyond the 573,000 units it saw in its previous quarter as added sales from Verizon may be offset by a post-holiday drop at Sprint, Bell, O2 and the currently small number of other carriers offering Palm's modern lineup. Rubinstein has promised an "all-hands" meeting the same day that could signal an important development the same day.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Feb 2005
Palm Pre Post Mortem
Unexpectedly low sales? How? The thing allows multiple apps to run simultaneously! And who doesn't want to be playing a game while writing their grocery list and getting turn-by-turn directions to the nearest Piggly-Wiggly? (Just don't try to call them. After all, that'd be dangerous if you could actually do it.)
So putting these ambASSadors in Verizon stores will suddenly make folks want to buy a Palm device. I've got a better idea: Palm Stores. Might as well get the collapse over with expeditiously instead of this drawn-out, painful ordeal we're all witnessing.
Should be interesting to hear the fallout next month from Rubi-Thursday.