So with the strike of a pen, or a a long winded email from the CEO, the fancy new HP Touchpad was given a death sentence.
Originally marketed as a competitor to Apple's Ipad, its adoption failed to materialise leaving egg on the face of those within HP who had back it. Then came the extraordinary news that was music to the hears of consumers: the quick fire sale of HP Touchpad 16Gb and HP Touchpad 32gb. Within hours, stock was snapped up by eager bargin hunters who managed to get them at $99 a pop. A fraction of its $599 price tag when launched a couple of weeks earlier. According to sources within the larger retailers in Ireland, queues formed from 6am to try and nab the cut price Touchpad.
For the company, this is definitely not the kind of publicity they want or need, and their share price over the past 24 hours has reflected this.
While I would love to be one of the lucky ones who got one at the knockdown price, the thoughts of getting up at that hour to queue for the chance to get one didn't appeal to me. My interest in this sale is the publicity surrounding it and how HP crisis manage it.
The discontinuation of the TouchPad after such a brief period makes it one of the shortest and most expensive product launches in history as it was only on the market for 48 days. Microsoft still hold the top spot with its Kin phone, which was 49 days on the market in the US.
Keep a close eye on HP press releases and what is potentially their exit from the computer market.
Eric Hennelly Flanagan, Six Degrees
Six Degrees is a marketing agency based in Galway, Ireland. It offers a full range of social media and marketing services tailored to suit the requirements of the client. We not only develop strategies to enhance and develop brands, but offer continued support and advice to maintain the momentum of any brand building exercise. Our focus is to deliver the maximum results to each of our clients, with a friendly personal service.
