@promisedplanet wrote:
Which do you think is more important to Sandisk: resolving a pitch problem in the Clip of which only a small percentage of Clip owners are aware, or making sure that the new, shiny, attention-grabbing Clip+ is a stable product with all the hot features?
Which do you think is the wiser option: Spending a small amount of resources to deploy an already developed product that is nearly ready to go, to support a JUST-discontinued flagship product, which is used by millions of “evangelists” – or, telling them to take the proverbial long walk off a short pier, OFFENDING the key “viral marketers” that promote the product out in the trenches, in order to promote the launch of a NEW product?
How’s that been working for them so far? Those faceless slot-things, and the “rent-to-not-own” chips, that they’ve been pouring all kinds of marketing money and effort into? Can you say Dead On Arrival? How long will it be before they’re unloading those silly things at three AM on the Home Shopping Channel?
The diehard Sansa freaks did NOT take to those things – and, “by coincidence” the MARKET ignored them too.
Is it THAT difficult for these ivory tower yuppies to figure out that the REASON that SOME of their products have sold like hotcakes is precisely because the people they are going out of their way to alienate NOW were out in the trenches PROMOTING them via word of mouth?
Sansa had the absolute BEST advertising imaginable – better than ANYTHING that money could buy.
And now, they’re taking a whiz on it, in order to make some balance sheet look pretty for the beancounters?
Stupid. Just plain stupid. Talk about “false economy” and this is the image that will spring to mind.
The “slot things” are the Microsoft BOB of the MP3 world. Even Microsoft eventually had to throw in the rag on good ol’ “BOB” – and eventually Sansa will have to face the music too, no pun intended.
They have certain products that are winners, and some that are losers. But treating their hardcore enthusiasts like dirt, on the basis of a logic that might be best translated as “Why should we waste our time supporting THOSE things? We already sold them – we made our money – no reason to NOT walk away from them. Caveat Emptor, after all!”
That’s the bottom line – by pulling a stunt like this – teasing us along for month after month – until they were ready to discontinue the product – they have essentially made “Caveat Emptor” their corporate slogan.
When people hear “Sansa” they will think “Yeah, looks nice, but ‘buyer beware’ – you never know when they’ll find a problem, and then, instead of fixing it, just drop the product and come out with a new model, and leave you hanging.”
If that’s the image you boys want, then all I can say is attaboy, you’re right on target.
