Veer campaign to kick off in coming weeks, why not now? 75
Tue, 17 May 2011 8:48 pm EDT 
The AT&T HP Veer 4G has been available for a few days now, and we like you were left scratching our heads at the launch. Many went into AT&T stores to purchase the little webOS smartphone, only to be met with salespeople who knew nothing about the device, let alone that it was now available in their stores. What we have here, people, is a “soft launch.” It’s like when a restaurant opens for a week to iron out the kinks and then has its official grand opening. Except, you know, this isn’t a restaurant. This is the fast-paced world of smartphones, and the Veer launch has gone over like a whiffle ball at a Major League Baseball game.
“Fear not!” says HP. In a post on the webOS developer blog, HP addressed our and your concerns about the pillow-like softness of this launch:
“We are making a big push around the Veer and you’ll start to see that in the weeks ahead. Of course, we’re also making sure sales representatives across our channels are properly trained on all the great things about the Veer. In addition, advertising and demand generation activities will be kicking off later this month, so the Veer will be everywhere.”
Week ahead. It’s not the coming days/weeks/months, that’s for sure. HP confirmed that the Veer won’t be available at Best Buy stores until the 22nd, though you can still grab one online from Best Buy or AT&T, and of course you can go to an AT&T store and buy one there too.
We have to ask ourselves, however, what’s the delay about? Are there still kinks to work out? Did HP push the Veer out before the carrier distribution channels and sales training was ready? We aren’t entirely sure, but judging by the reactions we get when we ask AT&T salespeople about the Veer, it seems that carrier training is a big part of the equation.
But with a phone like the Veer, it’s not like they’re going to have to contend with the latest Android megaphone of the week. It’s in a different class – that’s not to say it’s any better, just different – with a different target demographic. Right now, it’s mostly in a class on its own, or sitting pretty atop the stack of not-so-smart messaging phones. Would we like the advertising campaign to kick off sooner than “in the weeks ahead”? Sure, but it’s not going to hurt if the blitzkrieg doesn’t start for another week or two. It’s not like HP’s anticipating a tight budget or anything.
Source: HP webOS Developer Blog
75 Comments
Well, this falls right in line with everything else going on these days. It's backwards days... nothing makes sense anymore.
i do think a major WebOS push is coming from HP - word is it will be one of the largest marketing campaigns HP has ever had. It does make more sense to begin the push when the Pre3 and TouchPad are about to hit the street.
what you are saying makes sense. what doesn't make sense, looking at all this, is why release the Veer before the Pre3 then? I thought the whole point wat to give the little guy a chance. Partly that and partly because, from the demos I've seen, the Veer looked more 'ready' than the Pre3. running smoother etc, probably mainly due to the lower res.
I'VE GOT THE PERFECT AD CAMPAIGN!!!!
URINAL CAKES!!
Palm should just make it their slogan:
"Palm, everything happens in the coming weeks"
We thought this lag applies only to products and software updates, but apparently now they are applying the same lag to marketing, too. And surprisingly, HP let them keep this habit of chronic procrastination.
OMG!! I feel like I wanna shoot myself!!! What in the world are they thinking by delaying everything they do!!??
I won't shoot myself, I'll just wait for the EVO 3D or if the CNN report is true, I will be getting my hands on the iPhone 4S on Sprint this fall.
I am just sick and tired of all this in the "coming weeks" garbage.
Maybe the advertising budget got cut so HP moved all ad dollars for June when Touchpad comes out with Pre 3. A soft launch for Veer probably better than delaying it until June as the Veer is a niche product.
It's not surprising. When I ask Verizon stores about WebOS devices, they say, "Why?". Android blah blah blah. I have to explain both Android and WebOS are Linux based, just WebOS has a better UI, and smoother interaction. They stared at me, all three stores, as if I'd stepped down from Mars.
Well they are they Death Star you know. Mars is such a back water planet to them.:)
hey hp, you want developers and consumers to jump aboard webos? show your commitment to the platform. start advertising it on tv
Would have been nice if they had communicated that this was a soft launch. Would have saved all from looking stupid on Sunday. Also saved them from all the grief they got for it to. Oh wait this is HPalm. Sometimes they can't find their way out of a paper bag. Ever that is.
in coming weeks, incoming months they need to stop this nonsense and get on with it. we need to promote all the products and the platform since we know iPhone is coming to sprint. we need to show we are better than the current phones on the market. being late and making people wait may work for apple, not for us.
android is taking them down by presenting something almost every week, and HP actually has the capital to do this. come on already!
Geez Derek! When do you ever sleep hombre?!
They know they can't compete with the Infuse 4G launch. So wait a couple of weeks to let that excitement subside, and then refocus the attention to WebOS/Veer! In many ways, pushing this back will keep the excitement going all the way to TouchPad and Pre3 launch in 'coming weeks.'
What excitement are you referring to? Oh, you must mean the one that fizzled for so many of us Sunday.
Potential customer walks into the electronics store:
"Hey, is that the same HP smartphone that has been sitting here in this case for the past several weeks?"
"Why, yes it is. We just got it in - a month ago"
"I've been hearing very little about it. I'm intrigued. I don't need to see anything newer."
My take on this is the following: They launched the Veer as soft launch to appease those that are very aware of WebOs and just needed to see something new. End of May they will probly announce a launch date for the PRE3 and TP at which point the whole Marketing machine will start rolling. The ads will then be for all 3 at the same time, even if the pre3 and tp are not in stores yet. They should be probly by mid-end june. The general public will then be introduced at once to a variety of options of webos products. It will be a much better 1st impression seeing WebOs on the TP, Pre3 than only the tiny Veer. Then the populace can chose.
My 2 cents.
Sounds good and very logical.
My thought is that they plan on advertising the Veer, TouchPad, and Pre 3 all together... saves on marketing cost and can possibly hit all the demographics and targets in one campaign. Might be necessary, especially after $HPQ's garbage outlook in the earnings call this morning.
APPLE=10
ANDROID =9.5
HPALM=.00015
God, I wish Apple had bought Palm last year. It would have saved me/us over a year of this absolute, hope-based nonsense. It would have been a win-win situation. We would have a villain to blame for the death of Palm and we would have no new Palm phones, just like we have now! Oh, wait, in the coming weeks, we'll have them!!!
You are not making any sense.
If Apple had bought Palm (for way less money) webos would be gone.
In a few weeks there'll be a range of good webos devices.
At the end of the year - for those of us who meanwhile got a Pre3, Pre2 or Veer and/or TP - it won't matter anymore whether we got them for 6 or 10 months at that time.
This whining about a few weeks/months is a storm in a teacup.
If you think an IPhone or Android is better for you now then a Pre3 in june/july/august - just go get that.
I expect my phones to keep for a couple of years (it's not like smartphones are cheap). A Pre3 in summer will be about 2 years for americans and less than 2 years for german customers.
Just in time for my taste. While my Pre- is doing fine still, I'm just about ready soonish to justify the expense of getting a new smartphone.
Trolls normally don't make sense, their language seems similar but really they're just spewing nonsense. Don't let them fool you, there in the same category as Spam Bots.
Geez, relax people. They'll be able to do a string of advertising starting with the Veer & rolling through the lineup. That way they can advertise each device separately without any lag in between. Seems like the best way to gain mindshare.
Good point.
Linking the Veer with Touchpad marketing makes sense especially if they want to play up the touch to share feature. Enough whining, people. Just move on. No need to share it.
"Everybody gONe"..."In the Coming Month" HaHa
OMG! They didn't advertise the product before it was widely available! What *were* they thinking?!?
Of course, had HP kicked off a massive advertising campaign complete with well-trained AT&T sales reps and there wasn't enough product (as seems to be the case right now), the doom-trolls would have thundered about how the lack of product spells doom, and that HP shouldn't have launched a major push without having waited to get enough product in the channel.
You can't win sometimes.
Yes you can. Just get your product into stores on launch date and then advertise. For more info see any Apple launch. Then, perhaps, you might win.
Exactly. Everyone else is capable of launching this way. I'm sure HP is too. But they blew it here.
Strike #487.
True. Look at the flawless launch of the iPhone 5, ummm I mean iPhone 4s. Launching at WWDC, oops I mean June, oops I mean September, oops I mean sometime this year.
Gotta work on the trolling technique a bit, dude.
Also...its graduation season. What perfect time to get high school or college grad their first smartphone! But the parents need to know about it.
Got as much faith in this as I do about that shadow 1.4.5.1 update that "came out" awhile back. Did anyone actually get that?
i didn't. that's for damn sure.
All these kids ! They are so impatient. Okay kiddos, go and watch this video, may be you all understand a li'l bit more about HP's plan.
http://www.bloomberg.com/video/69193936/
i guess we can expect a soft launch for the touch pad and pre 3 haha this is great.
No. I think HP is planning for a live demo of their mobility tools, TouchPad/Pre-3, in their 'instant on' cloud-based totally-secured system in a data-center set-up for the HP's upcoming 'Discovery 2011' event in Las Vegas on 6th thru 9th June 2011, for their clients and partners, and then HP will release them.
What if you were a corporation? You then promote a trio of products with great fanfare telling your public that you will sequentially release each one like *magic* talismans worthy of rolling around in your hand and causing weakness in the knees. You prod the faithful with glimpses of your devices, and secretly hope they spread the word to their friends and family. When the day comes to release the first of your wares, you hurl boxes of your inventory at your vendor's doorsteps from your Lexus and go to your country club or breakfast brunch, turn off your phone, and wait for your coffers to fill.
Exactly how long do you think it is before your business goes into chapter 11?
Don't tell me this is some sort of "marketing plan" or "phased rollout." Pyramid schemes are more organized. This is corporate inertia and laziness writ large.
And you honestly believe that this is the most likely explanation?
You really, honestly believe that HP bought Palm and then just got lazy?
Yes i do, as a matter of fact. I don't believe in giving blank checks to failure. HP development made a beautiful product, handed it to marketing, which then did nothing with it. The product is out there and there is no excuse for this scud missile of a launch.
The product isn't out there in my spot checks, which show that many stores don't even have demo units yet.
Supply has to get in the channel before a launch makes sense.
HPalm ist just a *** ***** *** ******** **** **** ******* *****, and I am pretty honest here.
So, is there *ANY* word on Euro Release for example, or are we still on the next coming years to get a new device? Stupid F***TARDS!
HP has already announced European carriers and release dates. You can find out more on a top secret website called hp.com, using a revolutionary feature called "search."
You can also read details on PreCentral, where Euro launches of the Veer were highlighted weeks ago.
euro release like this?
http://www.o2online.de/handys/blog/allgemein/hp-veer-im-o2-online-shop-v...
Euro is not just Germany, no matter how much Merkel would like to believe....
True. If HP doesn't anniunce launch dates for Moldova and Andorra by Friday, it is hard to see how they'll make it. Germany isn't very large, after all.
Please tell me there are kinks in the Veer because HP rushed it. I need a good laugh, and then send my resume into HP. I can do nothing for a very long time and not tell anyone what I'm (not) doing.
All I have to say is I'm glad I don't own any HP stock.
Now all I have to question is if I will buy any HP Products?
WOW... I bought HP Stock right after they bought PALM, and it doubled and I sold it in April; made a very large bundle thank you HP. How are you equating stock with one OS and 3 devices at a company that ships 100 million units of PCs a yr? + Printers etc....
Duh... I would put your money back under your mattress and sleep on it...
Before HP Bought Palm (4/2010) the stock was @ $54, about $47 8/2010 after it closed the deal with Palm, since then it has been a gradual slide (Occational peaks - last was Feb 2011 $49), average for April 2011 was $40. So how you "made a very large bundle" is an open question. The most recent quote was $36.
Admittedly, HP has had it's challanges (Hurd, etc), but based on their marketing of the WebOs Products, I would not buy HP at this time.
Apple is still averaging 2 Prime time ads an hour, to HP's None. How can you expect to sell a product if noone knows about it.
But then again, you know what they say Buy Low Sell high.
I've been disappointed at this launch as well, not because I want one of these phones (I'm on VZW) but because I just want webOS to succeed. However, something just occurred to me:
Perhaps everyone else has already figured this out, but maybe the Touchpad launch is SO close (two weeks away?) that they're just going to wait another week and market it together with the Veer? I think it's a bad strategy, but at least it's a strategy, and one I can understand. Short of that, I don't know what the heck they're doing, and it appears that they don't either.
In a long line of "Just wait for X and webOS will take over the world", we now have:
* Just wait for the Veer to launch.
* Just wait for the Veer's marketing push to kick off.
* Just wait for the Pre 3 to launch.
* Just wait for the TouchPad to launch.
* Just wait for the integration of all of HP's services.
* Just wait for webOS on computers.
In the long line of "webOS failed because of X", we will soon have:
* AT&T didn't push it.
* People are sheep (not new, but will be repeated)
* Android is bombarding the market (not new, but will be repeated)
* It hasn't failed, people need to just wait for X (see first list)
Nike: Just Do It
HP: Just Wait
Don't do what I did.
I decided to have a little fun with this. For the past few days, I've gone back and re-read most of the promises of release dates from HP/Palm - taking a drink every time some iteration of "in the coming weeks/months" etc appeared. I've gained forty pounds, lost my job, wrecked my liver and my wife left me.
HP/Palm turned my life into a bad country song :(
Morning guys,
Two thoughts:
- it's possible that HP production of the Veer was not sufficient with the release date. This could account for the unavailability at Best Buy and the AT&T stores.
- HP might be saving their fireworks and will advertise all three products when the Pre 3 and Touchpad are closer to their release dates. This would give HP the most bangs for their money.
Again, just a thought...
-P
Sorry to burst the bubble of the doubters, but the Veer is currently being advertised. If anyone is in New York City, the S Train on track 3 is advertising Lady Gaga's new album with the Veer.
Problem solved! Wonder why they're saying they're going to make a "big push" in the coming weeks? Seems unnecessary given that there's a train in New York that mentions the Veer.
Well, let's break it down.
The S Train runs between Times Sq. and Grand Central. Any commuter that works on the east or west side, and lives outside the city, takes this train, along with the 7. That's a lot of people that see that.
Secondly, HP appears to be tying themselves to a joint advertisement with Lady Gaga, who happens to sell a ton of albums/singles. Given that, I'd expect to see the Veer in an upcoming music video or TV commercials once they come out. That's even more exposure.
It might be a soft launch but they haven't denied the Veer of exposure. Moreover, it's not a typical subway advertisement as they paid for the entire train (all the cars are wrapped inside and out). Heck, given the exposure that they are going with (Lady Gaga fans and one of the busiest subway trains), that's a fairly large exposure. The big push will come when the pre3 and TouchPad come out. The Veer just doesn't have the wow factor to chuck cash at like flagship models. As such, it's better for HP to be subliminal about it for now, by using product placements.
That's very large exposure for the people of Manhattan. Well done, HP. Perhaps they will move onto Staten Island and maybe even Jersey "in the coming weeks".
Maybe "thinking beyond" means marketing to one neighborhood, then municipality at a time.
Actually, it's a large exposure for those that live in NY, NJ, CT, and even PA. Again, like I said, the S train is used by commuters that travel to and from the east side and west side. These are the commuters that enter NYC through either Grand Central or Penn, using MTA North, NJT, and LIRR. Using very minimal effort and cash, they are currently advertising to 3, maybe even 4 states. The only thing they failed at was track choice (track 1 is more visible and the most crowed S train). Just wait until the Lady Gaga advertisements come and you will see the Veer everywhere (commercials, music videos, concerts, etc.).
Again, not a huge launch as I haven't seen TV commercials but the Veer wasn't ignored by marketing. They are just saving the big bucks for the flagship devices. Wait 'til then for the big push.
1. Veer isn't a flagship device, but WebOS 2.0/3.0 is a flagship product and this is the latest device running the latest version, so....
2. Your examples for celebrity phone advertising that works are Dr. Dre using a Touchpad THAT IS NOT YET RELEASED and...pretty much nothing else. You see Blackberries and iPhones in videos because they are popular successful products, not the other way around. You remember how explosive Nokia N96 sales after Katy Perry used them extensively in her "Hot 'N Cold" video? Yeah, me neither.
3. Saying that the Veer sells just by being seen...wow. In that case, there's no need for HP to do any further advertising. A blistering of street posters, billboards, and bus stop ads should do the trick. What could go wrong?
I can get a 3gs on contract for $0? Please post a link, i am sure other Apple users who troll this forum would be interested! ;-)
1. It's not harmful outright, but it's harmful to place it on a flagship device pedestal. As such, when people use it and get disappointed with how it isn't as fast as the latest Android devices, this puts a bad name on webOS. Imagine if the Pixi was advertised as a flagship device. However, I don't get why the Veer was released first, as a time frame similar to Pixi would make more sense.
2. The Razr didn't look too much different than similar Motorola phones out at the time. It's claim to fame that it was wide as **** to get it thin and the keypad barely had and clickiness. But the Veer is the Pixi and Centro sucessor, in which that entire line was never meant as a flagship designation. Hence the underpowered Pixi hardware and small screen, cramped keyboard of the Centro, and for the Veer, the under powered hardware when compared to the Pre3 and even Pre2. Also, given webOS sales as of late, it's hard to offer it to all carriers as they subsidize the price out of it. Thus they need people to buy it and the data plan to recoup the costs. Clearly the only telecom company that thought they can make some cash on the Veer was AT&T. Fitting also as AT&T has a habit of adapting toy smartphones before the major players.
Plus for a new smartphone, the Veer is cheap. Sure the iPhone 3GS is half the price but keep in mind the Veer is free via Best Buy and consumers know that the 3GS is a dinosaur. Hence why AT&T has it for so low, as that's the only reason to buy the last gen iPhone now. I don't see too many devices that just released that go for the price the Veer goes for. Plus, just like the Pixi, expect price cuts to come, especially when the Pre3 hits.
On a side note, looks like someone finally grabbed the picture of the S Train.
Do we all here on the PRE Blogs really think HP gives a lot of credence to us? How many MILLIONS of consumers looking for a Smartphone, will walk into AT&T/Best Buy and ask for a VEER? NONE, so now we know why they are in the back, still packed un-charged, un-known and un-sold
If they had run a marketing blitz on VEER only, then people would walk in and say "where is the Touch-Pad, the PRE 3" and HP would loose a lot of credibility in the Mobility market. So.,.. very smart on their part to get the Veer out, in the stores, and slowly getting reps to touch it feel it, answer questions from HP’s Technical field plants (ie. all of us on the blogs).. then when PRE3 and Touch-Pad are ready to launch and deliver, they go ALL out marketing, on tv radio, internet with ads and messages.
Now you have a PRODUCT Launch 2nd to none, even Apple who launches one device at a time. HP is launching a Strategy based on CLOUD Computing, Connectivity, Mobility and Devices from Smart-phones, to Touch-Pads, E-Printers and who knows maybe even a Toaster!
In business, there are those who make dust and those who eat it, remember “If you’re not the lead dog, the view is not pleasant." We PRE users are the Lead Dogs, so our view; while sometimes frustrating is much better than the view of the dogs that follow us! Just remember that,.
HP to make it right is not even a drop in the $$ Bucket compared to one days sales after launch, so hang in there for your HP Make It Right Gift?
Just saying IMHO...
Has no one here ever seen a restaurant open before the "Grand Opening"? Or heard of a "shake down cruise"?
This is HP's first major phone release (HP, not Palm) in many years. Palm had lackluster carrier support aside from Sprint and HP knows that kills phones. So it makes perfect sense for HP to make sure all the AT&T stores have stock, send in some HP secret shoppers to test the staff, go through some device activations and overall make sure that everything is in place.
And to be honest, the real push is probably going to come when TouchPad & Pre3 is ready. Why advertise one phone when you can hit them with a barrage? It's not like there's much difference between the Touchpad, Pre3, and Veer from an advertising sense and it makes sure people don't confuse the Veer with the Pre3. And 3 products is an "environment" while one product is a "device".
"Why advertise one phone when you can hit them with a barrage?"
Um, because it avoids consumer confusion, maximizes the 30 seconds available for promotion, and plays up the specific virtues of that particular phone's specs and form factor?
Do automakers advertise their entire line in car commercials? Do studios tell you about all of the movies they have coming in the next few months in a single movie trailer? And keep in mind, those are general interest products that anyone can buy.
The phones will be limited by carrier availability, and the tablet costs far more than both phones put together.
So the consumers you claim know nothing of the Veer will now be "confused" if advertising is held until product is in the channel?
How much is Apple PR paying these days?
"Do automakers advertise their entire line in car commercials?"
Yes, yes they do. Not all the time but I've seen many commercials with a dozen cars driving across the salt flats to represent an entire product line.
"it maximizes the 30 seconds available for promotion, and plays up the specific virtues of that particular phone's specs and form factor"
Specs are a bad way to advertise. Apple doesn't advertise specs and for all their faults, Apple is a spectacular marketing company. "1Ghz" is non-informative. "Fast" is good. "Fluid and responsive" is better.
Given that the Pre and Veer share the same overall form factor, showing them side by side is the best way to highlight their scale differences. Since the commercial needs a reference comparison, so why not use the iPad-esque TouchPad?
As far as maximizing the commercial, I'd rather HP have 30 WebOS spots that have all 3 devices than 10 dedicated spots for each of the 3 devices.
Probably already said before, but what would have helped out with the Veer is to have it part of the planned eco system. Say for an extra $100.00 you add a Veer with your Pre3. Then on the weekends or when going out you tap the two phones together to transfer your number, contacts, bookmarks, etc and then have all the functionality in a small phone that fits in the pursue, pocket, etc. The phone(s) and tablet quickly fit what you are doing at that point of your life.
If my experience at my local AT&T store is any indication, AT&T staff have not received any training on this phone.
During my lunch break on Monday I swung by AT&T to see the Veer only to find out that the SIM card had not yet been activated. I asked someone if they could do so, as I wanted to take it for a spin. I was told a manager would have to do that. I didn't have time to wait around, so I went back to work. Mind you, this was Monday afternoon, so the phone had already been sitting, unusable all day Sunday and most of the day Monday.
On Tuesday I returned in hopes that it was activated. It was, but whoever activated it didn't realize that a Palm profile needed to be created before the phone could be used. I took it upon myself to setup a bogus profile and finally the Veer was up and running.
In short, a brand new 4G phone sat unusable for nearly 3 days after launch. And you wonder why Palm/HP doesn't sell any of these.
As a side note, the thing is TINY, maybe even too tiny for me. I couldn't get a real feel for how it would work in my hand though, given all of the security cables they have attached to it. The keyboard would probably take a little getting used to coming from a Pre, but probably not a lot. Luckily, after all of this nonsense, I was very impressed with the speed/responsiveness of the device. It blows my overclocked Pre out of the water and the responsiveness of the touchscreen seemed near-iPhone quality, if not exactly the same.
It's said that you only get one chance to make a first impression, and HP is essentially allowing it's brand new WebOS device make the worst possible one with no rep training, activated devices, or marketing material support.
What's crazier is that it's an AT&T exclusive device, so for however many weeks, a lot of the potential customers for this device are going to stumble across it powered off or stuck at the log in screen, and then write it off.
Wrong. Most stores don't have a demo device to "stumble across."
Well this is just my take on things is HP's marketing strategy the best no, is it logical as to what they are doing yes. But why not at least at least get one maybe two commercials out to let people know about the Veer, I'm not saying go all out on one phone. But still one commercial would suffice. Then when the rest of the WebOS devices get close to launch that is when you release the guns, soft launch or not no one knows about the phone beyond us or the people that read these websites. I understand the money part of marketing but come on 1 commercial would not have hurt HP's deep pockets. Why wait the phone is here at least get people to talking about it then hit them hard with the other devices and integrate them all together in one commercial and say see this is what we can do over the competition. But by the time they get with the marketing people will have be then bought something else because no one knows WebOS still exist.
Every time I hear "coming weeks" I feel like I'm staring into the abyss.
Well, it's started in NY. The Shuttle train at Times Square is entirely dedicated to the tie-in between the Veer and Lady Gaga (whose album drops on Monday). I took a pic, which I can't post here, but the entire train is either Gaga or the Veer. And according to someone or other, Lady Gaga is the most powerful woman in entertainment, so there is that.
GG HP!