Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!think!bloom-beacon!oberon!nunki.usc.edu!sal3.usc.edu!rjung
From: rjung@sal3.usc.edu (Robert Jung)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Advertising (was Re: sink or swim)
Message-ID: <557@nunki.usc.edu>
Date: 23 Mar 88 18:50:28 GMT
References: <88032219051620D.AFQC@Mars.UCC.UMass.EDU>
Sender: news@nunki.usc.edu
Reply-To: rjung@sal3.usc.edu (Robert Jung)
Organization: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, CA
Lines: 53
Summary: Didn't Jack say so himself?

In article <88032219051620D.AFQC@Mars.UCC.UMass.EDU> Consult@UMass.BITNET writes:
>...that [Mac] sales really started
>to jump.  I was selling macs at that time.  The Key: advertising!

  Didn't Uncle Jack say so himself relatively recently? I could'a sworn I read
somewhere that the man said (I think it was _Atari Explorer) "In America,
people want what their neighbors have. In Europe, people want the best deal"
(In regards to ST popularity in Europe and not America).


>This is an example, perhaps not the best one, of Atari's mistakes in
>advestising.  If they correct this kind of thing their sales could only
>go up.

  I doubt Atari doesn't know already the power of ads in computer sales. Who
can forget all those Commodore 64 ads when Jack was there? What about the kid
who went to college without a C-64 and came back an oiverweight dropout?
Sure, it was implausable, but YOU REMEMBERED it.

  The fact that atari isn't advertising a lot in America right now is probably
*not* due to "ignorance", but of circumstance...In this light, the official
excuse (is that word too harsh?) that Atari Corp. is just waiting for more
ST's to become avaliable may be plausible (advertising without stock is a waste
of money, you must admit)...


>The other problem atari has is more basic: support.  The atari support is
>pretty lame right now.  As an example, I wrote a letter to Allan Pratt
>with some questions, and although I know he's a busy guy, I thought he
>might at least respond.  I guess, (I'll take that back) that that is asking
>too much.  Granted.  Ok, but how about some books on the ST?

  Alan Pratt's non-replyance can't really be a barometer of anything (I think).
How much technical expertise does the Atari customer service line give? As
for books, that is *so* true...But who would write them?

  (Hey, maybe Atari will just compile all of the net.messages here, and put
that into a book! Now *there's* an idea...  B-)


>The clock is running...

  For 2 1/2 years, it ain't that bad.


						--R.J.
						B-)
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