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Hewlett-Packard has completed its cash acquisition of smartphone-maker Palm Inc. for $5.70 per share. HP CEO Mark Hurd has said that HP Web-connected printers will incorporate Palm’s WebOS platform, noting in a conference call with analysts several weeks ago, that the Palm acquisition isn’t just for access to to Palm’s smartphones. "(It) isn’t precisely a smartphone play, as I’ve seen some people write. It is, for us, strategically broader. …We expect to leverage WebOS into a variety of form factors, including ‘slates’ and Web-connected printers."
In its press release, HP notes: "The combination gives HP significant headway into one of technology’s fastest-growth segments with Palm’s innovative WebOS platform and family of smartphones, plus a rich portfolio of intellectual property from the smartphone pioneer. HP’s global scale and financial strength plus Palm’s award-winning WebOS experience, as well as its acclaimed Pre and Pixi smartphone product lines, enhance HP’s ability to participate more aggressively in the highly profitable, $100 billion smartphone and connected mobile-device markets."
Tom Bradley, executive vice president of HP’s Personal Systems Group, commented, “With WebOS, HP will deliver its customers a unique and compelling experience across smartphones and other mobility products. This allows us the opportunity to fully engage in growing our smartphone family offering and the footprint of WebOS.” Palm’s global business unit, which is led by Jon Rubinstein, will report to HP’s Bradley. Palm will be responsible for WebOS software development and WebOS based hardware products, from a smartphone roadmap to future slate PCs and netbooks.
New LaserJet Campaign
Also of note at HP recently was the company’s unveiling of its “HP LaserJet Pays You Back” global marketing campaign on June 24. The campaign, includes the participation of Ivanka Traunk and Bill Rancic, both associated with "The Apprentice" television program.
As part of the campaign, HP is trying to stress cost savings that can be gained with an HP Color LaserJet MFP. For instance, the firm says users can save up to $2,500 in less than one year by printing color materials in-house rather sending them out to a commercial printer.
HP says the campaign is a "primarily digital marketing campaign that combines social media, digital influencers and strategic partnerships to engage small and mid-size businesses (SMBs) and IT decision makers while broadening awareness of the HP LaserJet as a business investment."
Highlights include:
- New creative assets: Print and online ads will highlight the value of HP LaserJet printers by asking customers, “When was the last time you bought something for your business that actually paid for itself?” Created with an innovative 3-D-like design, this is the first time the look and feel of the company’s “Hit Print” campaign has been applied to the LaserJet ad campaigns.
- Strategic social media engagement: Starting next month, HP is teaming up with media and publishing company Federated Media to "ignite a viral conversation" about the Color LaserJets’ return on investment. Through blogs such as Boing Boing, The Business Insider, Hardware Secrets, Mashable and ReadWriteWeb, HP says it will seek to influence IT decision makers and SMBs with case studies and information about return on investment. It will also seek to get the message across at sites such as CIO.com, ComputerWorld.com, InfoWorld.com, ITWorld.com, NetworkWorld.com and PCWorld.com as well as followers’ Twitter and Facebook posts.
- The “HP LaserJet Pays You Back” microsite will provide a LaserJet savings calculator, peer reviews, detailed product information and special offers. With the savings calculator, customers can select a LaserJet model and generate a report showing how long it will take for the printer to pay the customer back in money saved, and how long the original hardware investment will be offset. The microsite is available at www.hp.com/go/paysback.
HP also is equipping its channel and retail partners, including MicroCenter, Office Depot, Quill and Staples, with branded marketing collateral such as direct mailers, banners and an in-store destination with access to the savings calculator to help them show customers the benefits of purchasing a LaserJet MFP.
The campaign will be run in 11 countries: Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, the Netherlands, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. Additional information about the HP LaserJet Pays You Back campaign is available at www.hp.com/go/hplaserjetsavings.
