[Crack.Berry]

Talking with friends about the Verizon hype and I was informed Verizon has a marketing plan for the Storm that included using the Internet, blogs & message boards to hype the phone.

Reading the posts I find it funny people were writing there would be 50 Storms at stores. Then it was 30. When posted about this all being hype there were immediately 4 separate posts of people claiming to have just heard from their local stores that they are reducing the number of Storms to between 5 and 25 Storms.

I'm thinking some of those posing on this board actually work for Verizon and are working hard to keep the hype going.

Crackberry admins, can you confirm the IPs of those submitting some posts arent coming from Verizon? Or confirm that many people are posting form the same IP (same marketing company working for Verizon)?

[LetMeClearMyThroat]

Thats genius!

[NYC_Gadgeteer]

Ok, ok. You've got me. I was hired by Verizon to create mass hysteria over the storm. They paid me eleventy billion dollars to do it!

[mikejaret]

I don't need nunya ...

[ghosthound]

wouldnt be surprised if this were true. Im usually not a conspiracy theory type of guy but its completely possible in this situation.

[affguy]

I thought it was mostly BS, till about 15 minutes ago when I called my local corporate store. They told me 30. You can call 509-735-0689 to verify if you like.

[Tmaccy]

I don't need nunya ...

huh? translation??

[NFLBlitze1]

100% that VZW and RIM moniter these boards. It would be stupid not to.

[Sindervhit]

The VZW kiosk at the Circuit City store where I'm going said they were expecting around 10.

[mikejaret]

huh? translation??

for a translation please see -> Arrested Development, Season 2 Episode 16

[waffle sauce]

There have been numerous people posting saying they work for Big Red.

Now as for disinformation agents, I don't know about all that.

Tin foil hat much?

[mgm1979]

Welcome to Corporate Marketing 101...today we will learn about marketing practices that have been used for decades, and how they've adapted with advances in technology. Right after we finish the section on subliminal messages, we will delve into the increasingly popular subject of the internet, and all its forums, boards, and chatrooms as a means to monitor and increase "chatter". After the lunch break, we'll discuss the "lemming buyer" and how to exploit their tendencies and/or gullable nature.

As always, please feel free to grab a course review rating and grade my performance - keep in mind, YOUR grade will be directly correlated to your reviews of me.

Thank you.

[ajkist]

It's true, a good friend of mine works for VZW and she said they were getting 40 units and now its down to 10-20 units. she has no reason to lie to me and mine is already gonna be waiting for me Friday morning.

[Gaget]

100% that VZW and RIM moniter these boards. It would be stupid not to.

Listen to me and Listen to me good..

Stop toying with my emotions...Smokey

[brando123b]

Not saying it can't happen, but VZW would be very foolish to sour the experiences of paying customers to create hype. If 250,000 people who want to give VZW their money on Friday can't, and 10% of those people decide to A.) Wait for next device or B.) Get an iPhone or C.) Not buy it to protest crappy business practices, that is 25k less phones sold.

Would be outright silly to hold back supply.

[mgm1979]

Would be outright silly to hold back supply.

...and next week, we'll visit the basics of supply and demand and how to manipulate both in your favor. As a homework assignment, please review the inventory practices a la Nintendo Wii and the iPhone.

[zldenny]

If I don't get one Friday I'll probably wait until AT&T gets it. Whenever that might be.

[brando123b]

Again, I believe Verizon to be foolish to purposefully withhold phones in order to create hype. If there are plenty of phones available, and the phones are GOOD, the word will spread like wild fire and every person who goes "Man that Storm thing is really causing a buzz" will go to a VZW kiosk and GET ONE.

Buzz is great, but buzz doesn't pay bills.

[kevin.py]

Its just like any video game system, when a new system is about to be released, the manufacturer starts a viral marketing campaign and then states that supplies will be limited, often times they are, once in a while its just a gimmick to get people to buy them, its also been rumored that Nintendo was holding back shipments of Wiis so they could drive demand up and release them gradually

[deanabmf]

...and next week, we'll visit the basics of supply and demand and how to manipulate both in your favor. As a homework assignment, please review the inventory practices a la Nintendo Wii and the iPhone.

Dude, that is some funny s***. Like the people that really believe Niintendo is making Wii's as fast as humany possible and just can't seem to catch up...LOL...meanwhile my local Best Buy had PILES of them in the back and were only putting 2 out a day

[jamesbecker1]

Supply limiting for this device would be a pretty stupid idea. Although it is the hot new gadget, there are many many many substitute products. The Wii, on the other hand, was competed in a much less dense market and the user interface really gave it a unique place in that market. I, personally, think I may get an I phone if I can't get one on Friday. Although, I fully expect to be able to.

[bry005]

It's true, a good friend of mine works for VZW and she said they were getting 40 units and now its down to 10-20 units. she has no reason to lie to me and mine is already gonna be waiting for me Friday morning.

Perfect Example, coming from the ***** with 1 post. ::smh::

[mgm1979]

Again, I believe Verizon to be foolish to purposefully withhold phones in order to create hype. If there are plenty of phones available, and the phones are GOOD, the word will spread like wild fire and every person who goes "Man that Storm thing is really causing a buzz" will go to a VZW kiosk and GET ONE.

Buzz is great, but buzz doesn't pay bills.

I hear what you're saying - but you're trying to negate marketing practices that have been tried and tested over the course of DECADES...if they didn't work, they wouldn't implement them - plain and simple. Fact is, hype DOES pay bills, and it DOES drive people to scurry all over town looking for one, or logging onto their website to order one, or calling up telesales to lock one in, etc. Trust me, corporations like Verizon have marketing departments larger than most entire companies from top to bottom. They know what they're doing, and not about to shoot themselves in the foot (on purpose), especially with a product like the Storm.

Just wade through these threads/posts on this site alone - think the "buzz" is working? They'll hit their sales goals for the Storm, and some - take it to the bank.

[anubus84]

well, someone from my town posted saying they were only getting 25, then he came back saying there was only 15 coming. i asked for the reps name so i could call and verify, but he has yet to respond. i called and the only info i could get was that they couldn't release that info to me at this time.

[Crack.Berry]

I hear what you're saying - but you're trying to negate marketing practices that have been tried and tested over the course of DECADES...if they didn't work, they wouldn't implement them - plain and simple. Fact is, hype DOES pay bills, and it DOES drive people to scurry all over town looking for one, or logging onto their website to order one, or calling up telesales to lock one in, etc. Trust me, corporations like Verizon have market departments larger than most entire companies from top to bottom. They know what they're doing, and not about to shoot themselves in the foot (on purpose), especially with a product like the Storm.

Just wade through these threads/posts on this site alone - think the "buzz" is working? They'll hit their sales goals for the Storm, and some - take it to the bank.

I agree except for the statement "They know what they're doing, and not about to shoot themselves in the foot". Verizon's marketing dept continually shoots themselves in the foot. The Voyager release was a supply chain disaster made worst by the marketing. The Storm mailers and emails that went out from Verizon have created a headache for the stores as there was a lack of communication between marketing, operations and the stores.

In this launch alone Google Verizon private sale and read all the negative publicity about how they are alienating their existing customers. Are you telling me its all part of the plan to pisss off customers before the launch? Verizon marketing is far from being the best in the biz. Apple marketing may be one of the best, Verizon isn't even close with their track record.

This happens to be the biggest message board discussing the Storm so the hype isn't as wide spread on other sites. The hype is there but its no iPhone level of launch hype.