SI
SI
discoversearch

We've detected that you're using an ad content blocking browser plug-in or feature. Ads provide a critical source of revenue to the continued operation of Silicon Investor.  We ask that you disable ad blocking while on Silicon Investor in the best interests of our community.  If you are not using an ad blocker but are still receiving this message, make sure your browser's tracking protection is set to the 'standard' level.
Non-Tech : Any info about Iomega (IOM)? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?


To: Gottfried who wrote (45198)1/23/1998 10:21:00 PM
From: ziggy  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 58324
 
exchange2000.com



To: Gottfried who wrote (45198)1/23/1998 11:01:00 PM
From: Herb Fuller  Respond to of 58324
 
Gottfried , Re:>>>IOM wants to get computer owners (or
future owners) to include a Zip or Jaz drive as part of their system. < <<

Gottfried , I'll go a step farther and say that Iomega's purpose in increasing their advertising is to create such a consumer demand that
the OEM's will be forced to include the Zip drive as the a: drive , like Micron has , in their boxes in 1998 .

Bill Gates has proven that the consumer controls the market .

Herb



To: Gottfried who wrote (45198)1/23/1998 11:03:00 PM
From: Reseller  Respond to of 58324
 
Hi Gottfried,, >> bet-your-company, move.<<
That kind of sums up what I feel about this 100 mil extravaganza.

For those that suggest that the high volume at almost
$9. was a good sign, heck I can't imagine selling mine for
such a low price and obviously you were holding out for
another .25. The sorry fact is that there's probably little down
side from here, but there was a whole lot of sellers bailing out.
If it is just the institutional investor, these aren't the guys that we've
been trying to get on our side ?

Don't like being so negative about these changes but I'm an owner
that's concerned

Regards
Reseller



To: Gottfried who wrote (45198)1/23/1998 11:10:00 PM
From: Brendan2012  Read Replies (3) | Respond to of 58324
 
>>Agreed. In both cases it is a bold, bet-your-company, move.<<

I happen to like bold moves!

The spin on the ad campaign by the street is way too negative. Advertizing can and does work!

I remember writing a message about a year ago (on another board) that I thought they should really turn up the marketing heat. I'm glad they're now doing it, though I think they should have done it earlier.

Brendan



To: Gottfried who wrote (45198)1/23/1998 11:16:00 PM
From: Nadine Carroll  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 58324
 
The advertising campaign is the right move for Iomega.

Iomega must continue to gain market share, not just relative to other storage makers, but relative to the entire PC installed base. Market share is everything in most technology markets, and Wall Street does not and has never understood this--the Street always reacts with fear to bold moves to gain market share.

Case in point--remember when AOL launched its big campaign to gain users a couple of years ago & all of us received dozens of intro disks in the mail? I remember sour analysts talking about how AOL was "buying customers" and how it wouldn't pay. They have reaped some rewards from having over 8 million users, I believe.

Another case--the drop in Compaq since the fall. Analysts did not believe that Compaq was making money on the sub $1000 PCs (though the company said several times that they were) and reacted with fear to the lower average pc price. But Compaq's world-wide market share has increased from 10% to 14% percent in the last two years, and they have the lowest mfg costs of any boxmaker (due in large part to having the largest volumes). They can afford to drive the ASP's down. Compaq just made its Q4 numbers, and the stock is currently rebounding.

Altogether, the ad campaign does not bother me -- it's the right thing to do. The company will continue to sacrifice margins as it sells more of its drives to OEMs, but that's also the right thing to do. If Iomega can have an installed base of 25 to 30 million drives by the end of this year, it will be very well entrenched against newcomers like Sonly HiFD. I would be happier if I saw better execution on the new product lines, but KE seems to be managing the company allright.

But he has done a terrible job of managing the analysts. This market does not forgive downside surprises. Thus the 30% drop in the stock in response to earnings that grew nearly 100%, year-to-year...



To: Gottfried who wrote (45198)1/24/1998 1:47:00 AM
From: Les White  Read Replies (1) | Respond to of 58324
 
It must be done.

Those who don't know why they need a zip by now are unlikey to walk by a Zip drive sitting on a shelf, pick it up, read the box, and conclude they need it and buy it. They're going to have to be sold. And it's going to take a big money multi-media blitz to generate the sales we need to accellerate growth. Discounting a product I don't even know I need isn't going to make me want one.

Right now growth is decellerating. The manufacturing capacity is in place so the timing is right to juice it. And we need to do it now and get as far out ahead of all potential zip killers as possible. So far they'll want to cancel their plans to compete.

I'd like to see the marketing research that went into this ad campaign. I bet it was first class. It sounds like KE's CC might have come off better if he had invited his marketing guru's along to answer for the campaign. I'd like to see them show up at the Emerald Research conference.

And one other thing I'd like to see. INSIDER BUYING! If you're listening KE, how about picking up a big block with all that money you made on your sell! If you need a house, give yourself a raise.

Guess I told him. I'll sleep better tonight.

Good night all. Les