Path: utzoo!utgpu!water!watmath!clyde!cbosgd!ihnp4!alberta!sask!long
From: long@sask.UUCP (Warren Long)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st
Subject: Re: Atari's Marketing Approach
Summary: I liked the honesty...
Message-ID: <957@sask.UUCP>
Date: 11 Dec 87 16:07:29 GMT
References: <8711301706.AA18559@cory.Berkeley.EDU> <899@atari.UUCP> <909@cod.NOSC.MIL>
Organization: University of Saskatchewan
Lines: 46

> In article <899@atari.UUCP> neil@atari.UUCP (Neil Harris) writes:
>    
>    >>The reason for the ad policy is simple. We have plenty of game machines and
>    >>terrific distribution for them.  So we advertise heavily.  On the computer
>    >>side, the distribution is not as strong and we're pretty much sold out of
>    >>product this season.  Why advertise if the consumer is unlikely to find the
>    >>machine available?
>    >>-- 
>    >>--->Neil Harris, Director of Marketing Communications, Atari Corporation
> 
> Well, I give Mr. Harris a lot of credit for publicly signing his name to so
> preposterous/humorous a statement!  What does it boil down to?  This:
> 

I found Neil's response to be quite refreshing.  I was curious as to
why they would bother advertising the game machine so heavily and not
the ST.  I am quite capable of understanding that there is no point
in advertising a product, if you are already going to sell all you
have manufactured.

I also hope that Atari notes that they are selling all the STs
they make, and decides to make more next time. 

I am getting used to the fact the no matter what Atari comes out with,
the world will always assume it is for GAMES.  Since I have owned
Ataris (6 of them so far..., all full blown computers, never had the
game machine, even tho' it was my original dream...), I have had to 
explain to people that my COMPUTER could do anything their's could 
and probably more/better.  I have been doing it so long, it no longer
affects me, I have the speech down cold.  (I'll even bet $ that people
who buy the Atari PC will have the same problem).

In summary, I really appreciate the information from Neil & Co.
I do view this information as fact, they are considerable closer to
the source than anyone else I know, and try to tell us as much as is
possible.  While people may not like Atari's policies, I do not feel
that this is a reason to personally dump on people like Neil, who is
on our side.

Warren

-- 
=-=-=-=-=-Warren Long at University of Saskatchewan, Canada-=-=-=-=-
Home: 78 Carleton Dr.,Saskatoon, Sasakatchewan, S7H 3N6
Phone: (306)-955-1237
=-=-=-=-=-U-Email: ...!ihnp4!alberta!sask!long     -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-