About that marketing budget ...

About a year ago I remember reading a few posts about Informix was to boost dramtically its marketing budget. (Perhaps even doubling it, bringing the total up to US$2!). Did this happen, and has anyone noticed the results? I have seen a number of Informix posters at Heathrow Airport, and was there an ad in the Financial Times last year? But other than that, not much. In my role of part-time courier, I had occasion to drop a tape off at Informix's UK HQ yesterday, and was reminded of something about Informix marketing. Am I the only person who finds these registered slogans pathetic? Underneath the building's "Informix" sign, in strident red, are the words "way to web". Well, maybe this is a cultural thing, are perhaps the newsgroup's US correspondents think this sort of thing is deeply cool, but I really think to impose this sort of thing worldwide makes informix faintly risible. In any case, "way to ..." is simply not a phrase that is used here, and "way to web" probably leaves most people scratching their heads in bemusement.

Whatever they tried did not work. Informix announced it will report results that are well below what the Street expected, due to flat sales worldwide. Stock droped 35+% on 5x normal trading activity. Don't the folks at Informix read the Bible? You are not supposed to hide a candle under a basket! Get out and sell! (Okay, that last bit is not Biblical.) Neil Truby wrote: > > About a year ago I remember reading a few posts about Informix was to boost > dramtically its marketing budget. (Perhaps even doubling it, bringing the > total up to US$2!). > > Did this happen, and has anyone noticed the results? I have seen a number > of Informix posters at Heathrow Airport, and was there an ad in the > Financial Times last year? But other than that, not much. > > In my role of part-time courier, I had occasion to drop a tape off at > Informix's UK HQ yesterday, and was reminded of something about Informix > marketing. Am I the only person who finds these registered slogans > pathetic? Underneath the building's "Informix" sign, in strident red, are > the words "way to web". Well, maybe this is a cultural thing, are perhaps > the newsgroup's US correspondents think this sort of thing is deeply cool, > but I really think to impose this sort of thing worldwide makes informix > faintly risible. In any case, "way to ..." is simply not a phrase that is > used here, and "way to web" probably leaves most people scratching their > heads in bemusement.

Neil Truby wrote: > > About a year ago I remember reading a few posts about Informix was to boost > dramtically its marketing budget. (Perhaps even doubling it, bringing the > total up to US$2!). > > Did this happen, and has anyone noticed the results? I have seen a number > of Informix posters at Heathrow Airport, and was there an ad in the > Financial Times last year? But other than that, not much. > > In my role of part-time courier, I had occasion to drop a tape off at > Informix's UK HQ yesterday, and was reminded of something about Informix > marketing. Am I the only person who finds these registered slogans > pathetic? Underneath the building's "Informix" sign, in strident red, are > the words "way to web". Well, maybe this is a cultural thing, are perhaps > the newsgroup's US correspondents think this sort of thing is deeply cool, > but I really think to impose this sort of thing worldwide makes informix > faintly risible. In any case, "way to ..." is simply not a phrase that is > used here, and "way to web" probably leaves most people scratching their > heads in bemusement. Then again . . .. happy 4th of July . .. . . 8-) No, seriously, I've seen a bit more advertising lately for Informix, mostly in various trade magazines (data warehousing articles, etc). While I'm a bit more impressed, I still have to wonder who their target audience really is. Is the strategy brand recognition to the populace or CIOs? It still bugs me to see so many TV commercials concerning the other database, while Informix seemingly does nothing. Then, one additional mis-step and the stock tanks again . . . . I guess it's a good time to buy IFMX stock . . . 8-> -- John Carlson Informix DBA WHSmith USA #include std_disclaimer.h /* These are my opinions, not my company's opinion */