More on Positioning: HP and HDTV

I just read from ABI Research that HP is exiting the HDTV business. If I had known about this when I wrote the article on Strategy 101: A Look at Positioning Through Apple’s MacBook, I would have certainly mentioned it. I know that HP engineers great products; I had the privilege to be part of the HP team. Which makes it all the harder to watch these failed attempts at transitioning into to markets that they are not positioning themselves well for. Hopefully these failed attempts will translate to something truly great in the near future. From Michael Wolf:

HP’s MediaSmart TVs have been fairly well reviewed, but that doesn’t translate into having consumers buy them. I often advise these types of vendors to start a wholly new brand when they are entering the market, since this allows consumer to develop their own fresh connotations around this new brand, instead of bringing whatever connotations have been associated with brands that may scream “IT” or “PC” rather than “great living room experience”. After all, who would have thought three years ago Vizio would gain a substantial amount of HDTV market share in the US,. while HP, Dell and Gateway would all flounder?

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