SAN FRANCISCO/BEIJING: Two years after US legislators branded it a national security threat, China's Huawei Technologies Co Ltd is planning a campaign to win over US consumers, rolling out new mobile phones and wearable devices backed by a marketing effort.
China's second-largest smart phone maker, already with more than $40 billion in annual revenue from a wide range of telecom gear and products, is preparing to introduce Americans to several of its smart phones and wearable devices this year, including its youth-oriented "Honor" phone, Huawei officials told Reuters.
The company's 2015 US plans, which have not been previously reported, will encompass traditional advertising, online promotion and sports team sponsorships, said Huawei's US spokesman Bill Plummer.
Huawei is changing its approach to marketing as it tries to shed its image as a purveyor of cheap technology products - a common perception issue for many Chinese companies. It's an important shift for a company that for years had been single-mindedly focused on engineering and relatively dismissive of consumer branding.
In December, it touted its new Honor 6 Plus phone on a billboard in New York's Times Square. Plummer said that was "a sign of things to come."
He declined to say how much Huawei will spend on its new marketing campaign or what sports team, or teams, it had in mind. It already sponsors London soccer club Arsenal, cricket teams in India and rugby clubs in Australia.
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