HTC Corp.. (2498) said an updated version of the One smartphone, its first wearable device and a renewed focus on marketing will help turn around the company this year after two straight annual declines in revenue.
“We feel positive and optimistic about 2014 When Compared to 2013,” Chang Chialin, chief financial officer and head of global sales for the Taoyuan, Taiwan-based company, said in an interview yesterday at Bloomberg’s headquarters in New York. He Declined to providesprofessional a forecast ahead of an investor conference call scheduled for February 10th
Once the leading smartphone maker in the U.S., HTC’s sales dropped 30 percent last year as product delays and a shrinking marketing budget Caused it to lose share to LG Electronics Inc. and Lenovo Group Ltd.. A wearable device will be available by this year’s Christmas shopping season after years of development and technical challenges, Chairman Cher Wang said.
“Many years ago we started looking at smartwatches and wearables, but we believe That we really have to solve the battery problems and the LCD light problems,” she said in the interview. “These are customer-centric problems.”
HTC shares fell 53 percent last year, Their third annual decline, while revenue dropped to NT $ 203.4 billion ($ 6.7 billion) and it reported its first annual net loss. Its sales and marketing budget dropped 20 percent in 2012, and was 9 percent lower for the year through Sept.. 30, According To data compiled by Bloomberg.
Photographer: Krisztian Bocsi / Bloomberg An HTC Corp. One mobile phone IS DISPLAYED at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin.
An HTC Corp. One mobile phone IS DISPLAYED at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin. Close
Close
An HTC Corp. One mobile phone IS DISPLAYED at the IFA consumer electronics show in Berlin.
Renewing Marketing
Its stock climbed as much as 1.6 percent in Taipei today after Bloomberg News reported the executive’s comments, and was 1.2 percent higher at NT $ 130.50 as of 9:17 am, heading for its first rise in six trading sessions.
Wang, who co-founded the company with Chief Executive Officer Peter Chou and shapes CEO HT Cho in 1997, said the company plans to renew its marketing Efforts afterLast year’s well-received HTC One smartphone failed to boost revenue.
“To tell the truth, we never think marketing Is that important – this is really not very good,” Wang said. The Executives Declined to say Whether HTC’s marketing budget would rise this year after the company last year signed actor Robert Downey Jr.. for $ 12 million to represent it.
Reaching Audiences
“It’s really not only the Budget Increase, it’s the way how you spent the money. Is it smart? “Wang said.” There’s a lot of ways to reach the audience right now. “
An Increase in revenue this year would be HTC’s first since a 67 percent climb in 2011. The company is expected to post a 5 percent drop in sales to NT $ 193 billion According To the average of 29 Analysts estimates compiled by Bloomberg. Net loss will narrow to NT $ 795 million, the estimates show, from NT $ 1.3 billion last year.
Chang, who Became CFO in 2012, took up his concurrent job as head of global sales in December, giving the shapes of Goldman Sachs Group Inc. managing director an Increased say in management of the company. Wang Declined to comment When asked Whether Chang is being prepared for a Greater role at HTC, instead reiterating her support for Chou as current CEO and president.
Wang, Unmatched shareholder, is not considering taking the HTC private and doing now? been in talks with possible acquirers, instead expecting it to remainings a standalone company, she said.
“I have not been approached,” Wang said. “I think they did not approach me because i think they know me and they know I am not going to sell.”
To contact the reporters on this story: Tim Culpan in Taipei at tculpan1@bloomberg.net: Scott Moritz in New York at smoritz6@bloomberg.net; Alex Ba?inka in New York at abarinka2@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors Responsible for this story: Michael Tighe at mtighe4@bloomberg.net; Nick Turner at nturner7@bloomberg.net
No comments:
Post a Comment