[Blue]

Same question: do you even know what their strategy was/is? And their exact situation?

Do you? The comments from Ned are probably the closest to any official explanation that has been made regarding the situation dealing with Pentax in the U.S.A.

The internet is full of armchair experts. Do you even know what their strategy was/is? And their exact situation?

[Kunzite]

I'm not the one claiming I know better.

[ElJamoquio]

Same question: do you even know what their strategy was/is? And their exact situation?

Can I call that a silly question without offending you?

Did you understand the 'out' that I gave in both posts above? *IF HE THOUGHT IT WAS A GOOD STRATEGY*. Sometimes things are the least worst strategy.

I don't think this is one of those cases, but I don't have anywhere near complete knowledge. Of course, the assumptions that have to be made to make me think that it WAS a good strategy border on the farcical. What extenuating circumstances are you imagining that you don't consider far-fetched?

[Class A]

Same question: do you even know what their strategy was/is? And their exact situation?

Another question:

Let's say an F1 driver crashes their car into the wall at the last corner, after having led for the whole race up to this point.

Do you also ask what the driver's strategy and/or situation might have been?

[Kunzite]

ElJamoquio: Yes, sure; however, I don't think it's a silly question at all. From your posts I see you don't actually know what their strategy is, but you're calling that the one month full MSRP prices.

ClassA: my point is that people should not call other's work "RETARDED" and claim that people are incompetent without actually knowing what they're talking about. Yours is?

[Kunzite]

One month and 8 days - they should be skinned alive for that

My bad, obviously it's two months and 8 days.

[Unsinkable II]

Another question:

Let's say an F1 driver crashes their car into the wall at the last corner, after having led for the whole race up to this point.

Do you also ask what the driver's strategy and/or situation might have been?

Actually, it would be more fair to equate it to an F1 driver who had been in last position for the majority of the race!

[Unsinkable II]

ElJamoquio: Yes, sure; however, I don't think it's a silly question at all. From your posts I see you don't actually know what their strategy is, but you're calling that the one month full MSRP prices.

ClassA: my point is that people should not call other's work "RETARDED" and claim that people are incompetent without actually knowing what they're talking about. Yours is?

Please feel free to highlight anyone, be it retailer or consumer, who is happy about Pentax's recent "strategy".

Then we can have an insight into what they were thinking.

From my sofa, Pentax USA are incompetent, and Pentax's engineers are highly competent.

[Class A]

ClassA: my point is that people should not call other's work "RETARDED" and claim that people are incompetent without actually knowing what they're talking about. Yours is?

My point is that sometimes you don't need a business degree or inside knowledge to understand when someone "underperforms".

You don't have to be an F1 driver or an F1 insider to understand that crashing your car into the wall is not a good idea. You don't have to be a business expert either to understand that the ridiculous price roller coaster "strategy" we've seen is helping no one (except Pentax's competition).

[ElJamoquio]

Kunzite - what circumstances would've made the strategy that was chosen the correct strategy?

[monochrome]

Kunzite - what circumstances would've made the strategy that was chosen the correct strategy?

Pentax USA employed clumsy implementation tactics. The strategy (to exercise some control over the final retail price of your products, a form of brand management) is well known across many products.

[guinnessman]

The internet is full of armchair experts. Do you even know what their strategy was/is? And their exact situation?

Did they even have one?

Step 1: Raise prices
Step 2: ???
Step 3: Profit!

All except the step 3, I guess their plan went off well.

The prices are now back at more reasonable levels.

[ElJamoquio]

Pentax USA employed clumsy implementation tactics. The strategy (to exercise some control over the final retail price of your products, a form of brand management) is well known across many products.

by 'strategy chosen' I was referring to 'making retailers believe that MSRP or near-MSRP prices were required for the first two months of the UPP'.

I don't agree with the UPP as being the correct decision (failing business model of B&M) but I won't argue that strongly as I am not an expert in the photography marketing business.

That aside, I don't agree with the UPP as executed and think that it was incredibly mismanaged. Combine it with the Pentax website K-01, etc., introduction and it's like the people at Pentax get their paychecks from Nikon.

[Kunzite]

And what makes you so sure that was their/a strategy?
I agree with monochrome (again! - will it become a habit?), it looks like a clumsy or at least non-ideal implementation of UPP. But "RETARDED"? (not your words, I must say)

And about the reasons, there can be quite a few but I'm only guessing here. One possibility would be that they simply had to start implementing UPP before having the new prices established, due to limited resources and limited time at their disposal. Two months with high prices and low sales could've been an acceptable compromise.

Anyway, neither of us had any experience in implementing UPP country-level, so we can't know how difficult can it be.

[Unsinkable II]

Retarded was my choice word.

I could have said "amateur" or "ill-conceived", but I chose retarded and stand by it.

Pentax managed not just to put their foot in their mouth, but stab themselves in both eyes with the shoelaces. Add to that the Ned Bunnell blogging fiasco and it looks like Fisher Price being run by their user base.

"acceptable compromise" my derriere. Back-pedaling to the highest degree more like.

Pentax HAVE lost customers over this. Those that remain are keeping their eyes open, and retailers must have even dimmer views of Pentax management than prior to this dumb endeavour.