HTC has reportedly hired Iron Man star Robert Downey Jr for an upcoming marketing campaign worth around $12 million. This will be a smart move for HTC, which hasn’t had the best of luck with marketing efforts.
HTC has not had any significant marketing campaigns from the past few years, and its $300 million deal with Beats Electronics didn’t lead to any significant sales bump. Peter Chou, HTC’s CEO, previously said the company would focus more heavily on marketing in the coming months.
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Downey won’t be portraying any of his popular characters (at the moment, Iron Man and Sherlock Holmes). But given just how much of his own personality informs the character of Tony Stark, it won’t matter much if he doesn’t don the Iron Man suit. His mere presence could make a compelling ad for HTC.
The company’s recent earnings reports have been disastrous — with a 98 percent revenue drop compared to last year — and senior executives are jumping ship left and right, there’s still hope on the horizon. HTC is expected to increase its revenues by $1 billion this quarter, based on sales of the One phone.
And perhaps with the help of Downey, the company will finally be able to turn its fortunes around.
Credit: Venture Beat