January 8, 2003

Cisco readies marketing push

My spin: With networking cards and other hardware being a dime a dozen - Linksys, Cisco, 3COM, Intel, Netgear, Dlink, etc - marketing is an important aspect of winning market share.

Network-equipment manufacturer Cisco Systems will launch a multimillion-dollar North American ad campaign early this year, hoping brand recognition, and not price cuts, can beat back new competition from makers of less-expensive gear.
Speaking at a conference Tuesday, Chief Executive John Chambers would not directly address the issue of possible price cuts, but he acknowledged the competitive threat and announced the $150 million campaign. He also said Cisco would continue pushing for new partnerships.

"We won't just play defense, we will play offense as well," Chambers told investors at the Morgan Stanley Software Services, Internet and Networking Conference in Scottsdale, Ariz. (full story)

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