Segway - Still Off-balance? |
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ExcerptsThe Segway StorySegway, headquartered in Bedford, New Hampshire, USA, was founded by inventor and entrepreneur, Dean Kamen (Kamen). The inspiration for the name Segway came from the word 'segue'which meant -'to transition smoothly from one state to another'. The Segway HT was the company's first and most publicized product. It was to be a 'solution to short-distance travel'and was expected to replace cars for short trips... The HypeKamen, for obvious reasons, refused to reveal the specifics about the device. However, this led to further media speculation about the product. Some people thought that the product was an anti-gravity machine; while others felt that it could be a helicopter backpack... The LaunchIn December 2001, Segway announced the launch of Segway HT on the popular TV show 'Good Morning America'. Initially the company was to sell Segway HTs only to commercial establishments. The company targeted large scale manufacturing plants, warehousing operations, companies in the travel and tourism sector, universities, and the postal service. The company also announced that the Manchester and Boston police departments would be testing its Segway HTs for their practicality in community policing...
A Bumpy RoadAlthough, quite possibly, there is no such thing as 'bad publicity', the criticism and negative reviews seemed to have had an adverse impact on the sales of the Segway HT. Much of the criticism against the Segway HT centered on pedestrian safety issues, the exorbitant price of the product, and the company's lobbying efforts... What Went Wrong?The company had expected to sell between 50,000 and 100,000 Segway HTs in the first year of its launch. Instead, it managed to sell a paltry 6,000 in 21 months after the launch. Even in 2004, the company could not sell more than 10,000 units. Many critics attributed Segway HT's poor sales performance to how the product was marketed and sold.
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