Struggling Taiwanese smartphone makers, HTC, has poached the guy behind Samsung’s wildly successful GALAXY brand. Paul Golden, who is credited with creating the GALAXY movement, has signed on with HTC, and will reportedly working directly under HTC chairperson Cher Wang.
Golden was with Samsung between 2008 and 2012, a period when Samsung’s flagship Android smartphones quickly rose to prominence. This was largely in part of the launch of the GALAXY brand, where it really took off in countries such as the US. Today, many Americans call the iPhone an iPhone, and an Android smartphone a Galaxy.
The hire of Golden should mark the start of what may be an exciting turnaround for HTC. The company has consistently failed badly with its marketing campaigns for its recent Android flagships, being trounced badly by Golden’s GALAXY-themed campaigns. Even Apple had a tough time battling Samsung’s “Next Big Thing” campaign, which took aim directly at the iPhone. Last year’s capture of Iron Man himself, Robert Downey Jr., failed to live up to expectations, though the recent capture of Gary Oldman as another talent in HTC’s global ad for the new One (M8) smartphone received better reception.
The following is a statement from HTC, confirming the capture:
HTC continues to invest in talent and recruitment as part of our broader human resources strategy to ensure the continued strength of our company’s organizational structure.
Now with Golden onboard, it’ll definitely be interesting to see what he can come up with for HTC’s marketing for the new One (M8), considering what will very likely be a shoestring budget compared to the billions at his previous employer’s disposal.
(Source: The Verge)
