HTC has acknowledged in the past that it needs to do a better job with marketing. In a move to do just that, the Taiwanese company this week hired Paul Golden, a former Samsung marketing executive, as a consultant who will report directly to Chairwoman Cher Wang. According to Golden’s LinkedIn page, he “created and launched the highly successful Galaxy brand” while at Samsung between 2008 and 2012.
Asked to confirm the hiring, an HTC spokesperson would only say that, “HTC continues to invest in talent and recruitment as part of our broader human resources strategy.” According to Bloomberg sources, Golden has been hired on a three-month contract. Whether this translates into a long-term role has not been finalized yet.
HTC followed up the launch of its latest flagship smartphone, the HTC One (M8), with ads starring both Robert Downey Jr. and Gary Oldman. According to a separate report by hit-and-miss Digitimes, HTC could ship between 3 and 5 million units in Q2. In comparison, early Samsung Galaxy S5 sales suggest it will surpass the 10 million mark within a month.
The role of Chief Marketing Officer has been a bit of a revolving door in the past. The role changed hands a number of times until HTC announced the appointment of Benjamin Ho as its latest CMO in November 2012. It’s not clear if and how he will work with Golden. With Wang taking a more active role in marketing decisions and Golden now advising her directly, the CMO chair may soon find itself with a new owner.
Sources : Bloomberg // Digitimes // LinkedIn (Paul Golden)