rCard, an Interesting Product, Marketed Badly

Sometimes, companies shoot themselves in the foot when they try to do their marketing without benefit of professional help. That seems to be the case for Ceoiq, developers of the rCard.

rCard is an interesting promotional device that the company describes in a muddled way at great length. They call it an interactive business card, but actually, it's a business-card-sized interactive device that can be used to show a tiny version of a presentation with video, graphics or data.

It can hold up to one gig, has a USB cord, a tiny microphone, and a rechargeable battery. It retails, according to the press release, for about $40.

It is described as "disposable." Oy vey. Have they perhaps heard of environmentally friendly products?

The site repeats a couple of times that the rCard could be distributed inside cereal boxes as part of a contest or promotion. Somehow, it's hard to imagine $40 electronic devices in Special K boxes. They also suggest that Fortune 500 companies give a $40 rCard to every employee to replace their current business cards. But business cards are in global use because you can print thousands of them for a song and you can give them to everyone you meet so they'll have your contact information.

Says Jet Parker, the founder, Chief Visionary Officer and CEO, "The rCard is as exciting as it gets." And I'm sure it is, to him.

What this company needs is a good marketing/ad agency to help it make the message pop. Yeah, I know, Mr. Parker: you spent all your money on product development, and there's no money left for marketing.

If it holds 1G and connects USB, you'd think they'd market it instead as a cheap way for salespeople to carry presentations with them.

If it did that... I'd buy one!

Ike - they do say that, among all the cluttered messages.

the messaging is confused and confusing.

Martha here. Pleading guilty as charged to having a previous business venture in which I spent so much on product development, and there was no money left for marketing.

And you know what that did? It doomed the product, that's what. I lived hand-to-mouth for several years after that debacle.

So, lesson learned. Don't spend all your money in one place.