How Do You Say “ThinkPad” in Chinese?
Raise your hands - how many people out there use an IBM ThinkPad? And how many more have used it in the past? The ThinkPad is one of the most popular brands in computer laptops, but how many people know the name of the Chinese company who has been making and selling the “IBM ThinkPad” since 2005?
The company’s name is Lenovo and if you plan on watching any of the Olympics this summer, you will be seeing their name more often, as they are the only Chinese company with worldwide sponsorship of the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
I remember reading that the IBM laptop business was up for sale in 2005 and that a Chinese company had bought it. Back then I asked myself “How long will it take an unknown brand to drive sales of the most popular laptop into the ground?” (This is exactly what happened when BenQ purchased the successful Siemens cell phone business a few years back.)
But Lenovo was smarter than BenQ. Lenovo kept their name in the background and continue to sell the laptop as the “IBM ThinkPad”. I bet lots of people purchased the ThinkPad under the assumption that it was still an IBM product. It’s amazing what they hide in the small print these days.
Now, Lenovo is increasing its marketing at the Olympics this year. Oh, but they won’t mention that they are a Chinese company. We might get the wrong impression and think that their products are cheap.
Do you have a ThinkPad? Have you heard of Lenovo before?
Image from ct.gov
Tags: IBM ThinkPad, Lenovo, marketing, Olympics
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