Why Sirius XM Will Not Survive
In a day and age where the Internet and technology are evolving at a blazing pace, Sirius XM continues to sit on their hands watching the times pass them by. Now more then ever, people of this world are plugged-in looking for alternative ways of getting their news and entertainment yet all they get from Sirius XM is the same old websites and stale web based media players that don’t even work in modern browsers.
If Sirius XM truly wants to survive and build their brand, the current marketing and web team have to go. It’s time to get some fresh faces in place that understand the value of social media, shiny widgets, online marketing, and just how important things like iPhone applications are to this companys survival.
It’s time to wake up Sirius XM, we are all waiting and watching but day after day you deliver nothing. Where is your blog? How about a twitter stream? Where is my widget? Better yet, why not get creative and leverage the power of monster online communities such as Myspace and Facebook?
Just last week the marketing team at Crispin Porter and Bogusky, who never cease to amaze me, got their client Burger King plastered all over the net with their creative Facebook application. Not only did they pull off a great viral marketing campaign but, it was so creative and controversial that they wound up getting more residual branding from the never ending buzz around the watercooler and blogosphere. Do you guys at Sirius XM even know what Facebook is?
500 million iPhone applications have been downloaded since the Apple App Store first launched in July of 2008 and not one of them was a Sirius XM application. How long do you think current and potential subscribers should have to wait to listen to Sirius XM on their new iPhone? Your team of overthinkers didn’t consider that this technology was important enough to spend some time on? Do you not realize that these iPhone addicts are the same early adopters of technology who spend their hard earned money on things like… satellite radio?
Make no mistake about it, people are downloading Pandora and Slacker iPhone applications every day and until you give them an alternative you are throwing potential market share out the window.
So, I ask you Sirius XM, is this the end or are you ready to embrace the changing times?
At least back in 2006, the Sirius hosts were told not to give out myspace addresses, with the explanation that Sirius didn’t want to “promote an outside company”. Maybe that’s changed now, but just a kernel of insight into how decisions are being made.
Agreed, the web sites are a mess.
I agree. Sirius XM is going to find their demise with alternative music choices that market themselves better. Already I stream internet radio to my car. Not only do I get a better music selection, and a guarantee that my channels won’t be removed, but I also get far better audio quality. Not perfect quality, but far better. First they decrease music choice, and now want to increase cost? please.
agree with most of your article. Their web presence lacks a lot, also their marketing. Hire some young people and listen to them. But there is little as simple as having SATRAD in a vehicle. And with so much content. THERE IS STILL HOPE!?!?!
Charles,
You say: “No, that part is opinion… which is clear because it begins with “why” and it was written by me. So, it must be my opinion. The title does not say “Sirius XM Failed.””
Not so! “Why” written the way you wrote it without a question mark (”?”) is a statement, not the question.
That is why (note how my use of “why” in this sentence is a statement, not a question) your title is misleading, and I posted my post suggesting your article was written as if you worked for TheStreet.com or MotleyFool.com.
Obviously, I was using literary license to suggest you had job offers from them,…it was merely to point out that your article, particularly your TITLE, was written as they write their articles (and titles), to obtain hits, rather than to be honest to the content of the article.
I think you could have solved this whole problem by having a title that was a fairer representation of your article…
btw, I am not suggesting that you did this (wrote the title to obtain hits), but that is how it comes across to the reader.
also, btw, you should realize that you get all these comments because you site is relied upon so much, and the alternative, not having these comments would imply that your site was not as successful as it is…so take these comments all as constructive criticism, rather than an insult.
It was a statement, my statement. No matter how you cut it, the article is clearly opinion based. Keep in mind it is the opinion of someone who works online for a living so, not only is it my job to have my finger on the pulse of this but, I also work with some of the best who tend to agree with me.
BTW the title was written the way it was because it is what I believe. It wasn’t to obtain traffic, if you knew me personally you would know that this article was a conversation that I had with a couple of friends of mine the other day and they said it was spot on and worth posting. No fluff added, just my exact feelings about Sirius XM’s situation.
I don’t take any of it as an insult. I appreciate the input of everyone… even the infamous stackpointer.
Well, at least you are seeing the light. Except that BK is what Mel and Black actually want in the end which is very, very near.
I agree 100% and I am impressed that you branched outside of Bubba!
They need a major shake up in marketing or whatever they call it. They probably could of hired Crispin Porter + Bogusky for the price they paid Mad Dog. That is the ad agency behind “The King” (Burger King) and many other memorable brands.
About damn time we got things stirred up around here. Keep it going writers and posters. A lame duck is just that. Oh yeah, relevance. Raise prices to what the bearer is willing to pay I say. More revenue = more revenue. I’m all for it. Put a new name on it for the new car buyers and squeeze every damn nickel out of them. No I”m not kidding.
There are better apps out there
I used to be on this board all the time, I lost so much money on this stock that it is not even funny. I now am a strong believer breaking even making a profit elseware.
Charles is right don’t bash the guy for being a 100 right. He is a techie and has a good understanding of the market
go Charles
There are some things that you are not understanding about why they have not done some of the things yet.
Right now, they have there back against the wall with a gun to their heads by JP Morgan and GS & cannot spend on marketing, advertising, take on partnerships that are not necessarily to their benefit (ie an Apple deal when they need Apple more than Apple needs them), plus higher royalty rates that they would pay on internet streaming.
They need to get the debt behind them and then look at pulling off some cool deals that will get a buzz going again.
Your article title was poorly thought out, but your ideas are good, just not the time yet.
Did you see that Sirius will raise prices on family subs, start charging for internet streaming seperately ? Maybe this will set the stage for their ability to pay for higher internet streaming royalties.
If you think my article is poorly though out then you clearly don’t understand the state of the net today. The costs to do any of the things I mentioned are minimal, with the exception of getting a marketing team of that caliber on board… that being said, who knows how much they are paying their current team. You’re right, now is not the time, the time was 6 months ago!
“Did you see that Sirius will raise prices on family subs, start charging for internet streaming separately?”
Did you see? I worked that story on twitter yesterday… you should follow us!
I didn’t say your article was poorly thought out, just the headline, but I’m over it.
We need the dam Feb converts put behind us to get some life back in this stock, get May extended at least 1 year for now.