(Direct Newsline) This week, HP mailed its first catalog since the Compaq Computer Corp.-Hewlett-Packard merger to 2 million businesses, gleaned from both companies’ databases.
“This is the first major effort we’ve had talking to the small and medium business set about the full range of products, services and solutions available to them from the new HP,” says Leslie Adams, vice president of marketing services for HP Personal Systems Group in Houston.
Half of the recipients are businesses who are not necessarily customers but who opted in by mail, telephone, or the Web to receive a catalog before the May 7 merger. “It’s the customers we’ve identified as our most loyal and those interested in buying through the catalog,” Adams says.
The other half are HP resellers — an important resource for small businesses who sometimes buy directly from HP but turn to resellers for products for which they need advice or installation.
The 32-page book features 20 product and service categories. The offerings show an emphasis on services to help small businesses with technology, providing assistance with, say, setting up a wireless network. “They want to focus on running their business, not on technology,” Adams says. The book is “seasoning the marketplace, so when they receive promotional offers from us they will be ready to respond.”
HP reported revenue of $16.5 billion for the third quarter ended July 31, a decrease of 9% from last year’s same quarter. The company said that it was on track for fiscal year 2003 and 2004. The merger was finalized on May 3.