Promethean partners with controversial Channel One News. Two out-of-date companies keep each other company.
Jim Marshall, CEO Promethean World
From Jim Metrock:
Jim Marshall just got a promotion. That’s good news for him, right? There’s a reason for him to smile. Except that…
Marshall is now the CEO of Promethean World. Ugh. (The previous smiling Promethean CEO before he was fired.) Promethean World is a British company in a World of hurt. (July 2012 – Promethean suffers more losses.)
Promethean World makes interactive white boards (IWB). These expensive boards, connected to computers and projectors, were sold as effective tools to enhance classroom learning. It appears educators were underwhelmed.
Even if school districts were sold on the benefits of IWBs, the tough economic times have made this substantial investment too difficult to justify.
CEO Marshall not only has the tough task of selling expensive products to potential customers who don’t have the money to buy them, but he is also is facing the fact that time may have passed his company by. iPads and other tablets are the new hot classroom technology now, not big white boards.
So what does Promethean World do as their sales are rapidly heading South? Marshall chooses to partner with the controversial Channel One. There couldn’t be a worse partner. If time has possibly passed Promethean by, it is for certain that Channel One is a thing of the past. So Promethean, a company rushing for irrelevancy, teams up with Channel One’s dead brand of youth marketing. They deserve each other.
Promethean is trying its best to bring Channel One’s into elementary schools. There is nothing smart about that. When I go around the country talking about the Channel One controversy, I talk now of the Channel One/Promethean controversy. Promethean’s chances of thriving – or surviving – have not been enhanced by their partnership with Channel One.
I have tried several times to contact Mr. Marshall. He has always been too busy. (Probably constantly readjusting sales figures downward.) But I do know that Promethean often checks this website so: Hey Mr. Marshall, how’s that smokin’ Channel One deal workin’ out for ya?
Oct. 5, 2012 Can’t even give Channel One News InterActiv away.
Nov. 8, 2011 Channel One News and Promethean punch students in face.
Oct. 27, 2011 Promethean partners with pariah.
Aug. 5, 2012 And Promethean thinks partnering with pariah Channel One will help them?
