Lenovo kicked off its holiday sales season Friday, announcing a Black Friday Sneak Peek Sale running Monday-Oct. 30 with discounts up to 70%. Among the deals are sub-$200 laptops, up to 60% off ThinkPads, 20% discounts on monitors, $174 tablets, 25% off gaming PCs and TCL TVs starting at $179, it said. Lenovo PC shipments dropped 16.1% in Q3 amid an overall global downturn of 15%, IDC reported Wednesday (see 2210100002).
Sonos, quiet on holiday promotional activity last year (see 2111290032) due to extended product shortages, announced Thursday the launch of its playful S.A.N.T.A. (Seasonal Audio Noise Tracking Aggregator) Index that’s designed to determine when the holiday season begins in a tie-in with Sonos Radio and Sonos speakers. Sonos will track the level of “Jingle Waves” in 23 countries “to identify the exact moment holiday cheer reaches critical mass, greenlighting listeners to deck the halls," it said. To celebrate each country’s official start of the season, Sonos will unlock product giveaways, promotions and new radio stations, it said.
T-Mobile began preorders Thursday for the Google Pixel line of products (see report, this issue) launched at Made by Google, including a Pixel 7 for free, or $800 off the Pixel 7 Pro with 24 monthly bill credits, plus tax, for customers trading in an eligible device on the carrier’s Magenta Max or equivalent Sprint plans. The maximum trade-in applies to iPhone X or later phones, select Samsung Galaxy Flip, Fold, Note and S Series devices, and phones from OnePlus, Google, LG and Moto, it said. Customers activating a line on a qualifying plan can get a Pixel 7 for $99, it said. Also at T-Mobile, customers can get half off the Google Pixel Watch with 24 monthly bill credits when adding a watch line. AT&T is offering the Pixel 7 Pro for up to $800 off, given in 36 months of credits, for customers who pick or upgrade to a qualifying unlimited plan and trade in an eligible device. Verizon offered $700 in savings for the Pixel 7 phones for the trade-in of an old or damaged phone “free of battery damage” with select 5G Unlimited plans; switchers get an additional $200.
Amazon is discounting an Echo Dot and smart bulb bundle by 72%, it emailed Prime customers Wednesday. The third-generation Dot and two-pack of GE Cync Direct Connect smart bulbs is selling for $17.99, down from $63.98, in an exclusive Prime deal that ends in six days, it said. Other bundles are also discounted, including a second-gen Echo Show 5 with the GE smart bulb two-pack for $34.99, 68% off, Amazon said.
Anker joined the early holiday season promotion parade Wednesday, emailing customers about deals ranging from 15%-35% off. Though Amazon is calling its Tuesday-Wednesday event next week an “early access” sale (see 2210030007), Anker referenced “Early Fall Prime Day Deals” in the email pitch for products discounted on Amazon.com. Among the deals are a model 757 portable power station, marked down $200 to $1,199; a model 623 magnetic wireless charger, dropped 35% to $51.99; and a three-outlet power plug with USB-C charging and two USB-A ports, cut $4 to $15.99. Deals started Wednesday at Amazon and go live on the Anker e-commerce site Sunday, the company said.
DoubleVerify will supply its digital media measurement tools to Best Buy Ads, the retailer’s in-house media network, to serve Best Best Ads client and Best Buy’s own marketing campaigns, said the data analytics company Thursday. Retail media is estimated to be a $100 billion market opportunity, said DoubleVerify. A retail media network “allows a retailer to give brands access to their customers using the retailer's key assets: first-party customer data and owned media,” it said. “With the retailer's first-party data, brands can reach in-market buyers at the point of purchase, across formats and owned channels.”
Some Comcast claims about its Xfinity Wi-Fi service being faster than AT&T's Wi-Fi are supported, but others should be modified or dropped, the Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division said Wednesday. AT&T challenged Comcast's comparative internet and Wi-Fi ad claims. NAD said Comcast agreed to make the recommended changes.
Bitdefender launched a multiyear Formula One partnership with Scuderia Ferrari, said the cybersecurity company Wednesday. Besides agreeing to display the Bitdefender logo on Ferrari drivers’ helmets, the companies will also engage in marketing activities, including private meet-and-greets with Ferrari team drivers and technical team members, it said. Ferrari “will also explore and assess Bitdefender cybersecurity products and services to incorporate them into its business,” it said.
Como Audio is holding a sale on music systems and turntables through Sept. 30. Its piano black analog turntable is half off to $199 during the promo period; the turntable has an Ortofon cartridge, 33-1/3 and 45 rpm speed control, dust cover and built-in phono pre-amp. Como’s Duetto Global Edition stereo music system, also 50% off, is $275 for orders placed by Sept. 30, the company said.
Comcast claims about the cost of its wireless offerings versus those of Verizon Wireless aren’t wrong but should contain more information, the Better Business Bureau's National Advertising Division said. Verizon had challenged the ads. “NAD determined that Comcast’s choice to compare its plan to Verizon’s cheapest 5G plans that offer Ultra Wideband -- the same speeds offered by Xfinity -- when properly disclosed is appropriate because they are the cheapest plans from Verizon with speeds most equivalent to Xfinity Mobile,” said a Thursday decision. “Comcast’s comparative savings claim would not be misleading if the basis of comparison and material limitations are clearly and conspicuously disclosed.”