Palm goes viral, markets the new Treo 680 smartphone

I’m a little (or a lot) disappointed that the new Treo 680 costs as much as it does, but Palm is going full steam ahead marketing their new smartphone, taking just about every route possible to get in your face (and in your pocket), including viral marketing techniques.

Never before have we seen Palm take such a concerted effort in selling a new product, but for the Treo 680 they will be trying their darndest. They’ll be advertising with like-minded passion brands such as Fandango, Google, and Orbitz (interestingly, the tagline — Not just a cell phone. A Treo — is a little too much like Helio’s “Don’t call us a phone company. Don’t call it a phone”). Other techniques include interactive kiosks, the ontreo.com microsite, and, oh yes, viral marketing via “Palm street teams wearing bright-colored Treo clothing.”

Remember, when we thought this entry-level PDA phone might even be free? And then Cingular decides that it costs $199? Too bad for us poor Canadians, it runs a cool $300 from Rogers Wireless. Maybe this six-month campaign will convince me that the Treo 680 is worth that much.