Acer Inc (宏碁) yesterday said it is aiming to become a lifestyle brand following the launch of new energy drink in a livestream on Tuesday night.
The beverage, called Predator Shot, is perhaps one of the computer company’s most surprising attempts in expanding the Predator gaming line.
Seeking to repackage Acer as a lifestyle brand, the company has announced several accessories vaguely related to PCs, including a gaming inspired massage chair in collaboration with Singapore’s OSIM International Ltd (傲勝國際) and a sling bag sporting the green Acer logo.
Photo: CNA
“Our energy drink will help boost gamers’ energy and reduce fatigue resulting from too much screen time,” Acer chairman and CEO Jason Chen (陳俊聖) told a news conference at the company’s headquarters in New Taipei City, while also unveiling a collagen drink that targets female gamers.
Citing a saturated market, Chen said the company has to seek new growth beyond the PC industry.
“Forty years ago it [the PC industry] is considered a high-tech industry, but now it is no longer the case,” Chen said
“We cannot [afford to] stay in such a mature market and expect things to get better,” he added.
Still, Acer has witnessed a boom this quarter as sales over the past two months surged on the back of robust demand fostered by the growing trend for distance learning and work-from-home due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
With orders throughout the fall remaining high, the company is optimistic about its PC business in the second half of the year.
“[The increase] in demand from distance learning is phenomenal... We are having trouble satisfying up to one-third of our orders,” Acer cochief operating officer and president of corporate marketing, business planning and operations Tiffany Huang (黃資婷) said.
The imbalance between supply and demand is compounded by persistent supply chain disruptions across the PC industry, Huang said.
“As some countries remain under lockdown, some plants are unable to resume production... The delay of one component can lead to another,” she said, adding that the company is talking with suppliers to resolve shortages of components and raw materials.
China is set to become the largest growth driver for the company this year.
“Due to our relatively small presence on the Chinese market and the country’s early recovery [from the pandemic], we believe it holds great potential,” Huang said, adding that Acer is witnessing a growth rate higher than the PC industry’s average.
However, Acer’s performance in other countries across the Asia-Pacific region — including India and Indonesia — might be affected by continuous strict COVID-19 containment measures.
Last year, India and Indonesia accounted for about 25 percent of the company’s sales in the region.
Demand from the European and US markets is expected to continue on an upward trend due to their relatively rapid online migrations, the company said.
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