DISH President and CEO Summarizes Winning Formula: Give Consumers What They Want
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On the occasion of being named a "Digital Patriot" by the Consumer Electronics Association, Joseph P. Clayton, president and CEO of DISH, today called on innovators to listen to consumers when designing new products and services.
"Over the years, I've adopted a radical business strategy that has often been challenged by many incumbent corporations: give the consumer what he or she wants. That's a winning formula for success that implies embracing change, embracing technology, and most importantly embracing the consumer," said Clayton, who is among the honorees at tonight's ninth annual Digital Patriots Dinner staged by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
Earlier this week DISH announced the proposed merger of DISH and Sprint, a combination that would bring together more than 200 MHz of valuable wireless spectrum and two iconic American brands.
"The advantages of combining the two great American brands of DISH and Sprint are clear: one national service that can offer in- and out-of-home wireless voice, video and data at one attractive retail price on one bill. We would have the ability to reach consumers wherever they go with services that are easy to understand, affordable, and available anywhere — from the biggest cities to the far reaches of rural America, where DISH was born," Clayton explained as he outlined the benefits of the proposed merger.
A 40-year veteran of the consumer electronics, telecommunications and satellite communications industries, Clayton is the president and chief executive officer of DISH and serves on the company's board of directors. Prior to joining DISH in 2011, Clayton was chief executive officer of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. from 2001 through 2004, then Chairman until 2008. Throughout his career, he was instrumental in the discovery and implementation of numerous consumer electronics products including the VCR, DVDs, satellite TV, HDTV and satellite radio. Clayton was a four-year member of the EchoStar Board of Directors and a former Chairman of CEA.
Clayton notes that the American corporate graveyard is crowded with dead companies who failed to accept the basic tenet of giving the consumer what the consumer wants, recalling how the videocassette recorder was opposed by programmers, broadcasters and studios — only to later become a "cash cow" as consumer embraced home video technology.
"High-Definition TV is another example. It was debated and delayed by broadcasters, and then the computer industry, for over a decade. Yet again, those resistant corporations found HDTV to be a huge benefit and attraction for viewers and advertisers. Even satellite-delivered television was fought by broadcasters and cable companies, while today it delivers content to more than 30 million subscribers," Clayton said.
"So why would incumbent broadcasting, cable, and content companies oppose rather than embrace innovation? Why have they forsaken improvements to the consumer experience? Why have they given up on future profit opportunities? It's because innovation upsets the status quo and is very difficult. There is a tremendous amount of innovation, risk, and worry that comes from actually having to deliver better products. It's really hard work! It's much easier to call the other guy's stuff ‘illegal' and then knock off early."
After 40 years in the consumer electronics industry, Clayton says he has a good idea of what the American consumer wants with TV viewing -- video content that is easy to use, affordable, and available anywhere. DISH is providing all of those things with the ability to skip commercials on recorded content and giving the consumer the freedom to watch video content on his TV, mobile phone, tablet, or computer.
"Broadcasters would have you believe that it's illegal to skip TV commercials. But that's something we've all done since the introduction of the remote control. If it's illegal, then we're just a nation of outlaws," Clayton said. "Seriously, we think advertising can be better targeted to the viewer. So DISH isn't just about giving people the ability to hop over commercials. We're designing different ways to reach viewers with messages they might actually care about."
"It's a great honor to be part of this celebration of the free market American way of business. We are celebrating our freedom to innovate and our reason for business: pleasing the American consumer," Clayton concluded.
WASHINGTON--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- On the occasion of being named a "Digital Patriot" by the Consumer Electronics Association, Joseph P. Clayton, president and CEO of DISH, today called on innovators to listen to consumers when designing new products and services.
"Over the years, I've adopted a radical business strategy that has often been challenged by many incumbent corporations: give the consumer what he or she wants. That's a winning formula for success that implies embracing change, embracing technology, and most importantly embracing the consumer," said Clayton, who is among the honorees at tonight's ninth annual Digital Patriots Dinner staged by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA).
Earlier this week DISH announced the proposed merger of DISH and Sprint, a combination that would bring together more than 200 MHz of valuable wireless spectrum and two iconic American brands.
"The advantages of combining the two great American brands of DISH and Sprint are clear: one national service that can offer in- and out-of-home wireless voice, video and data at one attractive retail price on one bill. We would have the ability to reach consumers wherever they go with services that are easy to understand, affordable, and available anywhere — from the biggest cities to the far reaches of rural America, where DISH was born," Clayton explained as he outlined the benefits of the proposed merger.
A 40-year veteran of the consumer electronics, telecommunications and satellite communications industries, Clayton is the president and chief executive officer of DISH and serves on the company's board of directors. Prior to joining DISH in 2011, Clayton was chief executive officer of Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. from 2001 through 2004, then Chairman until 2008. Throughout his career, he was instrumental in the discovery and implementation of numerous consumer electronics products including the VCR, DVDs, satellite TV, HDTV and satellite radio. Clayton was a four-year member of the EchoStar Board of Directors and a former Chairman of CEA.
Clayton notes that the American corporate graveyard is crowded with dead companies who failed to accept the basic tenet of giving the consumer what the consumer wants, recalling how the videocassette recorder was opposed by programmers, broadcasters and studios — only to later become a "cash cow" as consumer embraced home video technology.
"High-Definition TV is another example. It was debated and delayed by broadcasters, and then the computer industry, for over a decade. Yet again, those resistant corporations found HDTV to be a huge benefit and attraction for viewers and advertisers. Even satellite-delivered television was fought by broadcasters and cable companies, while today it delivers content to more than 30 million subscribers," Clayton said.
"So why would incumbent broadcasting, cable, and content companies oppose rather than embrace innovation? Why have they forsaken improvements to the consumer experience? Why have they given up on future profit opportunities? It's because innovation upsets the status quo and is very difficult. There is a tremendous amount of innovation, risk, and worry that comes from actually having to deliver better products. It's really hard work! It's much easier to call the other guy's stuff ‘illegal' and then knock off early."
After 40 years in the consumer electronics industry, Clayton says he has a good idea of what the American consumer wants with TV viewing -- video content that is easy to use, affordable, and available anywhere. DISH is providing all of those things with the ability to skip commercials on recorded content and giving the consumer the freedom to watch video content on his TV, mobile phone, tablet, or computer.
"Broadcasters would have you believe that it's illegal to skip TV commercials. But that's something we've all done since the introduction of the remote control. If it's illegal, then we're just a nation of outlaws," Clayton said. "Seriously, we think advertising can be better targeted to the viewer. So DISH isn't just about giving people the ability to hop over commercials. We're designing different ways to reach viewers with messages they might actually care about."
"It's a great honor to be part of this celebration of the free market American way of business. We are celebrating our freedom to innovate and our reason for business: pleasing the American consumer," Clayton concluded.
