A number of blogs (including cnet, crunchgear) reporting today that a mobile carrier Orange has paid actors to stand in line for the new iPhone 3G release at dozens of its stores. Seems like a very desperate move to drum up last minute business. It’s a bandaid solution with a lasting pain. It never favors a company to pay actors to admire, use, and/or enjoy their products; especially, when the press gets a hold of it. Not only does it tarnish the brand image, but it also shows the public the low business ethics and credibility a company has. A better solution would be to incent the first N customers with an awesome gift or a discount on iPhone 3G or a monthly phone charge.
