Pulse02 En

2016-10-14

: Tp-Link Pulse02-En Pulse02-en

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Table of Contents

Highlight

Cover Story Showcase

Canada: Small as a Goose, Strong as a Moose!

USA: Elevating the Channel

Brazil: A Journey of Discovery Through SMB

Territory

UK: Tesco, Talon and Talent, Oh My!

Malaysia: Winning Telekom's Heart

Hungary: Media Markt and the Path to Success

France: Fueled by Football Fever!

India: #HappyInternetStory

Romania: Using Events to Propel Brand Image

and Build Community

Romania: How We Built a Network for 40K at

Comic Con

Steadfast, Simple, Strong: Rules to Live

and Work By

20 for 20

Smart Accessories: Banking on Power-

Hungry Mobile Apps

Russia: Running Russia with 802.11ac

Smart Phone: TP-Link Unveils New Neos

Smartphone Brand as Part of Its IoT Vision

Who

Lives

USA: My Vision to Build Our Brand in North

America

Japan: Sail for Dreams, Sail in Japan

India: My E-Commerce Story!

USA: E-Commerce and Amazon: A Business

Philosophy

Australia: Team, Passion, Laughter, Inspiration

and Knowledge

Team Building Photo Gallery

Kiev Blues

Inspired Poems from Life Abroad

Cover Story

Steadfast, Simple, Strong: Rules to Live

and Work By

Inspired by our recent cooperation with Ogilvy & Mather Advertising, I read its founder David Ogilvy's

famous book, Confessions of an Advertising Man. One particular section captured my complete attention:

Ogilvy's expectations for his sta. This caught me in a time when I was considering the specic criteria

that makes qualied sta and the methods of building a working environment to best support them. I

was refreshed to see his words addressing that very need, and glad to see some of his viewpoints in

common with mine.

In my admiration, I dog-eared the page that listed the eight requirements for sta, which I often revisit:

1. I admire people who work hard, who bite the bullet. I dislike passengers who don’t pull their weight in the

boat. It is more fun to be overworked than to be underworked. There is an economic factor built into hard

work. The harder you work, the fewer employees we need, and the more prot we make. The more prot

we make, the more money becomes available for all of us.

2. I admire people with first-class brains, because you cannot run a great advertising agency without

brainy people. But brains are not enough unless they are combined with intellectual honesty.

3. I have an inviolable rule against employing nepots and spouses, because they breed politics.

4. I admire people who work with gusto. If you don’t enjoy what you are doing, I beg you to nd another job.

Remember the Scottish proverb, “Be happy while you’re living, for you’re a long time dead.”

5. I despise toadies who suck up to their bosses; they are generally the same people who bully their

subordinates.

6. I admire self-condent professionals, the craftsmen who do their jobs with superlative excellence. They

always seem to respect the expertise of their colleagues. They don’t poach.

7. I admire people who hire subordinates who are good enough to succeed them. I pity people who are so

insecure that they feel compelled to hire inferiors as their subordinates.

8. I admire people who build up their subordinates, because this is the only way we can promote from

within the ranks. I detest having to go outside to ll important jobs, and I look forward to the day when that

will never be necessary.

Jerey Chao

Cover Story

In addition to those points, I oer two more that I believe resonates with our company's ambitions and

ideals:

1. I admire people of integrity, honesty and responsibility over people full of tricks and schemes. There

is no perfect system, but it is wise to consciously avoid loopholes and shortcuts, and best to overcome

diculties and improve your work. That is how respect is earned.

2. I admire people who are open-minded and tolerant of others. One should always keep calm and

peaceful regardless of circumstance, even when one’s previous subordinates succeed them or

colleagues have dierent ways of doing things.

Always one to practice what he preaches, Ogilvy follows his expectations for his staff with a list to

which he holds himself accountable:

1. I try to be fair and to be rm, to make unpopular decisions without cowardice, to create an atmosphere

of stability, and to listen more than I talk.

2. I try to sustain the momentum of the agency—its ferment, its vitality, its forward thrust.

3. I try to build the agency by landing new accounts.

4. I try to win the condence of our clients at their highest level.

5. I try to make sucient prots to keep you all from penury in old age.

6. I plan our policies far into the future.

7. I try to recruit people of the highest quality at all levels, to build the hottest sta in the agency business.

8. I try to get the best out of every man and woman in the agency.

Actually, these are all pretty basic tenets — no secrets here — but the dierence is in truly adhering to

these principles, day-in, day-out. Success is the big goal, but it's no more than the sum of small eorts.

On our rst day in our parcel of space in the Shenzhen Electronics Group Plaza, I could not have imagined

this company as it stands today. But now it's plain to see these 20 years of rapid development and global

reach is owed to TP-Linkers' approach both work and life with steadfast focus and simple determination.

It's what builds up our achievements and inspires us to develop further; it certainly drives me to bite

the bullet after hours. In the future, our further growth will inevitably present us many more difficulties,

challenges and even setbacks, but we shall be afraid of nothing as long as we pay close attention to every

detail of work, holding each other and ourselves to our high standards.

So to all my fellow TP-Linkers, I say to you: Let’s just keep it simple and carry on.

Cover Story

20 for 20

How do you properly sum up the twenty-year history of an international company in a few pages?

What began as an original idea by two brothers in 1996 has evolved into a global, multibillion dollar

enterprise, oering a range of products to secure the networking industry's largest worldwide market for

ve years running. In its twenty years, TP-Link has earned accomplishments, awards and the adoration of

loyal customers who value reliability. But from the rst day to today, what has made this success possible

has always been one thing: the people. So we figured the only right way to share the history of our

company was to ask you, since you spend each day making the company what it is.

We asked ve questions to hear your contributions to the TP-Link story, and here are twenty voices —

one for each year we've grown — from our global family, which we are proud to present.

This is TP-Link: 20 for 20.

Christopher Tuazon, TP-Link Headquarters

Cover Story

I've appreciated my ability to adapt to the changes in the IT and business landscape,

where agility is an important skill in my day-to-day role. Without being exible for my

customers and understanding the changes in the B2B reseller business, I would not

be able to reach my sales goals and ultimately succeed for my team.

- Kevin Wilton, B2B Account Manager. Canada, 2014

When I was a product manager for a previous distributor, a relationship with

customers was largely built through phone calls and emails, without ever actually

meeting. Since joining our company, I've had more opportunities to connect with

clients face-to-face and build a more direct, genuine relationship with individuals.

- Bryan Tan, Channel Sales Account Manager. Australia, 2015

From your rst day in TP-Link to today, what has been the most signicant change you've

noticed about yourself?

I've really become a calm person, thinking through the process of all projects in my

head. Before, I tried my best to do everything at once as fast as possible. Here, I've

learned to better prioritize my projects and focus as needed, which is ultimately a

much more ecient and tranquil method.

- Qemal Oguz, Retail Marketing Manager. DACH, 2015

Having previously worked in IT distribution for 15 years, it was a whole new

experience seeing the business from the vendor's side. The most interesting aspect

for me has been to balance distribution strategy to protect our achievements, while

opening new sales channels.

- Martin Rak, Distribution Channel Sales Manager. Czech Republic, 2011

Cover Story

Through our company culture, I’ve gained an ability to complete tasks with

meticulous attention to details. As you might know, we are a small group, running the

oce and warehouse. Whatever we do represents the image of our company, and

with the trust of our General Manager we've achieved success.

- Joanne Liu, Sales & Administration Assistant. South Africa, 2015

In my mind, the development of strategic thinking has been most significant.

Prediction of long-term trends and projects that can bring the most tangible results

helps to redistribute efforts properly. This does not mean that forecasts always

come true, but you can always adjust the action plan to increase eciency.

- Ihor Goraychuck, Project Manager. Ukraine, 2014

What has been a signicant learning experience?

The Chinese and the Greek civilizations truly share many common philosophical

notions about life. This is very important as we all know that culture plays a

signicant role in how people work and live together. I experience this every day, as I

feel very close with my Chinese colleagues!

- Yiannis Louisidis, Channel Sales Manager. Greece & Cyprus, 2014

Cover Story

One of the sources of inspiration has been my direct line manager, who showed and

guided my career path by sharing his knowledge and resources, nding out what’s

valuable to me, making me aware of opportunities, giving transparent feedback and

helping me become a brand advocate.

- Shadab Khan, Sales Manager. Saudi Arabia, 2015

Growing is collective process borne from success and failure, so everyone has

helped in my journey. Our customers, who trusted our business. Our team, who

supported me. Our managers, who believed in me. And of course my family, who

were patient and supported me while I was far from home.

- Denny Liang, Regional Manager. MEA, 2009

I can't choose one person; it's impossible. I work in a stimulating environment

that enables me to learn and grow in my career. Because of this, it's only right to

conclude that every team member in this branch's office has helped me to grow,

since each one of them gives me their best every single day, which motivates me to

do the same.

- Santiago Guardiola, Retail & Distribution Sales Manager. Colombia, 2013

No one and everyone. A Chinese proverb says " 三人行，必有我師焉 ", which means

that you can learn many things from everyone. Too many individuals helped me

grow, such as a single customer who always teaches me something new. I thank

and owe my growth to everyone in TP-Link.

- Arc Chang, Technical Support Engineer. Taiwan, 2012

Who is one person who has truly helped you grow?

Cover Story

It may sound odd, but nothing motivates me more than external criticism.

Sometimes, it can be so dicult to hear that I've thought about quitting. However,

it gives me something valuable: a chance to reflect, and with the encouragement

from my colleagues, turn criticism into an impetus for my further development and

improved work.

- Shawn Tee Sheng Yao, ISP Development Manager. Malaysia, 2014

Everything about our company environment. Colleagues focus on doing their

best. Leaders are modest and are open to questions and change. Most of all, the

company provides opportunity. My responsibilities have expanded so much since I

started here nine years ago, broadening my vision and changing my life. I can't deny

my attachment to TP-Link.

- Thomas Zong, Technical Support Engineer. China, 2007

Passion for what I do is what motivates me most. I'm passionate about the

opportunity to influence and guide people, establish new relationships, improve

constantly, develop business from different perspectives and boost my career.

These are the reasons I am completely dedicated to achieving my goals.

- Marcello Liviero, Channel Director. Brazil, 2016

I've found that my role as a "cool aunt" to my nieces and nephews carries a strong

influence over them, since who's gonna listen to their parents when you can get

advice from cool Aunt Marianne? More than anything, I want to show them that

dedication, commitment and a proper work ethic will take them a long way.

- Marianne Huang, Account Executive. USA, 2013

What keeps you motivated in your endeavors?

Cover Story

As a member of TP-Link team, I want our products to be available in any part of

Russia. Individually, I'm in a place in my life where I am starting a family. I am getting

married this year, and I can't wait for the next step: children!

- Alexander Braginskiy, SOHO Products Team Leader. Russia, 2011

I would love to keep developing my career at TP-Link. I would like to continue

exploring new challenges and adding responsibilities, since doing so enables me to

learn about myself in the process. My new role has already given me so much, and I

always want to oer what I've learned to new colleagues.

- Lino Notaro, Retail Account Manager. UK, 2013

For TP-Link, my wish is a successful start, followed by a leading position in our

new Smart Home/IoT, category, while continuing to increase our SOHO & SMB

networking share. As for myself, the births of our daughter Fien and son Guus have

been overwhelming moments for my partner Ilse and me. Above all, we hope to see

our kids grow up in good health, enjoying life!

- Roel Brandenbarg, Business Unit Manager Consumer. Netherlands, 2013

“Dream big, stay hungry, stay foolish.” This is my motto. My dream at work is to make

creative, unique pieces of art in line with our brand identity, achieve even higher

education, earn recognition and awards for my work, and enjoy life to the fullest.

- Mehrak Neiat, Graphic Designer. Iran, 2015

What wishes do you have for the future?

Highlight

Small as a Goose, Strong as a Moose!

At TP-Link Canada, we often joke

about our smaller scale with our bigger

American sibling in the south. Hockey

and football differences aside, we see

ourselves as an independent unit,

with the US and Canadian offices

collaborating to deliver a consistent and

unied brand to all our North American

customers. With a new office, larger

warehouse and expanded team, we

at TP-Link Canada are preparing for

tremendous growth in our market in the

coming quarters.

Our key accomplishments last quarter

were establishing partnerships with

Intello, a guest Wi-Fi solutions provider

located in Quebec, and The Source,

a national computer and electronics

retailer. Intello has chosen TP-Link as

their go-to market provider of switches and access points

for their guest Wi-Fi solution across many Canadian hotels

and lodging partners. The Source has more than 600

kiosks and small-format stores in malls and airports across

Canada, and has solidied their partnership with TP-Link by

increasing their networking and power bank assortment in

July.

In addition to closing deals, TP-Link Canada’s team was

also busy generating leads by attending and hosting many

industry events. TP-Link Canada attended the ECNO

Conference to gain market share and presence in school

boards and academies. ChannelNEXT events provided TP-

Link with prospecting and workshop opportunities, allowing

our sales team to engage with numerous ISPs, MSPs and

VARs. TP-Link Canada also hosted our first pre-screening

training of Warcraft for one of our retailers. These events

were important accomplishments in securing partnerships

for the future, and could not have been executed if not for

our hard-working and cohesive team. Our sales team wins

business partnerships, our logistics team fulfills it and our

customer service team maintains and supports it.

With new and experienced leadership, our team is condent

that no challenges are insurmountable. We have already set

in motion our strategy to build organic relationships with

our partners by offering resources and services that only

the people at TP-Link Canada can offer. A new addition to

our team is a reputable engineer with more than 15 years

of experience in the industry. As we look forward towards

another successful quarter, we continue to show that

although Canada may be viewed as little brother, we're

quickly lling some big shoes!

Queenie Tse, TP-Link Canada

Closing the deal at ChannelNEXT.

From left to right: Kevin Wilton, B2B Account

Manager; Rafi L. Islam, IT and Pre-Sales

Engineering Manager; Sean Jennings of reseller

partner C.I.M. Solutions

Highlight

Elevating the Channel

Our Retail Channel Marketing team

is responsible for the consumer

experience within the retail space.

In the US, our list of national retail

partners includes Best Buy, Target,

Home Depot, Office Depot, and Wal-

Mart. Our regional retailers include Fry’s,

Micro Center, Conn’s, ABC Warehouse,

Electronic Express, Curacao and BJ’s

Wholesale.

We work closely with our sales

counterparts and other marketing

groups to execute category

management, in-store displays, print

ads, web materials and training.

A relatively new group at TP-Link, the US Channel Marketing

group was established during the second quarter of 2015.

Since then, our retail sales have grown 79% in revenue

compared to the previous time period.

We’ve helped support this growth by deploying 226

category management displays at six different retailer

locations.

Through our category management displays, we’ve been

able to provide in-store education, awareness, and branding

for our products and the networking category.

Some of the features that can be highlighted on the display

include the benets of a tri-band router, a comparison of 11n

vs 11ac wireless protocols and an informative explanation

of how a powerline adapter can significantly expand your

network.

Designed for exibility, the in-store display graphics can be

customized to t the specic needs of each retailer.

Freestanding displays have also become a key contributor

to our revenue growth over the year. Typically, these displays

have a shorter in-store lifespan, lasting no more than

months. This makes them the perfect solution for driving

seasonal promotions such as back to school and holidays

or for when a retailer has limited shelf space available.

In the past year, we have produced 10 dierent freestanding

displays for over 10 dierent retailers. As a result, we were

able to leverage incremental placement within the TV

section where our cross-merchandising displays live.

Heidi Frost, TP-Link USA

Our freestanding displays catch shoppers with

optimal location and attractive information

Highlight

In the current back to school season,

we’ve partnered with Office Depot

and BJ’s to drive incremental sell-in

opportunities.

At Office Depot, we’ve featured the TL-

WA850RE in a total of 1,236 stores,

which led to an incremental sell-in of

over 20,000 units.

At BJ’s, we’ve featured the Archer

C2600, RE350K, and TC-7610 in a

total of 210 stores, which lead to an

incremental sell-in of 5,400 units.

We are still in the planning stages for the holidays but

have already received a commitment from Home Depot to

feature the Archer C50 and the RE210 in 1,977 stores for

an incremental sell-in volume of almost 30,000 units.

As a resource for the sales team, we have published a

merchandising book that highlights a variety of in-store

concepts and capabilities. It’s an incredibly useful tool that

helps drive business with retailers when engaging for shelf

or oor placement commitments.

All of our in-store visuals have been designed to make sure the average shopper understands, wants and walks home with simply

powerful TP-Link products.

Highlight

A Journey of Discovery Through SMB

Territory

TP-Linkers have been working hard

for the last twenty years to earn our

company a dominant position among

SOHO networking providers. By

contrast, the SMB market is very much

new territory for us – our SMB team in

Brazil has been working on the frontline

for only a year. The path hasn’t always

been easy, and it’s true that we’ve faced

challenges along the way, but it seems

that Lady Luck is nally smiling upon us.

Brazil is a huge country of 200 million. With poor internet

facilities, low-cost outdoor networking solutions are popular

in remote areas. This USD$50 million market has long been

dominated by Ubiquiti, who works with two big retailers

and 17 resellers in Brazil, as well as a number of Wireless

ISP customers. Their abundant product lines and powerful

software win them many supporters. Another competitor is

Brazil’s local brand, Intelbras, which has been growing rapidly

in the outdoor networking area, occuping half of the market,

with local production ensuring a price advantage on low-end

products. With security systems, television antennas and

wireless router product lines, Intelbras provides a variety of

low-cost solutions to customers.

Gary Dong, TP-Link Brazil

Large, centralized events like the Abrint WISP forum allows TP-Link Brazil grow quickly in the SMB frontier.

Highlight

At the beginning of our SMB venture we

researched the customers of our two

competitors. The SOHO business area

sells only products. However, the SMB

business WISP or SI (Service Integrator)

companies usually offer networking

access or solutions to customers. It is

crucial to win over WISP or SI customers

when they are choosing brands. Since

these companies have to maintain the

network and offer post-sales support,

products’ functions and reliability are

considered key, and they won’t change

their partners unless that company has

gained their full trust when it comes to

new products.

To gain the trust of WISP and SI

customers, we have applied a few

different strategies – advertising in

professional engineering magazines,

email marketing based on the database

of competitors’ customers, free samples

for all visiting customers and complete

technical and business support provided

by our pre-sales team. All these eorts aimed to prove that

TP-Link is not only a router manufacturer, but also a provider

of whole network solutions.

Aside from that, we have also joined Abrint, the largest WISP

association in Brazil. With over 2000 members, Abrint plays

a big role in South America’s WISP market. The association

holds an annual WISP forum to share information about

new government policies, economics and internet and

telecom technologies. We took part in the forum this year,

in which we presented a whole set of solutions, including

Outdoor, Fiber and Wireless Router products for WISP. Over

800 customers visited our exhibition stand, of which 200

registered an interest and left their contact details.

Through one year's endeavor, Brazil SMB team has made

significant progress. In March, we successfully persuaded

Flytec, the largest distributer of Ubiquiti in South America, to

cooperate with TP-Link on outdoor products – we received

orders for 10,000 units of CPE and 600 units of WBS.

In June, WDC, the largest distributer of Ubiquiti in Brazil,

started to cooperate with TP-Link on all product lines with

orders valued at USD$1.25 million, of which SMB products

accounted for 32 percent. Elsewhere, we have gained

quality customer resources by forging partnerships with

FasterNet, the largest WISP in Brazil, along with AD TK and

Binario, D-link’s two largest SI customers.

“For an ideal that I hold dear, I'd die a thousand times.”

The Brazil SMB team will stick to our goals and keep our

spirits high, sparing no eort to conquer this new business

territory. We will turn our ambition into sales and then

use these sales to win customers’ trust, enabling us to

march even further into the unfamiliar with condence and

determination..

Our SMB/Corporate Sales Manager, Rafael

Salgado, making new business friends at the

annual Abrint WISP forum this past June.

Highlight

Tesco, Talon and Talent, Oh My!

Brand New Shelving POS for 150

Tesco Stores Nationwide

Founded in 1919, Tesco is the second

largest grocery store in the world,

located in ten countries, offering

products in housewares, technology,

clothing and more. Partnership with this

retailing giant would offer incredible

exposure to any brand, and TP-Link UK

made sure to seize the opportunity.

After four months of intensive design

work and eective education elements,

Tesco is now rolling out custom-

designed TP-Link shelving POS to 150

Tesco Superstores across the UK. Many

hours were put in by our team designers,

like Helen Burrell, collaborating with

Tesco's buying and merchandising team

and our Retail Marketing teams with

various drafts and amendments towards

a perfect solution that caters to Tesco

consumers for a great ROI.

“This was my first major project since

starting in April, it was great exercise

in adapting existing designs to add

flourishes of informative material."

shared Simon Buckingham, Retail

Marketing Manager for the UK. "The combined efforts of

TP-Link UK and Tesco teams ensured a fantastic visual

display, but more importantly one that educates the

consumer to encourage even more sales and revenue.”

The display also includes dummy units to help further

promote various products: TL-WPA4220/TL-PA4010/TL-

WA850RE/RE200 and the Archer C2 Router. The display

also shows other products within the ranges underneath for

sale. The next phase is for Tesco to implement colour-coded

shelf strips that match the main shelf category colours, thus

making it even easier for the consumer to understand and

purchase.

Unleashing the Talon

Another victory for TP-Link UK has been the attraction from

our Talon AD7200, marking the rst time TP-Link has been

the first to the UK market with a new technology. Since its

announcement at CES in January we have been inundated

Simon Buckingham & Emma Lattimer, TP-Link UK

Highlight

with requests from technical journalists who want to test

the amazing data transfer speeds for themselves. However,

because it is a new wireless standard, there are very few

devices on the market that come AD ready. To get around

this issue the UK team invested in and imported an AD

ready laptop from the USA to set up a testing lab and invite

the press to our oces to see superfast Wi-Fi in action.

Freelance technical journalists are notoriously difficult to

get out of their homes, so we offered them the chance

to use or lab to individually test the Talon for themselves,

leaving with the foundations of an article ready to submit

to their editor or blog. Along with as testing the world’s

rst AD router we took the opportunity to brief them on the

on the performance-enhancing features included in our

high-end AC routers. We believe that one-to-one briengs

will enable these key opinion formers to position TP-Link

devices in their rightful position in the market.

Highlight

Winning Telekom's Heart

In its first-ever attempt towards an ISP

partnership, TP-Link Malaysia has won a

bid to ocially provide wireless routers

to telecommunications giant Telekom

Malaysia. This contract is a crucial step

towards opening up a wider market

for TP-Link products in the country,

providing an opportunity to gain a better

understanding of the country’s internet

needs.

Telekom Malaysia Berhad is

Malaysia’s largest landline and fiber-

optic telecommunications network.

Established in 1987, Telekom currently

has over 3 million users across all

regions of the country. In recent years,

they have developed their own 4G LTE

service, continuing to grow in their share

among wireless broadband providers.

Entirely retail-focused, this was the

first time TP-Link Malaysia has bid to

work alongside a telecommunications

company, presenting an exciting challenge. Throughout the

six-month bidding process, the Malaysian office handled

every step from application submission to shipment, with

support from the ISP team at Chinese HQ.

The nal round took place at the end of March 2016, after

three weeks of extensive product trials. At this stage, only

Malaysia's top three networking companies remained:

D-Link, ASUS and TP-Link. In the end, it was our strong

technical support, superior product chipset and competitive

pricing that proved crucial in securing the deal. TP-Link will

now provide 50% of all Telekom Malaysia’s wireless routers

for the next 12 months.

This project has certainly presented our team with unique

challenges, but has also come with valuable rewards. For

one, designing specic rmware and packaging for products

to meet Telekom's requirements of has been particularly

testing. This created the opportunity to work alongside the

country's leading telecommunications company, giving us

access to the latest network information earlier, allowing

more time to ensure our products are up to standard. Our

team has gained unique skills, which can be applied to more

demanding tasks in the future.

Shawn Tee Sheng Yao, TP-Link Malaysia

Highlight

Following this momentous contract,

we have received additional interest

and product inquiries from other

telecommunications companies,

including Malaysia TIME Fiber, Maxis

and Celcom in April. Currently, we are working on our bid

for Telekom Malaysia’s latest XDSL tender. With these

expanding ISP projects we are a step closer to achieving

our ultimate goal: having our products in every home to

provide better network access to the Malaysian people.

Highlight

Media Markt and the Path to Success

Let me start with the numbers: the year-

on-year growth rate in the value of TP-

Link products sold in the Media Markt

retailer is over 74% based on the first

half of 2016. TP-Link’s market share

within this shop is around 75%, both in

value and number of products. This is a

result of careful negotiations, portfolio

analysis and, last but not least, the great

relationships that we have built with the

department managers of every store.

Let’s have a look at some details.

1. Media Markt's Position in the Hungarian Market

Media Markt was the rst chain in Hungary during the mid-

90’s to open large stores selling consumer electronics

products. During the past 20 years the attempts of other

consumer electronics chains to set foot in the Hungarian

market have been met with very little success. Media

Markt’s oine presence is still unquestionably the strongest

in Hungary. As retail is important for our company, not only

to sell our products but also to boost brand awareness,

strengthening our presence in Media Markt was logical. In

2013, Media Markt opened their online business which has

been growing every year since. Fierce competition in that

field means that it is yet to be determined how successful

their online business will be. Our ratio of offline to online

product sales is currently 95% to 5%.

2. Media Markt Structure

Our country contains 21 Media Markt locations, each

independent from their company headquarters in many

ways. Ordering products and deciding the portfolio of

a product category are the responsibility of the stores.

However, the product portfolio can only be made up of

products that previously have been approved by their HQ.

The conclusion from the above was clear to us: it is essential

to keep on good terms with every store in order to achieve

our goals with Media Markt.

3. Path to Success

When I joined TP-Link in 2015 and became responsible

for Media Markt, the rst thing I noticed was that the range

Tamás Szécsényi , TP-Link Hungary

To maintain strong footing in Media Markt, it's

important to check stock of every store no later

than biweekly.

Highlight

of TP-Link products offered by the

stores did not meet the demands of the

customers. The product mix represented

cheap and mainly out-of-date products.

So it was no surprise that the customers

associated our brand with reliable but

cheap products without innovations.

To change that, I started to encourage

stores to order our up-to-date models

and high-end products. I reassured them

that if their sales should drop because of

the portfolio change, they could switch

back to their old portfolio. Of course it

never happened. On the contrary, the

stores realized a higher margin on the new product mix and

1.5 times more products were sold than before. With that

change TP-Link gained their trust; they see us a brand that

it is worth doing business with. Also, there was now a much

larger variety of products available to customers, with twice

the number of TP-Link products available for purchase (and

twice as many as our competitors).

We had to take action in order to preserve a healthy stock

level in stores and provide continuous availability of our

products to the customers. We have established a visiting

system with the following rule: every store has to be visited

biweekly, that way the stores do not have to keep hold of

high value stock that is ruining their performance indicators,

and we can make sure that a product is never out of stock.

Another advantage that comes with frequent store visits is

that we can monitor the placement of our products on the

shelves and alter it if necessary.

To maximise the sales, we have tried several ideas.

Spending money to have dedicated shelf place proved to

be unnecessary. Even without it, TP-Link products occupy

2/3 of the available shelf space.

Instead, we have decided to buy as much space for product

displays as possible. These are placed in key locations,

making it easier for the customer to find our top selling

products. The other advantage is that we are making it

dicult for our competitors to show o their own products.

4. What the Future Holds

We are on the right track, but the hardest part is still to

come: maintaining our leading market position. If there’s

one thing I can promise, it’s that the Hungarian team will

keep up the hard work to ensure our market share is as

large as possible.

Stock quality is just as important as quantity, so it

was important to make sure that the products in

each individual store is in line with local demand

to keep our customers and retailers happy.

Highlight

Fueled by Football Fever!

24 European national teams, 51 brilliant

games, one prized trophy. The 15th

UEFA European Championship was

held in France from 10 June to 10 July

2016. The tournament captivated the

continent with the spirit of football and

national pride, and TP-Link France spent

no time on the sidelines, as we had our

own goal to score.

As early as March, we participated in a

sales incentive program coordinated

by Misco, one of the world's largest

corporate VARs, with over 70 offices

throughout France. Taking advantage of

UEFA excitement, Misco organized ways

for IT brands like Apple, Samsung, Sony,

Microsoft and TP-Link to motivate their

sales force. In this program, the highest-

performing team would earn tickets to

the Euro Final. Our team was desperate

to breathe in the smell of the freshly-

cut pitch, and so we set out hungry for

victory.

In April we launched a massive promotion: a free power bank

oered with the purchase of a AV1200 Powerline, and a free

Wi-Fi adapter oered with the purchase of a dual band range

extender. We shared this promotion across several online

and offline retailers, including Amazon, Cdiscount, Auchan

and Eleclerc. Customers visited the TP-Link website to claim

their gift, of which we fullled 200 by June. At this time, we

also included SMB products, promoting POE switches and

EAP for the nal month of Misco's program.

Our proudest creation was a series of three Euro Cup-

themed advertising videos. Inspired and adventurous,

members of the TP-Link team were our volunteer actors,

using expatriate homes as the setting. The ad focused on a

protagonist trying to catch live UEFA matches on his laptop,

who solves his Wi-Fi problems with the Archer C3200,

boosting his Wi-Fi and maximizing the transfer rate, ending

with the slogan "Et Profitez de La Coupe D'Europe 2016"

(And Enjoy Euro Cup 2016). These videos were posted on

Facebook and YouTube to public acclaim, with the rst video

Mathis Lei, TP-Link France

Lights, camera, action! TP-Linkers played the stars of their own

advertisements, which were a huge hit for French and football fans alike.

Highlight

alone recording 18k likes on Facebook.

Harnessing this reception, we entered

customers to win an Archer 3200, with

winners announced at the end of each

video.

By organizing our promotions, social

media, and other marketing efforts

around Euro 2016, we enjoyed the spirit

of competition, using a national event as

the source of inspiration. Best of all, by

coinciding with the event, we succeeded

in boosting the popularity and loyalty of

TP-Link in the French market — a victory

by any standard.

Special offers, promotions gifts drew in more interest and sales for a

wildly successful UEFA season at TP-Link France.

Highlight

#HappyInternetStory

The internet is integral to the lives of

people all over the world, and has come

to the rescue of many during troubled

times. Keeping this in mind, TP-Link

India launched a social media campaign

called #HappyInternetStory. People

were asked to share their experiences

of when the internet has saved them

from a sticky situation and their happy

memories that are associated with the

internet.

The campaign ran during a six-day

period from the 14th to the 19th of June

2016 and was launched on Facebook,

Twitter and Instagram. The campaign

was targeted to engage with customers

and fans present on our social media

channels to further enhance our social

media presence.

#HappyInternetStory received a

tremendous response on our social

media channels, especially on Twitter

and Facebook, where the campaign

saw huge participation levels from

fans all over India. Conversations were

started around emotive themes like

using internet to prepare for exams,

connecting with loved ones using Skype

or shopping online for friends and family.

Chaitali Puri, TP-Link India

What's your #HappyInternetStory?

Never underestimate the power of a dedicated social media campaign.

We received more than 300 entries for the contest from

fans on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. TP-Link India

added 150 Twitter followers to their list in the first two

days of the contest – a major achievement as the Indian

population is still at the early stages of adopting Twitter as

a method of social media communication.

Highlight

Facebook also saw a huge participation

from fans and engagement levels went

up considerably during this one week

period.

We reached more than 152,000 unique

customers on Twitter and Instagram

and our content was seen by more

than 900,000 people on Twitter &

Instagram combined. Out of the total

conversations around the hashtag

#HappyInternetStory, 49.8% was original

content posted by the twitter followers,

while the other 50.2% were retweets

and replies to the posts.

40.2%

49.8%

10%

Replies RTs Original Posts

Share of Posts

With the reach generated from our

#HappyInternetStory, we have brought in

eager eyes and loyal customers to TP-Link.

Highlight

Using Events to Propel Brand Image and

Build Community

So far in 2016, we have followed and

implemented our core marketing

strategies, priorities and goals defined

at the beginning of the year, whilst

also paying very close attention to

market movements and on-the-spot

opportunities. We’ve been participating

in Romania's premier events, from

business and digital events to eSports

and gaming events. Everything has

been planned with the aim of increasing

the awareness and visibility of TP- Link

Mara Andronescu, TP-Link Romania

Mara Andronescu, RO & BG Marketing Manager

shares some keys to success with building

genuine brand awareness.

in Romania. More importantly, through original messages

that reflected our brand's promises, as well as customer-

centered activities, we generated genuine discussion.

A Two-Way Conversation

Building interest always starts with how you engage

with the customer. Traditionally, we relied upon brand-

customer communication, in which the former asks and the

latter answers. Another method, however, is when either

proposes something interesting, and the other responds. In

this way, it is critical to consider:

• The brand and customer could want totally different

things, so it is up to us to make these one and the same.

• The conversation should take place in a comfortable and

familiar place for the customer.

These points, as well as time and budget limits, led us

directly to the customers. For example, the organizers of

Bucharest Technology Week named TP-Link a trustworthy

and amenable partner, and were open to creative dialogue

to build their presence at the event.

“TP-Link understood very well the concept and the

purpose of Bucharest Technology Week, so their business

solutions were highly appreciated by the visitors. We

are looking forward to working with TP-Link for future

projects and finding out about their new and innovative

products and services.”

- Cristina Vaduva, Key Account Manager, Universum Events

Highlight

We positioned TP-Link devices

appropriately for each group of interest

and positioned our products by taking

into consideration the dynamic and

profile of that specific group. Other

results generated by our participation to

the events were:

• Increased awareness around the TP-

Link brand

• Continuity in the TP-Link brand actions

by attending three of the most important

events in Romania in this first part of

the year: East European Comic Con,

ICEEfest (Interactive Central and Eastern

Europe Festival) and Bucharest Technology Week

• Direct interaction with professionals, gaming enthusiasts,

geeks, IT lovers, developers, business owners and other

relevant participants in the eld

• A key, well-advertised role as “Ocial Networking Partner” for

Comic Con and ESL Romania

TP-Link, Ocial Networking Partner of ESL Arena @ 40K-Attendee East

European Comic Con

We continued a successful tradition with a third consecutive

year at the Eastern European Comic Con, our most technically

challenging participation yet. We wanted to be original and

friendly, and at the same time efficient and relevant in our

actions.

With an intyeractive setup and conveniently placed power banks for free charging, guests of the Eastern European Comic Con

were drawn in and stayed glued to the TP-Link booth.

Highlight

The result was a challenging, but

ultimately successful interactive booth.

We created a "Wow!" factor by revealing

Talon, the first AD router in the world,

and achieved high interactivity with a

“racing table” we created from scratch.

These positioned TP-Link as a leading

technology brand and innovator and

created the “craving” for our visitors to

test drive our devices.

Hands ON

Our “piece de resistance” was the racing

table, where we ran almost 80% of our

booth activities, like the Hearth Stone

tournament, newsletter enrollment and

our most innovative: the TP-Link Droid

Race. This not only made for creative

entertainment, but also interaction with

our newest products, including range extenders, smart

plugs, IP Cameras and portable speakers. To keep visitors

glued, we outfitted the race landscape with TP-Link power

banks, free to use. Now, what 's cooler than charging up

yourself and your smartphone at the race track?

It was innovation and interactivity, rather than size and scale,

that generated praise for our TP-Link booth from attendees

and organizers alike.

”The TP-Link booth was obviously one of the main

attractions of the weekend. The permanent interactivity

oered by contests and ability to test the products, made

it easily one of the most visited booths. The droid races

were especially fun and challenging!”

Marius Radu, Community Director @ ESL CIS and ESL Arena Product

Manager

The Interactive Central and Eastern Europe Festival valued

TP-Link’s dedication to R&D, innovation and creativity as a

Our graphic designer Vlad Craina and marketing assistant Andreea Irimia are a few of the all-star individuals that make up an

amazing team for these large events.

Highlight

perfect fit for 2016's ICEEfest, where

we fulfilled their wish of an engaging,

original presence. The organizers and

TP-Link pushed the limits of interactivity

with style and coolness, while raising the

bar in terms of content and quality of the

product delivered.

"TP-Link presented not only a

valuable set of networking devices,

premiering their 11AD Talon , but

also an entertaining proposal with a

very functional purpose – our 3500

participants had the possibility to try

the hip power banks while enjoying a

droid race. It was an unbeatable offer

that everyone appreciated and we,

the ICEEfest team, acknowledged it as

inspiring and challenging.”

Vlad Stefanescu, Client Partner @ ThinkDigital TD

When Team Perseverance Becomes

Team Performance

In our department we have a saying:

the “TP” from TP-Link comes from

Team Perseverance and that is the

“Link” to Team Performance. In TP-

Link Romania this saying is not just a

play on words, but the actual state of

the office, because in our endeavors

the key element is always our whole

team, from technical, sales, accounting

and product, all through marketing and

human resources, each playing a key

part in our success. This was recognized

even by our event partners:

"We were running together the third major event in a row

without problems and this is mostly due to the hard work

and professionalism of TP-Link’s team. Thank you and see

you at next event!”

Marius Radu, Community Director @ ESL CIS and ESL Arena

Product Manager

I would like to offer my thanks to the entire TP-Link team,

both in Romania and HQ. You are amazing! My special

thanks goes to my team, including incredible marketing

squad, Andreea and Vlad.

Andreea Irimia joined TP-Link almost a year and a half ago

and is the most perseverant person I’ve had the honor to

work with. As a Marketing Assistant, Andreea has a great

ability to prioritize and complete tasks, qualities that helped

her to flawlessly execute her responsibilities for these

events and more.

Vlad Craina has only been with us six months, but during this

time has amazed us with his talent and creativity. He is our

Graphic Designer, but is also an exceptional photographer

and video editor. I am very glad that he has joined our team

and I looking forward to the next set of exciting projects and

events we’ll work on together.

A huge thank you to my team, you are the best!

Guests are engaged and excited to be part of the TP-Link conversation.

Highlight

How We Built a Network for 40K at

Comic Con

The Eastern European Comic Con is

a three-day international event that

attracts thousands every year. TP-Link

Romania provided Internet access via

cable and Wi-Fi for all participants at

Eastern European Comic Con 2016,

enabling the live streaming of video

game competitions. This is the third

time that our Technical Squad have

tackled the challenge and risen to the

occasion, once more showing off the

best that TP-Link devices have to oer.

We are very proud to share our story of

success – a story that helped to make

TP-Link the most trusted and reliable

partner in Romanian networking.

Event Challenges

Event partners and sponsors organize

competitions and activities, requiring

a fast and stable connection to the

Internet for their online gaming needs.

They also require a private wireless

connection that allows staff to access

the internet securely. This presented six

major challenges:

1. Consistent High-Quality Internet

Connection

Sarmis Popescu, TP-Link Romania

The organizers held major competitions simultaneously,

streamed live on the Internet and seen by thousands of

viewers around the world. For this, we needed to comply

with three major requests:

Coverage – The network must cover the entire event and

avoid any “dead zones."

Reliability – The connection must be stable and dependable.

Capacity – The network must be capable of providing

enough bandwidth to all clients.

2. Centralized Management

Network management must be intuitive and efficient,

allowing network administrators to easily manage and

monitor the entire network.

3. Large Distances Between Locations

A huge event needs more space for deployment, and

suitable areas were not readily available here. Nevertheless,

every space must be linked to the same network. Imagine

ve kilometers of cable and you’ll have an idea!

4. Large Tasks for a Small Technical Team

The technical team in Romania is small. While installing the

network and equipment, we must also address enquiries

arriving from customers by mail, phone or LiveChat. The

goal was to succeed in network installation and offer

continuity in technical support for customers.

Highlight

5. Short Time Between Network

Deployment and Event Kicko

Typically, the time allowed for network

and equipment setup is never enough

for these kind of events. It was vital that

our team should finish the setup with

maximum eciency.

6. Fast Response Time

Given the size and dynamic nature of

this type of event, it’s impossible to

anticipate all incidents so be prepared

to offer a solution in the shortest time

possible and expect the unexpected.

7. Robust Wireless and Wired Security

Security is a must, not only to prevent

attacks on the network, but more

importantly to allow for secure external

connections and information sharing.

8. Very High Trac

Expect a very high volume of traffic,

so it is essential to use equipment that

performs well under duress.

TP-Link Solution

We built a network using Ethernet

cables, with redundancy in place for

each switch, using the following devices:

• T3700G-28TQ as a central point for

administration. All the services were

dened here.

• T L-SG5428 for some of the booths

• TL-SG3424 , T2600G-28TS (TL-SG3424), TL-SG2452

and T1600G-52TS (TL-SG2452) for some of the stands

• EAP 220 and EAP 320 with TL-SG1008PE for Free

Internet Access Zones and for another zone with a huge

number of Wi-Fi clients

• Archer C5, C7, C8, C9 and C2600 for private wireless

connection for employee internet access

Note: The quantity of each piece of equipment depended on the number

of devices connected to each stand (wired or wireless).

Results

In total, our devices sustained connections for

approximately 250 devices on wired and around 1000

devices on wireless.

The trac volume for whole event was approximately 2.5TB.

Our Partner, ESL Romania, commented that the “Network

was awless” –

“If I am not mistaken, ESL Arena from East European Comic

Con is probably the largest network that has been set-

up in an event in Romania. There are hundreds of devices

connected simultaneous and for this, excellent team

coordination and good equipment are necessary. I always

count on the TP-Link Romanian oce team to help us pull

o an event without problems.”

- Marius Radu, Community Director @ ESL CIS and ESL Arena Product

Manager

Over 15 Sponsors were pleased by the quality of the

internet connections to their booth.

Highlight

It Takes a Team

Our devices made this monumental task

possible. But these tools are nothing

without the hands and hard work to

guide them. Let me introduce to you

the TP-Link Romania technical team and

everyone involved in the running of this

event

From left to right:

• Andrei: Ever busy setting up the

equipment and responding to the

customer claims by email, phone or

LiveChat. He responded quickly to all

demands during the event.

• Mihai: While the rest of the team was

occupied, participating in setting up

the equipment and responding quickly

to issues, alone, he managed queries

arising from customers by mail, phone or LiveChat.

• Sarmis: Set up the equipment, installed the network cables

and related equipment, quickly responded to all demands,

monitored the network and coordinated the team.

• Razvan: Installed the network cables and related

equipment, and responded quickly to all unexpected issues

that came his way.

• Romeo: Installed the network cables and related

equipment, and was on hand to solve problems during the

event.

So what was the key to our success? Several aspects were

important:

1. Understanding the Equipment and Network Topology

We set up the equipment and network together as a team

so that each and every one of us understood how the

network would operate.

Highlight

2. Focused Collaboration

Success will only occur when people

work together towards a common goal.

Our team has people who work well

together, while bringing competence

and condence to the table.

3. Clearly Dened Roles &

Responsibilities

Each team member’s responsibilities

are interconnected and interdependent.

The team operates as a mosaic –

each person’s unique strengths and

differences create a powerful, united

picture when put together.

4. Proactive Feedback with Customers

Feedback is the key to ensuring any team stays on track,

and more importantly provides opportunities for us to

improve each day.

5. Recognizing Hard Work

With proactive feedback comes acknowledgement. When

people are acknowledged, their work brings them greater

satisfaction and becomes more meaningful.

Showcase

Banking on Power-Hungry Mobile Apps

In the era of Augmented Reality, is your mobile power

ready?

The summer smash hit game Pokémon GO has been

nothing short of a revolution. For one, it has facilitated the

unprecedented move of the gamer’s main battleeld from

indoors to the outside world. It has also turned the concept

of AR from a fun hit-or-miss app feature to an immersive,

perspective-changing experience to live up to its name.

Simply put, AR is here to stay. So much for your battery life.

Using AR apps such as Pokémon GO requires users to utilize

their mobile GPS and location services, as well as a Wi-Fi

or 3G/4G internet connection, which makes for a power-

hungry game that delivers distinctive reality expansion play

at the expense of a quickly drained phone battery. When

phone batteries just can't keep up with prolonged outdoor

mobile usage, the latest AR games and apps deliver a 0%

knockout. Therefore, the need for a portable power source

becomes an absolute must!

Eve Szto, Smart Accessories

Power-intensive games' recent surge in

popularity has ushered a sales growth

in mobile power bank markets around

the world. Data from market research

rm NPD shows that within the rst two

weeks since Pokémon GO went public,

mobile power bank sales totaled nearly

120 million units, marking a 101%

increase in comparison with that of the

same period last year.

TP-Link has similarly ridden the wave of

power bank demand, showing a trend

of short supply across all of our product

lines, especially for our 5200mAh

and 10400mAh models, which were

completely sold out.

From searching for the perfect

lunch spot through the lens of Yelp's

Monocle feature to translating foreign

street signs in real time with Google

Translate, frequent mobile usage has

increased the demand for power bank

accessories. Over time, the design and

size, capacity, mobile power conversion

rates and device safety of power banks

have become even more closely linked

to the overall mobile experience users

encounter as they dive into the world of

AR.

Showcase

In order to improve our product line in terms of battery

capacity, charging performance and industrial design

diversity, we have implemented a product strategy that

encompasses multiple battery capacity options. Today,

our product line is spread over the following series we feel

adequately meets the power demands of different users

everywhere:

-2600mAh

-3350mAh

-5200mAh

-6700mAh

-10400mAh

-15600mAh

With quality as the driving force behind our industrial

design, no compromise was made in order to manufacture

extra lightweight products, particularly our 5200mAh

and 6700mAh, which are so light that when placed in the

packaging they are almost unnoticeable. The surface

treatment for both chic diamond texture of the TL-PB5200

and matte finish of the TL-PB6700 not only makes for a

strong impression, but also improves the handling grip of

the devices, making them must-haves for many.

Apart from the surface treatment, color, design and device

portability, the battery capacity and charging efficiency

are the aspects most valued by users. After all, Pokémon

GO requires full-on mobile GPS, network connectivity and

camera usage, exhausting smartphone battery at a rate

of 30% per hour. Having enough power reserve on hand

will inevitably become a prerequisite for sustainable use

of AR games. By using high energy

density batteries, our TL-PB10400 and

TL-PB15600 models present a slim,

lightweight platform that maintains

optimum battery performance.

When in power-saving mode, the TL-

PB10400 can charge an iPhone 6S up

to four times, leaving players with more

than enough power support to spend

an entire day out and about with a useful

smartphone in hand. The power bank’s

Smart Charge feature can better detect

mobile hardware and deliver the most

adequate charge current to devices,

restoring a battery to continued use in

no time.

Smartphone AR is just another part in

the future of an enriched mobile lifestyle.

TP-Link Accessories will continue

to uphold the spirit of technological

artisans, crafting innovative products

that provide consumers with advanced

mobile experiences that matter most.

Showcase

Running Russia with 802.11ac

Extraordinary growth in the volume and variety of Wi-

Fi devices sold in Russia, coupled with the popularity

of streaming HD videos, has created a market for more

sophisticated and efficient technology. People are often

faced with insucient bandwidth when the internet is used

by several devices – one watching a show on their smart TV,

another a YouTube video on their tablet, and a third gaming

and downloading large les on their computer. 802.11 ac is

the new Wi-Fi standard, designed to meet these demands.

TP-Link Russia runs the country with the Archer range by

providing consumers with AC devices such as routers,

network adapters and range extenders. Products are

distributed all over the country, nding their way into federal

retail stores, online retailers and regional chains.

The marketing team supports sales by sharing knowledge

with end-users online, educating them on the benets AC

technology can bring to their daily lives. To support this

idea and to push our top Archer models, we started a range

Marina Schegolyaeva, TP-Link Russia

of creative promotions. In particular,

we focused on the advantages AC can

bring to HD streaming and gaming.

1. For gamers: Cooperation with

one of the top Russian online games

producers, Mail.Ru Games, led to a

promotion on their Armored Warfare

game – buy a router and get a tank for

free! The promotion, titled “Tank as a

Gift,” increased sales of featured models

in top Russian federal retailers by 17%

in low season.

2. For lm lovers: Get two months of

free online TV with the purchase of an

Archer router from an online retailer.

To organize the promotion, TP-Link

cooperated with the Russian online

cinema Ivi.Ru.

3. For computer geeks: An adapter

promotion – get a 50% discount on

any Archer wireless adapter when

purchasing an Archer router.

Promotions improved our brand

position because of the cooperation

with companies from other sectors

and increased brand awareness due to

wide-reaching media campaigns.

Showcase

During the last three months, more than 100 PR articles

and reviews for our Archer range were written in Russian

publications. During the PR campaign, TP-Link Archer

range products received positive feedback from journalists

and bloggers, and earned rewards from some of the most

popular and authoritative publications:

Archer C9: "Best of the Year" – PC Mag

Archer C2: Top position in reader’s voting at High-Tech Mail.

RE200: "Editor’s Choice" - 3DNews

According to GFK statistics, the Russian market for AC

devices has increased by 171% ifrom 2015 to 2016. TP-

Link Russia aims to tap into this expanding market and build

on our success by continuing to use creative strategies to

promote our Archer range models in the near future.

A free tank with an Archer C2? What a deal!

Showcase

TP-Link Unveils New Neos Smartphone

Brand as Part of Its IoT Vision

Smart Phone Marketing Team, TP-Link HQ

Guests arriving at the event

The global press conference for

the launch of the Neffos brand was

successfully held by the Smartphone

Business Unit at the Grand Hyatt Berlin.

At this event, TP-Link announced its

grand vision for the Internet of Things

with the official launch of its Neffos

Smartphone brand and the latest Neos

series smartphones – Neffos X1 and

X1 Max – with a mission to be “Close to

You”. This reflects a new phase in TP-

Link’s transformation to grow beyond

networking to smart technologies,

The host announcing the start of the event

Showcase

providing users not only reliable Wi-Fi, but also a smarter

life where everything can be connected through its smart

home ecosystem. This unveiling attracted close to 100

reporters and channel vendor representatives from 15

dierent countries.

At 3 p.m., the curtain was raised during a speech given by

Chairman Jeffrey Chao. In his speech, Mr. Chao looked

back on the company’s previous 20 years of development,

and also highlighted the signicance of the transformation

to the IoT. Mr. Chao then highlighted four pillars of the

company’s roadmap for IoT: IoT routers as the device and

information hub, smartphones as the primary interface

between people and devices, cloud as the service platform,

together with various smart home product solutions. As

the central focus of TP-Link’s smart home ecosystem, the

Neos smartphones will bring people closer to everything

and everyone around them.

“TP-Link has evolved to become much more than a

networking company over the past two decades as it

constantly strives to meet the changing demands of our

global customers,” said Chao, “The

Neffos smartphones demonstrate our

determination to go beyond wireless

technology and make life smarter

and easier for today’s connected

customers with innovative products

and user-centric experiences.”

Shortly after Mr. Chao's introduction,

the Neffos brand was unveiled, as

Brand Director, Bai Chen, officially

introduced the “Close to You” vision

behind the brand to the guests and

media personnel attending the event.

As the part of TP-Link’s Smart Home

Ecosystem which stands out the most,

Neffos aims to make the most human-

centered oriented mobile devices

available in the new digital era, and strive

to seamlessly connect people to each

other, and to the world around them.

Chairman of TP-Link, Jerey Chao, detailing TP-Link’s IoT Vision:

To Connect Everything

Brand Director, Bai Chen, introducing the vision

behind the Neos brand

Showcase

The unveiling of the brand meant that the press conference

was now all about Neffos. After the performance of

a graceful yet vivid contemporary dance piece that

encapsulated the brand theme, Director of Design,

Wang Xiaohan, revealed the secrets of the Neffos X

series phones, the X1 and X1 Max. When describing the

design principles and story behind the X series, Mr. Wang

explained how, by continuing Neffos’ human-orientated

spirit, the X series reveres nature and simplicity while also

preserving its own aesthetic characteristics. “We hope

that every detail is created to be smooth and rhythmic,

just like rocks smoothed by the water over time without

losing their mettle.” Mr. Wang explained one highlight of

the design is the dual-curved back that tapers towards

the sides and allows for a more ergonomic fit. The subtle

curves also make the X1 and X1 Max easier to hold and

operate one-handed compared to other devices of similar

size.

The Neos X1 Max has among the narrowest edges in the

industry at 2.75 mm, while the X1 has

edges of 2.95 mm. Both phones achieve

these remarkably thin edges even with

the side mute button. The X1 Max is also

incredibly slender at 7.75 mm, and the

X1 comes in at 7.95mm.

The X1 and X1 Max also have super-

thin bezels and smooth, chamfered

edges that measure only 0.6 mm. With

the length of the phones kept to a

minimum, screen-to-body ratio is high at

76 percent. The X1 Max screen utilizing

2.5D Corning Gorilla Glass to provide

excellent anti-scratch protection. This

also provides a natural touch and oers

a high 1,000:1 color contrast for display

results which are both accurate and

beautiful.

The attention to detail on the screen

ensures an excellent viewing experience

no matter the viewing angle. Mr.

Wang then demonstrated how the

components offer the functionality

of much larger devices such as a

camera or microphone, with careful

consideration given to the purpose of

each button. Neos includes all of these

for elegant design and ease-of-use. This

allowed the audience members to see

how the X series lives up to its slogan:

“Everything is in the details.”

Director of Design, Wang Xiaohan, explaining the design principles and

story behind the X series

Showcase

Following Mr. Wang's sharing of the X1 & X1 Max's

technical prowess, Retail Marketing Manager, Cemal Oguz,

described in great detail the selling points of the X1 and X1

Max from three dierent perspectives.

Top-Notch Cameras

The Neffos X series smartphones come with a rear

shooting, backed by a 13-megapixel Sony sensor with

backside illumination, 5P lens, and fast PDAF (phase-

detection auto-focus) of just 0.2 seconds. It also features

an f/2.0 aperture lens for taking clearer shots in low light

and providing a shallow of depth of eld.

The X1 and X1 Max feature Real-Time Night shooting,

so even in low light, the image users see is the image

they capture – taking the guesswork out of low-light

photography. The cameras also include standard features

such as HDR, Time Lapse, and Panorama.

The Live-Shooting mode crosses over to the 5-megapixel

front camera, and the real-time Beautify mode makes

taking selfies more intuitive. The perfect selfie is just one

tap away with the X1 and X1 Max.

Super-Fast Fingerprint Unlocking:

Neffos understands the importance

of mobile security in today’s

interconnected world. For this reason, all

X series phones come with a ngerprint

sensor on the back, which is much more

secure than setting a password. In fact,

the whole unlocking process only takes

0.2 seconds.

Because the sensor makes use of

sophisticated algorithms, X series

phones continuously refine fingerprint

data with use. This means that the more

a user unlocks their phone, the more

accurate and fast the unlocking process

becomes over time.

Uncompromised Performance:

Powering the X1 and X1 Max is the octa-

core MediaTek Helio P10 chipset with

up to 4GB of RAM and 64GB of internal

storage (The highest specifications are

for the Neffos X1 Max.), which can be

expanded with a microSD card up to

128GB. The phone supports dual-band

Wi-Fi and multiple LTE bands for fast

internet access where available.

This means the X Series can handle

anything from typical smartphone

activities, like surfing and emailing,

to more intensive HD streaming and

gaming. It also means steadier and more

consistent wireless connections over

Wi-Fi or mobile data.

Retail Marketing Manger, Cemal Oguz, explaining the features of the X

series products

Showcase

Chairman Jerey Chao announcing the prices of the two models in the X series

The long-lasting 3,000mAh battery inside the X1 Max can go through a full day's use and supports fast

charging of up to 50 percent on a 30-minute charge, which makes recharging the phone more convenient.

Both the X1 and X1 Max run on the latest Android 6.0 Marshmallow software, which has been tweaked to

deliver a balance of ease-of-use, longer battery life, ecient multitasking and smooth app use.

Just before the end of the event, Mr. Chao once again took to the stage to disclose the price range

of the X series, explaining that prices start at €199 for the X1 and €249 for the X1 Max. The host then

announced that it was time for the guests to try the products for themselves. The reporters rushed to

take pictures and videos to be the rst to get their stories in.

Showcase

The day after the product launch was the opening

ceremony of the IFA – one of the most influential

electronics shows in the world. On this day, the Neffos

area of the TP-Link booth received a constant stream of

visitors. As well as the recently announced X1 and X1 Max,

the Neos C5 Max, C5, and Y5 models were on exhibit. Our

high-quality products and engaging display attracted a

large number of visitors who came to look and experience

what the models have to oer.

With the success of the new product

launch and this initial unveiling at the

IFA, awareness of the Neos brand has

increased exponentially in the global

smartphone market. At the time of

writing, over 900 news reports from 18

different countries have been written

about the event.

Reporters taking pictures and videos

A model shows o the Neos X1

The Neffos area of the TP-Link stand at the IFA

show

Visitors to the Neos stand try out a phone

Who

My Vision to Build Our Brand in

North America

As we all know, much of our success as a company comes

from our channel partnerships. Consumers buy our

products because they are on the shelf, listed online or

carried by our distributors. However, to continue our rapid

growth in North America, we can no longer rely exclusively

on our channel partnerships. Sales efforts through price,

promotion and placement can only take us so far. These are

rooted in eeting interactions, where the attention is often

bought rather than earned, short rather than long-term. To

meet the ambitious goals we have just set for our company,

we must develop in areas where long-term attention

can be earned: marketing and branding. Therefore, a key

component to our future success is a strong marketing

team.

What we have done before is what’s on the surface: what

people see on the shelf, and what we say about ourselves.

However, marketing and branding taps into greater depth:

what we do for people, and what they say about us. This

builds genuine trust and loyalty through direct relationship

with our consumers. Once this relationship is earned, it can

only go forward.

At TP-Link, we have a unique position in terms of branding:

We have more conversations happening off channels

than other brands. By reaching out to customers in

places like online reviews, we connect one-on-one to

listen to and address their needs, while giving our brand

a voice. And although we substantially have less media

Lewis Wu, TP-Link North America

All business inside the office, Lewis uses most

of his free time outside, where he can rock

climb to his heart's content. Answering the call

to adventure every week, a good day is spent

ascending boulders, leads and sport routes again

and again.

exposure than other major players

in consumer electronics industry,

we can improve with a multifaceted

approach of proactive PR, engaging

content, optimized search and positive

interactions with influencers. These

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will amplify fans and win over detractors, leaving a good

impression on new consumers.

What kind of impression are we leaving now? The current

sentiment towards TP-Link is neutral-to-positive, with

products considered as a good all-around choice that

provide good value for money. The majority of interactions

found in monitored blogs and communities fall under the

Home category, with a small portion dedicated to SMB.

Taking a look at the competition, NETGEAR and Linksys

products are highly regarded for delivering excellent

performance in products that are worth the expensive

price.

While our competitors' strong marketing has built a

respected quality in their products, their absence in

branding leaves the question: what does the brand mean

beyond their products? This affords us an incredible

opportunity to create and share our own story. Ultimately,

we want our end users going to channel partners and

asking for our products. With the marketing team's biggest

goal moving forward of earning TP-Link greater brand

awareness, we have a chance to shape a clear identity.

Building a strong brand is a promise we make to ourselves

as well as to our customers. It shapes TP-Link's personality

and aects every aspect of our work.

Our push to create a strong TP-Link

brand has begun in earnest with our

recent global rebranding. This new brand

launch will serve as a foundation from

which the marketing team will move

ahead. As it's a catalyst for the North

American team to work proactively to

reintroduce TP-Link and form long-

term relationships with consumers, I am

likewise excited for every region to use

this launch accordingly. I am confident

our entire marketing team will play a

huge role in helping TP-Link reach its

goals, and I look forward to all of us

working to achieve them together.

Who

Sail for Dreams, Sail in Japan

It was 2005 when TP-Link broke into the international

market. 10 years later, on January 4, I was just landing at

Colombia's the El Dorado International Airport when my life

took a new turn. On this special day, I stood waiting for my

luggage in the carousel as usual, when my phone chimed

with a new email. I would have to get on a plane again,

because I was transferring to Japan.

I remember that moment clearly, several feelings came to

my mind. I was deeply touched by our company’s trust on

me and was yearning for company’s decision of opening

up a new market. Nevertheless, I was reluctant to part with

my Colombian team. But with many responsibilities and

missions now on my shoulders, there was no time to be

sentimental. After a transition and bittersweet goodbye to

Simon Li, TP-Link Japan

Simon is a person always on the move. Dribbling down the lane or

attacking with a full-court press, he excels on the basketball court. A

known world traveler, he can share tales of destinations all over the

globe, most recently Tibet.

mis amigos Colombianos, I hurried to

Japan following the Chinese New Year.

Stage One: Acquainting with the

Japanese Market

At the very beginning, the Japanese

market was a complete mystery to

me. Naturally, my colleague Brian and

I researched everything we could get

from Google, our Japanese competitors

and IT publications. Before I set off on

March 8th, a basic picture about our

competitors and channel agents was

formed, along with meetings arranged

with Amazon JP and a few agents of our

local competitors. After we had planned

our schedule and made a task list, Brian

and I set o, excited for this new mission

to begin.

Landing in Tokyo Haneda Airport, a

prerecorded voice and sign told us

“Welcome to Japan.” After ten years’

preparation, TP-Link is here, and I have

no idea what chapters we will write on

this land.

The schedule for the two-week business

trip was airtight: interactions with clients,

investigation of Tokyo's computer

Who

district Akihabara, research of in-store products and their

prices, market exploration in Osaka, and legal meetings for

our Japanese oce registration. Each day was busier than

the last, but also full of meaning and promise.

Those two weeks were full of moments we often reminisce.

Upon landing, we were surprised to see there was only

one taxi at the whole airport. When Brian and I traveled

to Osaka with an interpreter, we shared one tatami room,

where we donned traditional Japanese nightgowns. By

chance, we troubleshot the routers inside the Economic

& Commercial Counsellor’s Office at the Chinese

Embassy. Particularly unforgettable was the slam of a

retail agent's door in our faces after knocking. We later

learned that it was customary to rst arrange a meeting via

email, as directly coming at the door was quite brusque.

These moments are all reflections of the TP-Link spirit:

undaunted, unswerving and active.

We left Japan on March 22. Seeing

every item on the task list checked, we

gained a wealth of information already .

Even so, exploring the Japanese market

was only the first stage. In the coming

days, we had much more to do.

Stage Two: Registration, Certication,

Localization . . . and a Bit of

Perspiration

After returning from Japan, we entered

into a long period of preparation, as

product certification and localization

required effort and time. During the

process, we encountered two problems.

First, R&D and certification teams

consisted of green hands in a brand-

new Japanese market, drawing out

It took time and sweat, but TP-Link Japan earned our Akihabara home.

Who

the certification process. Also, limited resources and the

fact that TP-Link had yet to sell on the Japanese market,

HQ did not prioritize this region. Added to this was the

complicated office registration, fraught with rules and

regulations on securing a visa and opening a bank account

as a foreigner.

This was a time of anxiety and worry. I often communicated

with certication sta to push progress, and gave product

feedback to senior managers for more localized models.

To our joy, the HQ came through with strategic support: the

Taiwan research institute assembled a team for Japanese

and Korean localization. On our part, we spared no eort

to gather information, gain support from local banks and

exert pressure on the law office. Finally, our Japanese

oce earned registration by the end of October 2015.

Although we laid the necessary foundation to start

business in Japan, we had yet to sign any actual deals,

bringing great pressure. I often teased myself for having

idle hands for a businessman. Looking back, this made

for quite a calm time to enjoy, but the subsequent

start of online sales moved me with

determination.

Stage Three: A Caramel Macchiato

Boardroom

Returning in September 2015, we hired

one office assistant and one online

salesman - both Japanese locals. Our

small staff grew, and we needed a

workspace, as we were without an oce.

For three months, TP-Link Japan was

housed in two Starbucks locations in

Akihabara. We arrived to "the oce" on

time, grabbed a coffee, and started our

busy day: dealing with emails, pushing

the progress of localizing products,

contacting clients, meeting furnishing

companies.

In that period of time, I shuttled between

my shabby 10-square meter apartment

and the Starbucks with poor working

condition, and for good measure

squatting in a Lawson convenience

store for free Wi-Fi. Preparation steadily

became progress: our Amazon JP

vendor account, construction of

Rakuten and Yahoo self-supported

online stores, the completed furnishing

of our actual office, products stocked

in a third-party warehouse and the

incoming shipment of two localized

models. More than a business, this felt

like our baby that was arriving after

Our team grew into quite the family.

Who

ten months of waiting: a little overdue, but nonetheless

welcome.

Stage Four: Growing Into Our Akihabara Home

At the end of January 2016, we moved into the Akihabara

oce; while not large, it was clean, bright and ours. The rst

day we settled down, I stood at the window, overlooking

the bustling stream of people on the Akihabara Street, a

surge of excitement owing from head to toe. A reminder

that TP-Linkers should never stop striving.

In early February, the first order for Amazon was ready,

marking the first step of TP-Link's journey into the

Japanese market. The following month, I perpetually

kept an eye on the sales and rankings of our products on

Amazon, even after work hours. Although the daily sales

were in the single digits, this became the barometer for

my mood. To assure each other, I told our new salesman

Revon: "When the daily sales reaches the hundreds and

thousands, we'll miss these days!”

We moved on in one direction: forward.

We focused on Amazon and major

products, optimizing product titles,

descriptions and pictures, designing A+

pages, handling customer reviews and

making cost-per-click ads. It turned out

that we made all the right moves. After

just one month of online presence, the

sales of Archer C7 totaled 1000. This

promotion also laid a foundation for

future sales and boosted condence.

In the first three months when our

products were on Amazon, we had

a limited number of models, which

on one hand was a disadvantage for

competition, but on the other hand

propelled us into focused promotion.

Who

When we saw an improvement in Amazon sales, we

directed our efforts to Rakuten and Yahoo, both requiring

more energy and time. But what else could we do? We had

to struggle our way out of difficulties. We learned from

the experience of the Korean team to optimize our pages

and products, posted our ads on dierent pages, and got

maximum free trac from the platforms.

These first three months didn't just develop sales, but

our team, which now consisted of two Chinese and six

Japanese members. Although most of us were young

and inexperienced, what defined a new team exploring a

new market was not competence, but the willingness to

strive collectively for the company and co-develop with it.

That echoed into a shared sentiment "All people with one

purpose win."

Stage Five: Dawn Breaks Online, Deals Brew Oine

Online sales in June amounted to USD$200,000, with

a prediction that the sales in July would top $500,000,

showing potential in further growth. Would we stop striving?

Of course not.

Having won the initial battle in the field of online sales,

we started to develop offline markets, including agents

and retail stores that accounted for 70% of the whole

market. In a Japanese business world that only respects

the strong, the good momentum of our online sales

injected more confidence and assurance in dealing with

agents. The three largest agents - DIS, Softbank C&S and

SYNNEX - have expressed intention to cooperate. From the

disappointment of no agent replying introduction letters

months ago, to the sweet worry of which agent's offer

to accept today, this progress is a clear reflection of the

painstaking effort of every member of our team, HQ and

the Taiwan research institute.

However, we should stay calmer than

ever before: agents are a pivotal step

into the retail market, and we should

make every effort to see our products

on a store shelf. In the vast Japanese

market, what we have gained is only a

step in the long march. To offer more

products tailored to the need of local

consumers, rivaling competitors is the

key to our survival and development.

Looking back, every stage of the

Japanese office in the past 18 months

was forged with our efforts. The whole

process - meeting, researching,

worrying, pushing, progressing - reminds

me of the similar experience during

my time in Colombia: contacting every

potential agent and visiting every store

in the computer city. Perhaps this is the

route every TP-Linker in every country

has taken.

This article is to commemorate the days

in the start of every TP-Link office, as

well as every TP-Linker who has shed

sweat and tears on foreign soil, never

stopping to strive for the rise of our

global brand.

Share our experience, share our

prosperity!

Who

My E-Commerce Story!

The story began when I was recruited by Mr. Bill Ye, the

Country Manager for India, as a product assistant; I was

inclined towards marketing, but TP-Link India’s offer

was extremely interesting. A girl with an advertising and

marketing background with very little knowledge of

networking suddenly had to understand the anatomy of

a working router; sounds challenging, doesn’t it? I was a

blank book with nothing written in it and lots of blank pages

waiting to be written on. Just out of college, what could I

possibly understand in the training sessions?

Fifteen days of rigorous training on the working of

the products! OK, so now I could name a few of them,

understand why they are named that way and a little more

information. What I was unaware of was my fate at TP-Link.

In the next two days, I was shifted to the Marketing team.

TP-Link India’s General Manager – Marketing’s Mr. Kunal

Raul – recognized my potential; I couldn’t have been more

thankful. I was transferred to the E-commerce marketing

team, something I had never heard of but was nevertheless

excited about. I knew it would be challenging, more

challenging than brushing teeth while eating Oreos, but I was

ready. What I wanted was nally coming to me! E-commerce

Marketing assistant – fantabulous!

My main challenge as an E-commerce marketing assistant

was to improve the product display pages where we sell

our goods, and edit product names according to the brand

guidelines. Edit names? Had I not been in the product team,

I wouldn’t understand the process of correctly naming a

Lekha Jambaulikar, TP-Link India

A part-time boxer with an MBA in Marketing,

Lekha is obnoxiously obsessed with dogs, nature

and stars. A total coffee addict and a die-hard

Game of Thrones fan.

product. "Everything happens for a

reason," I concluded! Initially I struggled

my way through the tasks; fumbled on

product names and jumbled the details.

But as they say, “Good things come to

those who wait, but only the things left

by those who hustle”. I hustled – I asked

questions, and then more questions,

until I understood everything to the

core. But what is learning without a good

teacher? I was handled with patience,

taught with care and appreciated with

dignity. The Boss, the team – I was

helped by all. My Boss and I worked

hard to bring elegance and class to the

Who

product display pages. I stuck like a leech on the follow-

ups, on the exclusive launches, and on uploaded videos to

stay up-to-date with the latest innovations in E-commerce

marketing. An amateur boxer in my off-time, I imagined

myself round after round in the middle of a match, with each

new sales skill adding to my arsenal to become a better

ghter. And the results are as here:

A. Product Display Pages:

1. We looked into the “Big" content that educates and

motivates customers to buy TP-Link products online.

Hence, we updated the product display pages with rich

content imported from the TP-Link.com website.

2. Videos have proven attractive and moving information is

sure to grab eyeballs and lead into conversions. Hence, we

uploaded videos on product display pages.

3. Informative product images were added to the product

display pages, allowing less tech-savvy customers to gain a

greater understanding of our products.

4. The idea of shopping from your mobile is a rising trend.

The mobile product display pages were updated to improve

their look and make them more informative.

B. Exclusive Launches

For the exclusive launch of TL-WA855RE on Amazon.in, we

placed product banners all over the website with attractive

taglines. The conversions were impressive with the product

selling out within a week.

There is so much more to explore, so many innovations to

adapt. The idea of online shopping is taking the internet by

storm, and when a storm strikes it’s best

to roll with it. TP-Link India has taken

the initiative by enhancing the look and

feel of the online shopping experience

for the customers. But the hard work

doesn’t stop here. We will continue

to create innovative product launch

campaigns, further polishing the product

display pages. We aim to be better than

our competitors, striving each day to

reach even greater heights!

Who

E-Commerce and Amazon:

A Business Philosophy

The Amazon E-Commerce Team is led by Ken Tung, who

joined us with a wealth of experience. After graduating

from UC Santa Barbara, Ken has gone on to accumulate

over 10 years of sales experience with electronics, PC and

networking products. His CV includes spells with large

distributors such as Synnex Corporation, a leading DRAM

(Dynamic Random Access Memory) manufacturer, Kingston

and the renowned marketplace resellers, Newegg and PC

Club. Having joined TP-Link in September 2014, Ken is now

Team Leader for the US Ecommerce team and the National

Sales Manager for TP-Link’s USA branch.

In 2015, the sales revenue generated from TP-Link

products on the Amazon website exceeded USD$72.6

million. In the rst six months of 2016, total sales revenue

rose even higher to $40 million – a more than 40% increase

on the previous year. The rapid expansion of our Amazon

business has promoted our branding and at the same time

propelled TP-Link to second place in the US networking

Bond Wang, John Chang and Tom Lei, TP-Link USA

market, now ranking above Linksys, a

renowned networking giant and fierce

competitor.

We caught up with Ken after a long

conference call with Amazon. Although

a little weary, Ken still made time for this

interview.

Ken starts by addressing several

points concerning the future growth of

Amazon. “Online shopping will be the

future. Online shopping that’s not just

limited to tablets or desktops, but smart

phones as well, and Amazon’s platform

will be the center of it all. Amazon will

obtain this advantage because of its

Prime membership and massive buying

power.” The numbers back up Ken’s

point: in the year 2015, Amazon covered

24% of all online sales growth in the US.

TP-Link has already enjoyed a fruitful

long-term partnership with Amazon, and

if Amazon grows, so will TP-Link. TP-Link

can capitalize on Amazon’s enormous

traffic flow for branding opportunities,

so more people will become familiar with

the TP-Link name and new products.

Additionally, sales revenue and growth

are also guaranteed.

Who

Ken also knows that challenges lead to opportunities. With

the progression from 802.11n to 802.11ac, traditional

methods like using a low selling price to attract volume

sales are not enough to stimulate the next step in TP-

Link’s growth. The sales need to come from external

traffic, whether it’s achieved from marketing programs, or

by thinking of and employing strategies that are one step

ahead of our competitors. Most importantly, in order to do

this, the team in charge has to consistently work at high

efficiency. In the coming year, the continued growth of

Amazon sales will be built on this foundation.

External Trac:

Sources like social media, YouTube and other deal sites

are now beginning to play a more vital role in bringing

more customers to Amazon. These methods have already

been deployed successfully by competitors like Linksys

or NETGEAR, Ken tells us. Just last week, Ken had a

productive meeting with Slickdeals – one of the most

inuential deal-sharing sites in the US – hopefully building

the foundation of a great long-term relationship.

The Amazon team has started to work with the marketing

team to explore further social media, Google SEO and

media opportunities, and this is what Ken believes TP-Link

should expand upon. For example, in May 10th an article

was published by Yahoo Tech, titled "A Single Device Can

Speed Up Your Home Internet and Lower Your Cable Bill by

$100+." In this article, the author recommended Archer

CR700, and provided the link to Amazon’s Archer CR700

sales page, thus boosting the day's sale of that particular

modem router to over 150 units, seven times more than the

normal. Such is the power of external trac.

Understanding and Surpassing

Competitors:

There is a saying in Chinese: "If you

know the enemy and know yourself, you

need not fear the result of a hundred

battles." This year, our most fierce

competitors – NETGEAR and Linksys

– deployed various strategies aimed

at TP-Link. On one hand, responding

to this quickly is important, such as

with NETGEAR’s Bundle strategy at

the beginning of the year, which we

matched right away. On the other, we

can’t always be on the receiving end;

we have to understand our competitors

and anticipate their next steps. That

way, we can be the aggressor instead

of being on the defensive the whole

time. New items such as Onhub and

Talon AD7200, Amazon Easy Choice for

Archer C3150 and switch promotions

are several moves that we made ahead

of our competitors, and these kind

of strategies should continue to be

deployed to keep our competitors off-

balance.

Who

Building a Highly Ecient Team:

“Our US Ecommerce team is a team that listens,” Ken

continues. “The team listens to everyone’s opinions, and

each team member has his or her own ideas about how

to improve sales, how to determine the pricing on product

promotions and how to allocate inventories. The Ecom

members make decisions as a team and get everyone

involved.”

Ken thinks there is an art to distributing workload and

tasks. “Giving a person what he or she likes to do normally

generates results. Communicating regularly with each team

member is crucial, checking they are enthusiastic about

what they are doing, and understanding each member’s

thoughts about the future of this company. At the core of

this concept is allowing team members to make mistakes,

and encouraging each member to grow by learning from

those mistakes. If someone does an excellent job, we

should share it with everyone on the team. That way, we

promote self-esteem and give that person a sense of

accomplishment.”

Another secret is that Ken wants each

of his team members, from the bottom

of their heart, to absolutely love their

job, and love the work they do at TP-

Link. “Why work like a robot and just wait

for the day to end? Your office should

be like your home; each team member

should come to work happy and ready

to set, meet and exceed goals together.”

At the end of the interview, Ken shares

the three mottos he lives by:

• Don’t be afraid to make mistakes – it’s

through our mistakes that we can learn.

• Winning in business is like winning in a

war – you may not win every battle but

you have to have the determination to

keep going and earn victory.

• Keep thinking. Through your creativity,

you can understand, anticipate and

surpass your competitors.

Who

Team, Passion, Laughter, Inspiration

and Knowledge

The primary goal for our Australian team, like any TP-Link

office, is to grow our national retail and ISP business. We

are very fortunate to achieved this goal, which we will take

to foster even more success. Of course, none of this would

have been possible without the strength of our team, in

which every member is actively involved and invested.

Just two years ago, TP-Link was supplied in zero national

retailers and ISPs. Today, our product range is oered in 10

national retailers, providing shelf exposure for TP-Link in

over 3000 retail outlets. In addition, we are a strong supplier

to over 30 ISPs. Behind all the branding , marketing,

catalogue, advertising, online exposure and face-to-face

interactions that made TP-Link Australia what is today is the

hard work of our multifaceted team:

Greg Hendriks, TP-Link Australia

Greg is an avid music listener, book writer, joke teller, and coffee

enthusiast. The Jack of all trades admits, however, that dancing is not

his strong suit.

• Muscles (Warehouse)

• Brains (Tech)

• Money (Finance)

• Sparks (Marketing)

• Numbers (Admin)

• Rainmakers (Sales)

• Mothership (HQ team)

• Captain (Management)

Together we discuss and plan, turn that

plan into action, get crazy and put it all

together. It's never easy, but if it was

everyone would be doing it. By facing

these challenges together, we've earned

a focus strategy and end goal in which

we all achieve and grow.

This is the exactly why I chose to join

TP-Link.

During my 25-year adventure in sales

and marketing - with many years yet -

there has always been one universal

truth: learning comes more from failure,

rather than success. Every time we fail

to get a new account, make a sale, or

win a bid, it teaches me a new way to

Who

think and try differently. This is the difference between a

good team and a great team.

In TP-Link I see the opportunity to develop our team and

our brand, while mentoring future leaders. The opportunity

to make a difference by sharing our unique experiences

to help the company in all areas, from planning to team

building. From this we can build greatness. Great people.

Great Products. Great culture.

To be part of this and be involved in the

development of the brand, product and

people is my biggest driving force. For

this reason, I love staying in touch with

TP-Link teams all over the world so we

can exchange plans, ideas and anything

we've learned. In this way, we support

and play a role in each other's success.

So let's ask each other questions and

share our ideas. I'm always happy to hear

from passionate individuals, so please

reach out. Let's talk!

The TP-Link Australia team uses large events, such as the Leader Computers Expo, to showcase our strength in working

together.

Lives

Team Building Photo Gallery

“For me, a team is like a mechanical watch. The hours,

minutes and seconds are shown by only three items, but

it is the whole watch — including everything beneath its

face — that enables these arms to work every second of

every day, for decades. Even the smallest and seemingly

insignicant gear plays a role to keep the watch on time,

as its wearer depends on it. ” – Dragos Jurca, Sales

Manager, TP-Link Romania

Teamwork: a big word that is used more and more these

days to try and get people to talk, but often loses its real

meaning. How can we make our time with our colleagues

happier and allow people to work eectively and eciently?

The answer is connecting with people. At TP-Link, our

offices have been striving to create stronger bonds

between group members by taking part in a range of

activities.

All-out wars have been waged in the name of team building,

with TP-Linkers on the front-line of paintballing battles in

Germany. This provided a great opportunity for colleagues

to get to know each other outside the oce, whilst having

tons of fun in the process. During this event, groups’ ability

to share information and cooperate with each other was

tested to the maximum. Strategy meetings were held before

the battles began to discuss the best positions to take up.

Once in action, teammates had to creep silently through

the field, communicating with gesticulations to plan their

attack on the unsuspecting enemy ahead. At the end of the

day, everyone was covered in bright smiles and splattered

paint.

There are other ways for teams to challenge themselves

too. Escape Room Madrid provided the perfect setting for

the TP-Link Iberia team to see if they

have what it takes when the pressure is

on. The teams were given 60 minutes

to solve their way from the connes of a

locked chamber, using only the power of

teamwork and intellect to discover clues

and crack codes. Finding the way out

of a booby-trapped ancient Egyptian

tomb, deactivating missiles stolen

by terrorists, and preventing a global

biological disaster were a few of the

critical situations they faced together.

TP-Link Vietnam have their own unique

approach to cultivating a second family,

both inside and outside the oce. Time

is allocated during the year for activities

away from their regular workplace,

making opportunities to travel, hang

out and relax after a long period of

dedicated effort. To ensure that team

spirit does not get left behind during the

rest of the year, several sports activities

- including football, yoga and gym - are

available, allowing employees to keep

fit and relax their minds, while a small

library provides the chance for all staff

to read in their free time and discuss

themes and character motivations

as part of a book club. There is also

a chance for everyone to practice

presentation skills.

Anthony Merrington, TP-Link Headquarters

Lives

The value of teamwork should not be underestimated. At its best, it equates to the sharing of knowledge,

sincerity, good relations with one another and most importantly, trust between all. It just goes to show that

with all its parts working together, a TP-Link watch ticks along stronger than a Swiss one!

Life on the front line: TP-Link Germany on their paintballing adventure day

Sneak, attack, smile: all is fair in love and war.

Barrels drawn in the heat of battle

Lives

We made it! Every team managed to escape in time.

Fun and games at the beach with TP-Link Vietnam

You can count on TP-Link Vietnam to remember and celebrate your birthday. Make a wish, blow out the candles and enjoy

delicious food, presents and best wishes from colleagues.

Adapted from articles by Fiona Hillmann (Germany), Tuan Nguyen (Vietnam) and Montse Gonzalez (Spain).

Lives

Kiev Blues

"What you love most about Ukraine?”

Although Bogdan struggled to ask me this question

through the limitations of Google translation, I understood

this as "What do you love most about Ukraine?" Several

possibilities popped into my mind. Is it the fresh air? The

beautiful scenery? The exotic atmosphere?

Bogdan is a street musician I met earlier today, sitting

beside the Grand Saint Sophie Cathedral. Playing for the

flowing crowds, his fingers danced across the strings of

his traditional bandura, while his voice crooned a charming

melody that added a deep bass to his instrument's higher

notes. Although I didn't understand the lyrics, his music

drew me in, and I soon felt lost in song. That was when he

noticed, put down the bandura, and started a conversation

with me.

Ralph Zhou, TP-Link Ukraine

My new friend Bogdan, playing his bandura, a Ukranian folk instrument.

Since Bogdan only knew a few broken

English phrases, we traded simple

Google-translated sentences. We

started with the usual introductory

questions about ourselves, so the

question about Ukraine was a little

unexpected. What do I love most about

a country that is still new to me?

A moment later, I typed and showed him

the translation, "люди тут."

He seemed to have understood, and

he smiled. It must have been a fair

translation of my answer: "The people

here."

I've been here in Kiev for over a month.

I arrived completely unfamiliar with

this city, but it did not take me long to

adapt to the life here. I like being lost

and wandering without any destination

in mind. There is no need to visit the

famous sights. I often walk alone

around like a visitor in a huge museum,

observing everyday streets and people

with a fresh eye, my thoughts traveling

through time and space. What stories

does this city tell me?

When I brush past a fence with some

errant damage, my imagination shows

Lives

me a drunk man who stumbled into it after one too many

glasses of wine. A scrawl on the door; maybe someone's

passionate note. The kissing couple nearby with the

whole world at their feet; perhaps an answer to the door's

message. An old woman selling flowers under the shade

of a tree; she might have grown those flowers with her

beloved.

On one night's meander, I followed the layered voices of

people hanging around at a street restaurant, chatting well

after their dinner plates are empty and cold. Sometimes

they burst into laughter, echoing throughout the street. The

lone woman nearby did not seem to be bothered, slowly

pulling smoke from her cigarette. It's no surprise to find

women smoking in Europe, and to me they look beautiful

in the habit. Smoke slipped out of her lips like in whispers,

vanishing in the air like Cheshire Cat in this evening

wonderland. Reposed in fresh makeup and tendrils of

burning tobacco, she could inspire an artist to capture the

scene in brush strokes. I would if I could.

To me, these people and their scenes

paint a picture in my mind. I observe

them and imagine their lives through

their gestures, their experiences through

their expressions. Occasionally talk to

them and make friends. Sometimes we

cannot understand each other; after

trying to communicate in vain, we can

only give each other a smile.

Though the streets of Kiev are my

personal gallery, I still enjoy trips to the

local museums. On one visit, at the

museum entrance stood Lera. She

was in her early twenties, and just like

typical young women, she wore big

sunglasses and ripped jeans. Confused

by the Ukrainian instructions at the door,

I asked her for help. She explained that it

Sunshine at dusk kisses the skyline with the last light of the day.

Lives

is a private museum, and would only be open for a month.

Since I had no specific plans for the day, I walked Lera to

her oce, getting to know each other on the way. We talked

about the scenery in Kiev as well as her life and work here.

Lera hosts at a youth hostel, selling postcards and unique

handicrafts. Reaching the hostel, I continued exploring the

city after we bid farewell. Friends can come from anywhere,

it seems.

And so can inspiration.

During a show at the national park, I saw a group of young

people dressed as fairies, teaching children to dance to

their music. A picture of pure and innocent youth, and they

spoke to their pupils in a child-like tone. They gathered and

scattered again and again, but never seemed bored with

it, their parents watching on with bright smiles. I assumed

that the teenagers in costume were giving lessons, but

I was surprised to find that they came here for their own

enjoyment.

Alive in the moment, I overcame my

hesitations — being a total stranger and

terrible dance among the list — and I

joined them. My motions were awkward,

but as more people joined us, we started

to dance freely.

In the dancing crowd, a couple stood

out from the rest. With wild, exaggerated

ails, the two created plenty of laughter.

Around them was their four-year-old

son; the little boy sometimes stood

between his parents and mimicked

them, making the family look like a

rhytmic sandwich. When I looked at

them, they smiled at me with kind

eyes. Then they approached, speaking

while still dancing. It was hard for us to

communicate because of the language

barrier, so most of the time we spoke in

universal laughter.

With the noise from the music and

crowd, we had to get very close to hear

each other. The mother was a bit short,

so she always stood on her tiptoes

and put her hands around her mouth

to make herself heard. The father, who

was just about my height, put his hand

on my shoulder and proudly introduced

his family. Their son was a bit shy; hiding

behind his father, he curiously observed

me. From there we danced, talked and

laughed together just like very old

friends, even though we barely knew

each other.

The lead-singer of Go, a local band. Young, full of energy and ready to

rock.

Lives

On the stage, there was this very thin girl. Her voice was

penetrating and powerful, just like that of Sa Ding Ding, a

famous Chinese singer. After several metal rock songs,

she suddenly quietened down and sat beside the stage,

beginning a softer song.

“Іди на звук，Іди на звук…(Listen, listen…)”

People gathered around her and hummed along. This song

was different from the previous ones; it was gentle and

peaceful, lulling her audience. Though I did not understand

the lyrics, I was nevertheless moved. One little girl wanted

to hold the singer by her hand, but she was not tall enough.

Large murals are as beautiful as they are plentiful in Kiev.

I instinctively raised her up so that

she could finally reach her, and at that

very moment, I noticed that the singer

seemed on the verge of crying.

I walk in this city and observe

people's daily lives. I would imagine

their happiness, pain, confusion and

setbacks. What I saw was not always

beautiful, and sometimes I've found

angry young men ghting, or a homeless

person desperately looking for food in

the garbage. Indeed, life is not always

happy, but it's honest.

I told Bogdan, “I like the people here.

Rich or poor, they seem genuine and

peaceful.”

The toils of life had not turned people

into philistines. The Ukrainians lead a

delicate lifestyle with limited resources.

The flowers reaching out from the

window, the colorful paintings on the

wall, the smoking woman by the streets,

and the hairpin of the florist all indicate

the pursuit of beauty.

Kiev, how lovely.

Lives

Wandering Singer

A guitar plucks

with the beat of drums

A sax sings

With a hoarse throat

A drummer waves

With a naughty face

A singer is lost in smiles, while

The sax wails to its owners tears

Lyrics, never heard

Flirt with the wind

Suddenly it occurs to me

I am the one

Who always wanders.

Ralph Zhou, TP-Link Ukraine

Lives

The castle, once burned to the ground

Has been raised by hardened will

Brick by ashen brick

Wiped clean to live anew

Windows shine, illuminated by

A cigarette, it glows like

A star in the dark corner

Of smoke, sighed from a woman’s lips

Swallowing the re

That swallowed all, centuries ago.

Old Streets

Ralph Zhou, TP-Link Ukraine

Dear TP-Linker,

We would like to express our deepest gratitude for the contributions we received for Pulse, Issue

No. 2. More than anything, the goal of this publication is to connect every hardworking individual

from our oces around the world, gather each unique voice and bring them together in a single

place. Through your articles, we celebrate each other's accomplishments and share each other's

challenges through our common experiences. We truly feel that we succeeded in this goal, and

we owe this all to you.

If you would like to share your own writing, photography or even suggestions for our next issue,

please email us. We look forward to hearing from you and creating more issues of this magazine

together.

Sincerely,

The Pulse Editing Team

Editor-In-Chief:

Ann Zhou (ann.zhou@tp-link.com)

Deputy Editor-In-Chief:

Christopher Tuazon (chris.tuazon@tp-link.com)

Executive Editors:

Jianxiong He (hejianxiong@tp-link.com.cn)

Yuhan Chen (chenyuhan@tp-link.com.cn)

Anthony Merrington (anthony.merringtion@tp-link.com.cn)

Amber Zeng (amber.zeng@tp-link.com)

Kiko Wang (kiko.wang@tp-link.com)

Huiling You (youhuiling@tp-link.com.cn)

Qingwen Wang (wangqingwen@tp-link.com.cn)

Isaac Xin (isaac.xin@tp-link.com)

Designer:

Monica Huang (monica.huang@tp-link.com)

Pulse02 En

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