But no matter what we say, Wall Street is in a show-me mode. The chastened tone at Beyond these days is obvious in its marketing strategy. Earlier this year, Beyond was loud, outrageous and confident. To showcase that message, Mr. Breier in June appeared on a CNBC broadcast wearing only his boxer shorts. Today, Beyond is more bashful.
Analysts regard it as an austerity move.
Beyond officials differ, saying their brand has become so well-known that further promotion isn't needed. Mr. Breier now remains clothed in public settings, and business associates are grateful. When Mr. Breier has a new marketing idea, colleagues are wary. Faulty Internet connections mean that file transfers sometimes stop in midtransmission, after consumers' credit cards have been debited but before fully working software reaches their computers. In other cases, customers with hundreds of directories on their personal computers simply can't figure out where a newly downloaded program has been placed.