Zune Marketing Chief Gives Master Class in Blame Displacement

Microsoft's Zune sales plunged $100 million dollars, or 54 percent, this holiday season compared to last. CNET says iPod unit sales were up 3 percent, though Apple's revenue was down 16 percent.

The P-I put Zune's marketing head Adam Sohn on the stand, and he delivered a blizzard of what we--being laypeople--would call "lame excuses" for his performance:

• "Everyone knows that the economy is not what it was a year ago and that is hurting some folks," and
• "We are in a position where the category is also shrinking," and
• "Last holidays we were introducing new devices," and
• let's not forget the fact that Microsoft only sells the Zune in the United States and Canada--well known to be two of the poorest countries in the world.

"We will deliver progress this calendar year," concluded Sohn, solidifying the impression that the lack of progress this year was strictly according to plan.