Editing IRiver (section)

===2002–2005===
[[File:ILike iRiver - Flickr - cogdogblog.jpg|thumb|an [[iRiver iFP series|iRiver iFP]]-180T, one of its first flash memory music players]]
In 2002, iRiver scrambled to develop its first flash memory player to meet demand from the U.S. [[Best Buy]] chain. This led to the release of their first DAP product, the iFP-100 "Prism" - named as such because of its distinctive shape designed by its design firm partner, INNO Design.<ref>{{Cite book|title=Encyclopedia of East Asian Design|publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing|author=Haruhiko Fujita, Christine Guth|year=2019|page=430}}</ref> By the end of the year, iRiver had already gained as much as 20% of the domestic market and was steadily increasing popularity in foreign markets.<ref name="stir"/> A year later, it was first to market with 512&nbsp;MB and 1&nbsp;GB flash players<ref>{{cite web
 |url         = http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_04/b3867071.htm
 |title       = Korea's ReignCom: Moving Up The MP3 Charts
 |access-date  = 2007-05-13
 |url-status     = dead
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071015174000/http://businessweek.com/magazine/content/04_04/b3867071.htm
 |archive-date = 2007-10-15
}}</ref> with its iFP-500 "Masterpiece" player.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mobile-review.com/mp3/articles/iriver-history.shtml |title=История компании iRiver |last=Dorozhin |first=Alexey |date=27 November 2006 |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=ru |trans-title=History of the iRiver company}}</ref> It had also completed its IPO at [[KOSDAQ]], a Korean stock exchange.<ref>{{cite web
 |url          = http://www.webitpr.com/release_detail.asp?ReleaseID=2147
 |title        = iriver unveils the H10 [5GB colour]
 |access-date   = 2007-05-13
 |archive-url  = https://web.archive.org/web/20071015174255/http://webitpr.com/release_detail.asp?ReleaseID=2147
 |archive-date = 2007-10-15
 |url-status     = live
}}</ref> The company was also selling hard drive players to compete with the [[iPod]]: the [[iriver H100 series|iHP-300]] followed by the [[iriver H300 series|H300]].

iRiver rose to the No. 1 position in the global market of flash players.<ref>'Innovation became part of our lifestyle' ''THE KOREA HERALD'', September 15, 2005</ref> Its global market share overall was 14.1% in 2003, while [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] led with 21.6%.<ref>{{Cite book|title=The Future of Technology|author=Tom Standage|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|year=2005|page=220}}</ref> The marketing of iRiver America was mostly spent on PR and brand partnerships, featuring celebrities such as [[Ice Cube]] and [[Snoop Dogg]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Second-place strategies|date=21 October 2004|publisher=PR Week|author=Keith O'Brien|url=https://www.prweek.com/article/1244689/second-place-strategies}}</ref>

[[File:Iriver Logo.svg|thumb|2004-2010 logo]]
By 2004, iRiver had gained solid market share in the digital audio player market in both the United States and Japan,<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1572|title=A Global Brand is Born / IRiver|date=August 2004}}</ref> and sold a total of 2.8 million players worldwide, of which 1.7 million was in the overseas market.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.koreaittimes.com/news/articleView.html?idxno=1836|title=Apple's iPod to Face Tough Competition from Korea Cos|date=April 2005}}</ref> During this time, the company went through a rebranding, including changing the styling of its name from iRiver to iriver, and using a ruby-red themed logo in place of blue.<ref name="his2">{{cite web |url=https://mobile-review.com/mp3/articles/iriver-history-2.shtml |title=История компании iRiver. Часть 2 |last=Dorozhin |first=Alexey |date=27 November 2006 |access-date=19 April 2022 |language=ru |trans-title=History of iRiver (Part 2)}}</ref> It also used adult film star [[Jenna Jameson]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.skyventure.co.kr/newupfiles/jenna_iriver.jpg|title=iriver Ad|access-date=2008-11-30|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071128114914/http://www.skyventure.co.kr/newupfiles/jenna_iriver.jpg|archive-date=2007-11-28|url-status=live}}</ref> and an [[Audrey Hepburn]] lookalike<ref>{{cite web|url=http://218.145.55.194/Data/paper/audreyhepburn.jpg|date=7 November 2006|access-date=14 April 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061107044432/http://218.145.55.194/Data/paper/audreyhepburn.jpg|title=Audrey Hepburn|archive-date=7 November 2006|url-status=dead|df=dmy-all}}</ref> as spokesmodels promoting its products.

In 2005, the company decided to focus entirely on flash players like the [[iriver H10|H10]], and the development of jukeboxes (except from the 20&nbsp;GB version of the H10) was stopped as a result.<ref name="his2"/> The launch of Apple's [[iPod Shuffle]] hurt iriver sales and it dropped from the top ranking in flash-based players.<ref name="his2"/> iriver adopted a new marketing strategy in 2005, attempting to grab [[mindshare]] from [[Apple Computer|Apple]]. It referred to the [[iriver Clix|U10]] flash player as the ''thumb thing''. This referred to users controlling their MP3 devices with their thumbs, just as they do their cell phones and text messaging devices.<ref>"ReignCom Unveils MP3 Players." ''Korea Times'', June 21, 2005.</ref> The company also announced plans for [[digital audio players]] featuring [[Internet telephony]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.telecomskorea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=5099&Itemid=42 |title=Telecoms Korea News Service |publisher=Telecomskorea.com |url-access=registration  |access-date=2008-11-30 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081208191432/http://www.telecomskorea.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=5099&Itemid=42 |archive-date=2008-12-08 |url-status=live }}</ref>

iRiver's U.S. unit, based in [[Vancouver, Washington]], held 3.4% of the U.S. MP3 player market in 2005, according to IDC; this was down from a peak of 13%.<ref name="mp3global">{{cite web |url=https://mobile-review.com/print.php?filename=/mp3/articles/mp3-global-en.shtml |title=Mobile-review.com MP3-players – Global markets |website=mobile-review.com |access-date=22 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20061125191014/https://mobile-review.com/print.php?filename=/mp3/articles/mp3-global-en.shtml |archive-date=25 November 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The company targeted early adopters among American users as it tried to regain dominance of the category.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?/base/business/115509032770520.xml&coll=7&thispage=3|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070930035358/http://www.oregonlive.com/printer/printer.ssf?%2Fbase%2Fbusiness%2F115509032770520.xml&coll=7&thispage=3|url-status=dead|archive-date=2007-09-30|title=iRiver banks on Clix|access-date=2007-05-13 <!-- This link was broken on 2007-05-14 -->}}</ref> It also opened sales divisions in Brazil, Germany, Hong Kong and Japan. iRiver's parent Reigncom made significant financial losses by the end of 2005.<ref name="his2"/>