Dell Marketing Gets It Right

I ignore virtually all the marketing emails I get, even from folks whose offerings I tend to like – Apple, musicians I follow, baseball teams…. But today, I got a great note from Dell that started with a guaranteed stopper: Happy Birthday, Merv! Yup, even a jaded old analyst like me will stop for a moment.

The pitch was not that much of a departure but it gave me an excuse to click through and have a look at how Dell is marketing their computers these days. It’s a well-designed web site, bright, not too cluttered, with attractive graphics. As a happy owner of an XPS all-in-one desktop, I was curious to see where that line had gone – I don’t really follow PCs myself; being a software analyst takes most of my time.

I clicked on “Performance Desktops on Sale” and didn’t really see an all-in-one model; has Dell stopped pushing them? I scrolled to the bottom and saw “Studio One 19.” Ahh…that’s it. Attractive form factor. Features look good, and so does the price. Loved the video clip that zooms around showing me all sides. And then, since I’d been there a while, a window popped up asking if I wanted to chat. Will I buy one? Well, I don’t know – I’d do some homework first. And the one I’ve got is doing fine – can probably leave it alone for another year. But well done, Dell. Nice marketing.

Disclosures: Dell is not a client of IT Market Strategy.