Dell Plans New Ad Campaign Focusing On Human Side Of Technology

Computer maker Dell Inc. (DELL) is expected to launch on Friday a new branding campaign that takes a cue from Apple Inc.'s (AAPL) marketing playbook: it doesn't talk about technology.

In one spot, a teenage girl talks about how she uses a Dell laptop to video chat with a boy she has a crush on. In another, a grandmother explains how she keeps in touch with her family using a Dell smartphone.

The campaign, dubbed "More You," is aimed at personalizing technology and marks a break in tradition for a company that got its start by commoditizing computers. Rather than focus on the specifications of products, Dell is hoping the campaign will encourage consumers to think about features and how they can be used.

"We realized it was important to connect more emotionally with customers," said Paul-Henri Ferrand, who heads Dell's consumer marketing efforts. "Most competitors are neglecting the fact that technology is empowering people's lives."

The new campaign comes as the Round Rock, Tex.-based company's consumer product efforts have begun to bear fruit. The company's consumer sales unit turned a profit in the fiscal fourth quarter after struggling to control costs and entice customers. The growth continued in Dell's most recent quarter, which ended April 29.

It also coincides with a pick-up in Dell's long-suffering image. Dell's reputation has fallen over the past three years and trails rivals Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) and Apple in key areas such as perceived quality, reputation and overall satisfaction, according to BrandIndex, a daily tracking service. In recent months, however, Dell's image has recovered slightly, a trend the company hopes the ad campaign will help to accelerate along with its larger corporate branding effort called "The Power To Do More," launched last month.

Dell's improving image has also been reflected in the company's stock price. Since the consumer division reported a return to profitability, Dell shares have risen 22%, closing up 1.9% at $16.98 on Friday.

The new campaign will focus advertising efforts on social networks and premium cable channels to target people it thinks are most likely to want its products: affluent professionals, video game enthusiasts, students and families with kids, among others.

Like many of Apple's popular ads, the emphasis will be on how customers use Dell products rather than dry statistics, like chip speeds and storage space, that Dell often trumpets. In an early iPhone ad, for example, Apple showed a simple image of a finger swiping on a screen, emphasizing its ease of use.

Dell hopes its ads will have a similar effect.

"It will help people think, 'It's about me,'" Ferrand said. He added that effort will hopefully move Dell closer to becoming a lifestyle brand akin to Coca-Cola Co. (KO) and Apple, where people see the products as part of their everyday lives.

To further tie customers to its brand, Dell is also altering its distinctive logo for the campaign, replacing its founder's name with the names of customers in the advertisements.

Ferrand declined to say how much Dell will spend on the campaign, but said the cost wouldn't be more than its previous campaigns.

The ad series was designed by Sid Lee, based in Montreal. It is Dell's first time working with this agency.

-By Ian Sherr, Dow Jones Newswires; 415-439-6455; ian.sherr@dowjones.com

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