'You Can Tell It's Dell' Campaign Promotes Products Over Price

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Dell's global mega-million dollar branding campaign is designed to encourage consumers to make an "emotional connection" with the brand instead of winning them over solely on price.

"In a very simple way, you will see what a product does for you, why you need it," said Paul-Henri Ferrand, CMO for Dell's $26 billion global consumer, and small and medium business division, in an interview. That's in contrast to Dell's legacy of promoting itself as a "price leader," he said.

"Just try keeping your hands off it. Feel the difference," reads one ad promoting the all-in-one touch screen PC.

"From touch to type in seconds," reads another ad. "You can tell it's Dell. See the difference at Dell."

The campaign will include television, e-mail, out-of-home, and Web advertising promoting Dell's new all-in-one computer, PC/tablet, laptop equipped with JBL speakers, and other devices.

Online, key components include rich media advertising and initiatives in social media, Ferrand said.

Wunderman New York Chief Creative Officer Nick Moore, who is working with Dell on the campaign, said plans for those efforts are in the works and will be rolled out in coming weeks. Neither he nor Ferrand said they are in a position to discuss specifics.

A larger share of the advertising budget in the U.K. will likely be allocated to online media than television, Moore said. Or while social media efforts in the United States will likely emphasize Facebook and Twitter, the campaign in China might tap Baidu instead of other channels.

Apple has long appealed to consumers based on "emotional" or aesthetic considerations, such as product design.

Moore said the campaign should not be viewed as an attack on Apple. "It's about what we [Dell] do rather than what others do," he said. "One of the things that's central to our thinking is, it's about people first, and technology second."

According to a published report, Dell will spend "hundreds and hundreds of millions."

In developing the product line up and advertising campaign strategy, Dell focused on four customer segments: generation Y, families and their children, affluent professionals, and gamers.