(by 1 person)
Corante Innovative Marketing Conference 2006
Demand one at the interview.
- Lenovo Thinkpad marketing
Every notebook computer I've had personally has been a Thinkpad... as I type this on a company Dell, I think the idea above is sound!
Lenovo purchased IBM's personal computer division, most notably their Thinkpad notebook line (tops in quality, service, and support), and have since been building global credibility. They are now in the unique position of building a formerly unknown master brand while maintaing the cachet of the Thinkpad sub-brand.
Deepak Advani, Lenovo's chief marketing officer, keynoted at the Corante Innovative Marketing Conference with his views on Lenovo's brand-building process.
The Lenovo story in brief
- $25,000 startup in 1984
- Now 40% PC market share
- Hong Kong exchange listed, stock option incentives
- 30% female executives, and one of the world's most diverse senior leadership teams
- 27,000 employees in 138 countries, US$13B revenue
Lenovo and the Thinkpad brand
Lenovo acquired the IBM PC business because IBM's product mix was notebook focused, while Lenovo was more PC focused. It was important for IBM to have the Thinkpad business thrive because it is a gateway to other businesses. They kept IBM's sales, service, and support.Lenovo has to make sure Thinkpad's brand equity is not diluted -- they're watching brand sentiment and word of mouth closely. They haven't cut corners in building the notebooks, and haven't cut customer service as these things are key to the identity of the brand.
Power of the brand: "I've got Thinkpad. This is a brand my competitors would kill for... it stands for the ultimate business tool."
The logo: "The only place I can use the IBM logo is on the product... and I don't want to [use it elsewhere]. You have to have truth in advertising."
The future: "We're going to bring out some refreshing and interesting designs over the next two years, because we have the skills."
Three phases of building the Lenovo/Thinkpad brand
2006: Strengthen the Thinkpad brand, and position Lenovo as the company that is making Thinkpad better.
2007: Introduce Lenovo branded products.
Bill Tancer of Hitwise charts the rise of Lenovo in search engine queries
Lenovo's Thinkpad Z60
Viral Marketing - The Lenovo Tapes
Old Thinkpads -- still ticking
My favorite Thinkpad is the 570... it's an obsolete 1999 model that I still use personally from time to time because it's well-designed, well-built, and works fine for basic computing. It's slim and light, with no extra stuff crammed in, but still includes a full-size keyboard and a reasonably large 13-inch screen.
eBay is the place to buy them -- and parts when something wears out. Lenovo would probably like people to buy new Thinkpads though -- guys, could you make another 570? A sample of what's for sale today:
Fetching new data from eBay now... please stand by
