Dell lost its luster over the past decade, and its leadership battles have been well documented. The company finally went private once again in late 2013 after Michael Dell, its founder, fought long and hard against billionaire investing mogul Carl Icahn, in order to maintain control of the company. Furthermore, Dell has lost market share over the past decade to the likes of Apple, Sony and HP. But, in true competitive spirit, the company appears to be fighting back now that Michael Dell has complete control over its strategic decisions.
I suspect that the reason Michael Dell wanted to take his company private again was to change course completely, and he probably didn’t have the freedom to do so when it was public. Now private, Dell is taking on an aggressive marketing campaign which positions itself as the choice computer for startup entrepreneurs.
I watched the company’s latest commercial earlier this week. It was inspirational and for the first time in my life, thanks to the clever commercial, I’m actually interested in what products Dell has to offer. Prior to watching this ad I viewed Dell as an antiquated brand of corporate America which lacked innovation. Simply put, Dell just wasn’t a sexy brand from my perspective. Fair or not, that was my view of the company, and I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who thought this way.
From an entrepreneurial perspective, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a commercial that resonated with me as much as Dell’s latest. And although I have never bought a Dell product in my life, at the very least, thanks to this commercial, I will be keeping an eye on the computer company to see what new innovations it comes out with next. Something tells me this is the start of a new era for Dell computers.
Dell’s new commercial proves, judging by my newfound interest in the company, that an effective marketing campaign can reinvent a brand.
Stay hungry,
Aaron
