By Ian Sherr

A new branding campaign from computer maker Dell Inc. takes a cue from Apple Inc.’s 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” and expected to begin Friday, 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 Round Rock, Texas, company has been working to win more individual consumers—after relying heavily on corporate customers—and it wants to turn around a sagging image. Those efforts have begun to bear some fruit. The 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.

Dell’s reputation has fallen over the past three years and trails rivals Hewlett-Packard Co. 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 Round Rock, Texas, 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.

To read the rest of the story, either contact me directly or read more online at the WSJ: here. (subscription required)

(Originally published July 5, 2011, in the Wall Street Journal.)

By Ian Sherr

Three-dimensional televisions are getting another “D” — discount.

Just a year ago, many 3-D TVs cost $1,000 more than regular sets. But during the recently ended holiday season, the gap halved and is set to shrink further.

Now, television makers, many of which had hoped 3-D would boost sales, are sandwiching the technology into their premium televisions while accepting a smaller premium for it. Like thinner displays, energy efficiency and high-definition, 3-D is becoming a “me-too” feature.

“Prices for 3-D TVs will definitely go down this year,” Skott Ahn, chief technology officer and president of LG Electronics Inc., said at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Mr. Ahn said LG would cut the premium it charges for 3-D TVs by 20% this year and build the technology into all of its new models by 2012.

The muted expectations for 3-D television mark a U-turn from last year’s enthusiastic embrace of the technology. Television makers rushed to bring the third dimension into living rooms after witnessing the success of the movie “Avatar.” Walt Disney Co.’s ESPN unit launched sports broadcasts in 3-D. Even Gucci Group N.V. designed stylish eyeglasses for 3-D viewers, hoping to cash in on the expected popularity of the televisions.

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(Originally published January 6, 2011, at Dow Jones Newswires and on WSJ.com.)

By Ian Sherr

The holiday shopping season, which starts online Cyber Monday, promises to be very good for Apple Inc.

The Cupertino, Calif.-based consumer electronics giant will likely take advantage of the gift-giving season to flex its muscles, grabbing market share for its popular iPod, iPhone and iPad products.

In particular, analysts say Apple will lock down its dominance of the touchscreen computer market, moving more of its iPad tablet devices through retail partners, including Wal-Mart Stores Inc., Target Corp. and Verizon Wireless. A recent survey by ChangeWave Research found that 9% of holiday shoppers plan to buy an iPad in the next 90 days. Apple has sold more than seven million iPads since the device went on sale in April.

Of course, Apple won’t be the only beneficiary of the season’s spirit. Smartphones are expected to do well as more utilities and productivity apps become available for phones running Google Inc.’s Android operating system, as well as Research In Motion Ltd.’s BlackBerry and Hewlett-Packard Co.’s Palm products. That software, known as apps, gives people a reason—other than making calls—to use their phones.

To read the rest of the story, either contact me directly or read more online at the WSJ: here. (subscription required)

(Originally published Nov. 29, 2010, in the Wall Street Journal.)

By Ian Sherr

SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) – Price cuts helped Sony Corp’s Playstation 3 become the top-selling video game console for the first time since its release, as U.S. sales of video game gear and software in the United States rose a modest 1 percent in September from a year ago, a research group said on Monday.

The PlayStation 3 dethroned long-running champ Nintendo and its Wii console to take the top spot, according to NPD. Microsoft’s Xbox 360 came in third.

“If they didn’t have the price cut, it wouldn’t have happened,” said Wedbush Morgan analyst Edward Woo, noting the PS3′s $200 in price cuts over the past two years.

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By Ian Sherr

CHICAGO (Reuters) – The United States Olympic Committee will launch a cable television network devoted to Olympic and Paralympic Games next year, with Comcast Corp agreeing to carry the channel in its cable lineup.

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