SAN DIEGO, Aug. 23 /PRNewswire/ -- As a key component in its grassroots
effort to demystify technology, Gateway (NYSE: GTW) tomorrow launches a major
brand advertising campaign asserting the company's philosophy that "People
Rule" -- and that technology is beneficial only to the extent that it serves
people in their daily lives.
The campaign is the latest development in Gateway's unprecedented,
community-by-community effort to help people get more out of their PC, whether
it's a Gateway system or any other brand. Through its 290 Gateway Country
stores, the company has begun offering a range of programs -- many free of
charge -- to demystify technology for consumers and businesses.
The "People Rule" advertising campaign launches Thursday with a heavy
concentration of network, spot and cable TV, newspapers and spot radio. An
introductory TV spot depicts a household living room with a PC sitting idle
while family members go about their daily lives. Voiceover narration outlines
Gateway's philosophy that people do more amazing things than computers ever
will, but that Gateway can help improve their lives by making it simpler to
tap into the power of technology.
A two-page print ad appearing tomorrow in national and local newspapers
mirrors the first TV commercial. Additional print and broadcast advertising
will deepen the impact of the campaign in the coming weeks.
"We think people have a right to expect more from technology companies,"
said Gateway CEO Jeff Weitzen. "Gateway has always put people's needs before
technology's capabilities, but now we're doing more than ever before to put
this philosophy into action in the nearly 300 communities where we operate
Gateway Country stores."
Gateway's "People Rule" campaign represents an important evolution in the
Gateway brand's positioning in the marketplace because it focuses on the brand
rather than specific products, and expands the definition of "Gateway Country"
from the name of its revolutionary retail concept to a more human way to
approach technology. The campaign was developed by McCann-Erickson, Gateway's
advertising agency since 1998.
After this week's launch, several new print and broadcast advertisements
will be introduced to deepen the campaign's impact through the fall and
winter. The "People Rule" campaign also will be reinforced with in-store
point-of-sale advertising as well as through Gateway's telephone and Web sales
channels (1-800-GATEWAY and http://www.gateway.com , respectively).
Gateway's grassroots effort -- recently launched to leverage Gateway
Country stores as community centers for demystifying technology -- includes:
-- Free weekly clinics in all 290 Gateway Country stores, teaching
customers everything from PC and Internet basics to digital
photography, digital music, online investing and business network
planning.
-- An "Ask-a-Tech" program in each store to make technicians available
once a week to provide free guidance, answer questions and analyze
problems.
-- A developing network of Gateway Technology Ambassadors whose sole
mission is to provide localized outreach to community groups and help
demystify technology with free mobile clinics, in-store advice sessions
and other activities tailored to their needs.
-- Additional training offerings, leveraging Gateway's 5,000 training
seats in Gateway Country stores nationwide and expertise as America's
leading provider of non-vocational technology training.
In a recent national survey commissioned by Gateway, 69 percent of PC
owners said they're not using their PC's full potential -- and only 32 percent
said they know what their PC's full potential is. Only 15 percent of PC
owners said they believe that PCs and technology products deliver on
everything they promise.
About Gateway
Gateway (NYSE: GTW), a Fortune 250 company founded in 1985, focuses on
building lifelong relationships with consumers and businesses through complete
technology personalization. Gateway ranked number one in U.S. consumer PC
revenue in 1999 (1) and was rated among the top ten best corporate reputations
in America according to a survey conducted in August of 1999 by Harris
Interactive and the Reputation Institute and published in The Wall Street
Journal. Gateway employees worldwide provide clients with services and
built-to-order computers that consistently win top awards from leading
industry publications. Gateway had total global revenue of $8.65 billion in
1999 and shipped 4.68 million systems. For more information, visit our Web
site at http://www.gateway.com.
(1) According to GartnerGroup/Dataquest US PC Quarterly statistics.
SOURCE Gateway
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Related links:
http://www.gateway.com
CONTACT:
Brad Williams, 858-799-2511,
brad.williams@gateway.com, or Greg Lund, 858-799-2512,
greg.lund@gateway.com, both of Gateway
NOTE TO EDITORS: A detailed summary of research highlights is
available.
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