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IBM vs. Dell
The winner is...
October 14, 2002
IBM and Dell are two dominant brands in the PC industry. The older of the two, International Business Machines, carries a complex legacy of services and products that contrast singularly with the sharply focused Dell Computer. How does that reflect on their e-shops?
According to Michael Dell’s biography, “Direct from Dell,” enterprises order online as
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consumers do: when their specific needs are met at all levels. It is therefore interesting to compare Dell, the king of direct selling, with IBM, the king of enterprise relationship.
For IBM, a relationship is everything. However, the environment is changing fast as business buyers seem as keen to order online as consumers do. Technically and psychologically, the hurdles are not high: closing the corporate sales calls for making the requirements of every party to the buying decision – such as IT managers, comptrollers, and users – converge online rather than offline. Moreover, corporate buyers can limit the choice of hardware and software that employees will be able to browse online. Overall, the system streamlines the buying process, and limits the risk of input and compatibility errors.
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Dell’s business model is to sell PCs direct, whether by phone or online, and that straightforward strategy considerably focuses the company and its image. In comparison, IBM is selling and cross-selling a substantial number of products and services that are loosely related with each other. Its strategy to be “the solution provider” – which is consistent with its powerful brand positioning – is not as easy to communicate, perhaps because IBM’s brand overlaps several product categories.
As a result, the visitor browsing dell.com will immediately be attracted to tempting offers to buy the latest PC widgetry, e.g., “Dell Latitude X200, a Thin, Light and Cool Portable,” whereas ibm.com is first a corporate site and, second, an e-commerce. Indeed, while shopping for your favorite IBM laptop, a click on the animated logo will bring you back to the corporate homepage with headlines such as “IBM to build emergency response system for D.C. area” or offers like “Save $2,500 on training and get a Palm m515.”
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*Due to the constantly changing environment of websites, some reviews may no longer reflect the current website for this brand.
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Dec 9, 2002
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Bajaj Auto Limited - Tanks
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As Bajaj Auto Limited goes forward with its brand, its dot com division appears to be in reverse.
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Nov 11, 2002
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Grey Goose - Spirited
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Grey Goose, the blind-taster's favorite vodka, celebrates a modern France online.
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Nov 4, 2002
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Tata - Wasteland
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India's Tata Group demonstrates that placing a logo on a non-descript website is not online branding.
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Oct 7, 2002
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LIC - boredom insured
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The Life Insurance Corp of India’s formidable and well-deserved reputation doesn’t appear to cover its website.
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Sep 30, 2002
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Benetton - divided
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The only thing shocking about Benetton’s site is the lack of merchandizing.
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Sep 9, 2002
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ING Group - void
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ING needs to invest more time in its site to effectively convey the global brand’s financial services.
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Aug 26, 2002
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Timex - flies
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Timex winds up using hi-tech to appeal to the Indian market.
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Aug 12, 2002
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CavinKare - blemish free
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The Indian FMCG brand competes with brands like Hindustan Lever and P&G for the massive Indian market share.
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