Lenovo is a popular Chinese manufacturer of PCs, notebooks, tablets, and mobile devices dedicated to building exceptionally engineered personal computers. Their business model is built on innovation, operational efficiency and customer satisfaction as well as a focus on investment in emerging markets. In 2005 they purchased IBM’s PC company division which manufactures the ThinkPad line which is targeted toward businesses. Lenovo has just launched the IdeaPad, their new line of PCs targeted at U.S. consumers. While they are the third largest PC manufacturer globally, they rank ninth in the U.S. customer’s consideration set. OBJECTIVE: Lenovo came to us with the objective of moving the IdeaPad into the the top six consideration set of what they had termed the “do-er” generation. PROBLEM: The average PC user in the U.S only considers three PCs before purchase.
In Consideration Set
Not In Consideration Set
Last Place
COMPETITORS: The PC market is saturated with products that are almost exactly alike. The only real differentiator is Apple. By designing their own operating system, peripherals and software, maintaining a superiorly low defect rate, and by employing a trusted American help force, they are more than just another PC manufacturer - in fact, most consumers don’t even consider the MacBook a PC. Apple started with not a product in mind, but an idea - to build computers that let people be as creative as they want. They owned the position of thinking different. So that leaves the real PC market: HP, Dell, Toshiba, Samsung, Sony, Asus, and Acer - and there isn’t much difference between any of them. They all have relatively the same hard drive space and memory, same sizes and weight, run on Windows operating system, and have a lackluster customer experience. With limited marketing budgets, those not in the consideration set focus only on selling products rather than driving brand perception. In the near term, this strategy might be enough to make consumers feel more comfortable with picking one up when they see one a store shelf, but it won’t likely be enough to drive them to stores to seek one out to begin with. Even Dell and HP, with competitive marketing budgets, don’t adequately explain why they are in the PC business. PC CUSTOMERS: Most PC users under 30 have had a relationship with PCs since they were 6 years old. But many still don't know the difference between an HP and a Dell or an Asus or Acer although most are more familiar with the Dell or HP brand as they were probably the brand of desktop computer their parent’s owned while they were growing up. But now they are blurring the lines between what a PC or phone or tablet or notebook or TV is supposed to do - they just want information to be able to transfer from one device to another seamlessly. In fact, the second biggest reason most of them cite for not wanting a Mac is they fear it will be too restrictive. OPPORTUNITY: Since they are not competing with Apple, they are really only in eighth place. And since those not in the consideration set won’t invest in brand image, Lenovo has the opportunity to compete with HP and Dell in the top three consideration set within the consumer-based PC market. To get there will require two things: Raise awareness about what Lenovo stand for. Figure out why they got into the PC business to begin with, and then tell the U.S. Rename the IdeaPad. The term “pad” is becoming synonymous with tablets. When you take into account Lenovo’s history of hardware innovations, inventing things like fingerprint security locks, the 24 hour battery, the eye-controlled mouse, and the shock sensor hard drive, it is easy to see why Lenovo is in the PC business and that they stand for.
7HFKQRORJ\ VKRXOG QRW EH KLGGHQ ¬ ,W LV QRW D VHFUHW ¬ ,W LV QRW PDJLF Technology is real. You can touch it, you can feel it, you can build it. 7HFKQRORJ\ LV DURXQG \RX DOO WKH WLPH and it is beautiful. We want you to see technology the way we do. We want you to see the beauty on the inside.
Packaging comes with a USB bracelet showing the beauty inside of your machine, on the outside.
The Work Shop - A place to explore the beauty of technology.
A Beautiful Machine Exhibit - Where ever Lenovo PCs are sold.