DDB will mount a campaign to increase Dell Computer sales to major corporations as a key part of its lead-agency role on the $200 million account, the client said.
“We are honing in on the enterprise arena to push Dell onto the short list of companies that large corporations use,” said Venancio Figueroa, a Dell representative.
DDB Chicago won creative and most media duties last week following a short but intense review that, sources said, had competitors sifting through a nearly two-inch-thick list of requirements.
Omnicom’s OMD media unit will handle buying out of New York; creative and planning will be based in Chicago. Pat Dermody, DDB Chicago president of media and integrated ventures, led the pitch. Also involved was Bob Scarpelli, U.S. chief creative.
DDB officials declined comment.
Falling short was retail incumbent Lowe Lintas & Partners, New York. Other contenders: Temerlin McClain, Irving, Texas, and Carat, Los Angeles (media only). Corporate-image incumbent BBDO, New York, split with Dell in February, prior to the review.
Agency pitches were spread over April 2-3. Shops presented to a panel of nine Dell execs, and each session lasted about 2 1/2 hours, sources said.
Lowe Lintas chairman Gary Goldsmith and another group of senior execs met with Dell officials later in the week. It could not be determined if other shops had follow-up sessions.
Dell asked shops to present concepts using different media to relate to Dell’s various niche markets, such as personal computers and enterprise software for larger corporate clients.
DDB’s New York office last year lost Compaq’s estimated $350 million account to FCB, New York.
Dell, founded by Michael Dell, is ranked at No. 3 in annual sales behind IBM and Compaq, according to Hoover’s On line. Over the last several weeks, Dell’s stock has been climbing in the mid-20s range; at press time on Friday, the stock was at 27.92.
DDB Chicago to Take Corporate Tack for Dell
