GENERATING E-BUSINESS

Dell has identified a sales lead-generation program created by Tocquigny Advertising, Interactive + Marketing as a “best practice” that can be used throughout the company.

Dell hired the Austin, Texas, shop to help it reach small and midsize hospitals and schools.

Tocquigny’s database marketing is designed to reach customers more cost-effectively than a sales department program. “This way we can avoid channel conflict and prove that we are augmenting the existing sales efforts,” said Tocquigny principal Valerie Hausladen.

In addition to building a Web site with information about buying and planning for new technology, the shop created a direct-mail campaign and permission-basede-mail newsletters that include new-product facts and promotions.

“Tocquigny pools together the response information and looks at it in an intelligent way so we can build a better profile on each customer,” said Bob Gutermuth, senior manager of education and healthcare marketing at the Round Rock, Texas, firm.

The program, which began...