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Product Launches |
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Micro Solutions' RoadStor |
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Gateway's Handbook |
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Zenith Data Systems' CruisePAD |
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Life Fitness' Lifecycle Exercise Bike |
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| Crisis Communications |
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Zenith Data Systems |
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| Start-Up Companies |
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Mediaphile AV Technologies |
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Distributed Bits |
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Product Launch
The Company: Zenith Data Systems
The Product: CruisePAD
The Challenge:
CruisePAD's most newsworthy aspects - complex functionality and unprecedented technology - also made it confusing to explain and nearly impossible to categorize with other products. Zenith Data Systems' (ZDS) hand-held, wireless PC product crisscrossed every conceivable application and audience boundary. Gibson Communications' challenge was to adequately educate the media to ensure accurate press coverage and positioning of CruisePAD in trade, business and vertical publications.
The Strategy:
We resorted to an exceptional approach for this exceptional product. In addition to developing a comprehensive press kit, including several technology and market positioning white papers, Gibson Communications planned and managed a whirlwind, two-and-a-half week, tri-city national media/analyst tour to personally introduce CruisePAD to the target media and analysts. More than 45 top editors and influential analysts received a "private showing" of the unique, new product to see, touch, try out and understand CruisePAD first- hand.
Gibson Communications arranged appointments with representatives from: PC Week, PC World, PC/Computing, PC Magazine, InfoWorld, InformationWeek, Computerworld, LAN Times, Windows Sources, Windows Magazine, Computer Reseller News, VARBusiness, Open Systems Today, Computer Shopper, Ziff-Davis Publishing, and a host of others. Our impressive analyst roster included: Dataquest, Gartner Group, Forrester Research and IDC.
The Results:
Our one-on-one efforts were rewarded on a grand scale. The media got the message and the new product received extensive, accurate press coverage. CruisePAD garnered two magazine cover stories and more than 70 stories and story inclusions over the next few months in the United States and Europe.
In addition, within eight months of its introduction CruisePAD won three prestigious industry awards: "Best Wireless LAN" at the first annual Mobile Insights '95 Mobility Awards; a " '95 Industrial Design Excellence Award" sponsored by Business Week, and "Best Product" at VARVision/95, co-sponsored by Computer Reseller News and VARBusiness. ZDS also was invited to demo CruisePAD at "Demo 95: P.C. Letter's Annual Product and Technology Showcase," an exclusive conference for senior management and technical executives. Finally, CruisePAD was named a finalist in the 1994 "Most Valuable Products" awards by PC Computing.
Gibson Communications was named Finalist 1995 MARCOM AWARDS, Introduction of a New Product, for its efforts in launching this new product.