HP Spotlights VARs In Ad Campaign Targeting Dell

Hewlett-Packard next week plans to launch its first national advertising campaign highlighting solution providers and the value they bring to small-business customers.

Due to start Jan. 16 with ads in the Wall Street Journal, the campaign will focus on HP Personal Systems Group products -- including workstations, notebooks and desktops -- and leverage HP's "the computer is personal again" theme, said Tom LaRocca, vice president of partner development and programs for HP's Solution Partners Organization for the Americas.

"What the ad is going to say is, 'What can be more direct than face to face?' " LaRocca said.

The ad will encourage potential customers to meet their "friendly neighborhood technology partner," according to LaRocca, and explain why SMBs should tap solution providers for their IT needs. He said the ads will stress that being face to face with a solution provider is much better than buying products direct over the phone -- an obvious dig at HP rival Dell.

"I think this is great," said Pete Busam, vice president and COO of Decisive Business Systems, an HP solution provider in Pennsauken, N.J. "They have had the HP Plus Partners campaign in the past, but this really touts solution providers."

The ad will direct readers to a partner locator database on HP's Web site so that customers can contact HP solution providers in their area.

In February, HP plans to expand the ad campaign, which he called a pilot program, to local business publications throughout the country and feature local solution providers that customers can contact, LaRocca said.

HP will measure the effectiveness of the ads by tracking the number of clicks it receives from the national campaign and through actual sales data from solution providers featured in the local ads, he said.

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