Intel Marketing
PC Dads Program Analysis
1996-2001

Situational analysis:
In 1996, Intel had invested $4 million in the traveling Smithsonian exhibit. This was a public exhibit of some of the museum’s most valuable treasures, and was slated to travel to 34 cities over two years. But while the exhibit was generating widespread public attention, corporate sponsors like Intel struggled for attention and the Smithsonian organization seemed reluctant to promote its financial backers. Senior marketing managers at Intel felt like they needed a new way to promote Intel’s sponsorship, along with its other technology education programs.

The company decided to try a new approach by putting the PC Dads program (see “background” below) on the road to help educate consumers about the PC, while promoting Intel’s involvement in the Smithsonian exhibit. The idea was to have the PC Dads conduct public workshops and “curtain raiser” demonstrations of the latest computer technology at least a week before the exhibit arrived in town, and promote the activities through radio, TV and print media. The target would be novice computer users, particularly parents. The overall goal: to boost consumer awareness of Intel, particularly in the home.

The first workshop—named the PC Safari—was launched in Glendale, Ca., in the spring of 1996, in a public mall, complete with a team of personal “guides” and colorful demos, aimed at helping novices navigate through the “jungle of jargon.” It was broadcast via a local radio station, and promoted through a local newspaper article. More than 1,000 mall visitors witnessed the Intel events, establishing it as an early model for 30 future cities.

Program summary

Goal:
• Promote consumer awareness of the Intel brand in the home through “educational outreach” and communications programs aimed at parents, teachers and other non-expert computer users.

Strategy:
• Create broad reaching program by appealing to mass consumers at a basic level, using combination of educational approaches and media campaigns to help teach parents how to manage their computer and Internet experience in the home…and ultimately raise healthier kids as the Internet emerged.
• Humanize computer, and later Internet, subjects by addressing issues in simple terms, and using humor and colorful metaphors and themes like the PC Safari and Digital Frontier.
• Drive and manage wide range of media activities, from articles and books to regular TV appearances, to raise public exposure, while promoting the Intel brand.
• Enlist and train dozens of employees to be Intel ambassadors at PC Dad shows, and later in their own communities, doing educational presentations.

Components/Achievements:
• Branded program: Created and managed Intel’s first “human brand” program, as part of Intel’s technology education effort (under Intel Inside).
• Public workshops: Conducted over 30 public workshops and technology demonstrations in science centers and other public venues (ex:Boston Computer Museum), reaching thousands of consumers and creating media interest. Surveys showed that attendees overwhelmingly had a more positive impression of Intel after the programs.

• Print:
- NAPS articles: Using national NAPs distribution, published 20 articles for small to medium sized newspapers across the U.S., focusing on basic subjects.
- Interviews: Interviewed by dozens of publications about consumer technology issues, including national publications like Parents and USA Today.
- Syndicated column: In 1999, negotiated contract with Tribune Media Services (part of Tribune Co) for nationally syndicated newspaper column, later named the PC Parents. Eventually ran in about 25 newspapers.

• Broadcast media
- Satellite and radio media tours: Conducted a dozen SMTs and 10 RMTs, allowing us to appear on more than 300 morning news shows.
- Through media tours, appeared on more than 250 other TV shows, including CNN, where we made regular monthly appearances for more than a year.
- Nationally, appeared regularly on Gina Smith’s ABC radio show to talk about consumer technology.
- Locally, appeared regularly on Portland AM NW morning TV show on ABC affiliate.
- Commercial radio segments: Produced and performed 30 45-second “Everyday Computing Minutes” segments, broadcast to hundreds of stations.

• The web: Launched PC Dads website on AOL to provide information to consumers, reaching more than 1,500 people/day by 1998. Established as leading computer experts on iVillage’s website, which targets women.

• Other Accomplishments:
- PC Dads Guide to Becoming a Computer Smart Parent: Published book through division of Random House (Dell Publishing), generating widespread attention through media tours in more than 20 cities.
- Portland radio show: Hosted weekly radio show about computing (Down Home Computing with the PC Dads) for two years on KUIK/AM.
- Volunteer training activities: Trained dozens of employees in four Intel site cities to perform PC Parent workshops in their communities. Separately, trained selective volunteers to conduct media activities.

Total media impressions
1997: 87.7 million
1998: 134.8 million
1999: 155 million
Total impressions: 377.5m

Total cost
$650,000/year
3 year cost: $1.95m

Program Background

Mark teamed up with Intel colleague Ralph Bond to create the PC Dads program in the late 1990s to help Intel solve a problem: how to reach average (non techie) consumers in their own homes. Their challenge was to humanize an intimidating subject, and build positive brand awareness for Intel in the home. It was housed in marketing organization that had launched the wildly successful Intel Inside program a decade earlier.

The PC Dads program started as a grass roots school volunteer effort with a simple theme: The computer can be a powerful, useful device for helping parents raise healthy, educated kids in the digital age. The PC Dads (and Intel by association) are here to help.

Over three years, the PC Dads conducted public workshop in 30 cities in public venues like malls and science museums. Through these travels, they conducted over 500 radio and TV interviews and authored hundreds of articles. Later, they published a book through a division of Random House and negotiated a syndicated newspaper column through Tribune Media , part of the publishing company that owns the Chicago Tribune. There were satellite media tours, books tours, and regular appearances on CNN. By then they were even getting calls from the Oprah Winfrey show. Clearly they had broken through the media barriers that block most corporations.

By 2000, Intel had branded the program and let them spin off a separate sister program, dubbed the PC Parents, which was tasked with training other employees to conduct public outreach efforts in several different cities where the company operated.

All totaled, the program reached tens of millions of consumers at a fraction of the cost Intel was paying for advertising, or even traditional PR. More importantly, surveys showed the corporate messages were getting through. Invariably, people who heard “the dads” were more positive inclined toward computers, the Internet and Intel.

“You guys (PC Dads) did a great job with the interview. It’s an impressive program.”
Walter Cronkite at CBS affiliate (KHOU) in Houston
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