Case Study: Intel

Background

Intel’s Data Center Solutions group, the makers of Intel® Data Center Manager (DCM), runs like a start-up with its own P&L objectives. DCM is a key ingredient in the growing market segment called Data Center Infrastructure Management (DCIM). In late Fall 2011, Intel DCM hired Karbo to generate awareness for its SDK (middleware). 

The Karbo team first developed the strategic public positioning for the product by identifying its key differentiators. This was imperative, given the marketing “noise” created by as many as 200 tech vendors selling DCIM products. Although real-time, server-level power data had been available for some time, collecting the data had typically been a complex, manual effort. A positioning was created that highlighted Intel DCM is the industry’s only vendor-neutral platform that accesses real-time (versus modeled or estimated) power consumption data at the server level. Further, Intel’s advantage comes from its understanding of the low-level protocols of the semiconductors powering data center servers.

Taking advantage of the travel schedule of Intel’s DCM Director, Jeff Klaus, Karbo organized in-person appointments with key analysts and reporters in Boston, New York and the San Francisco Bay Area plus phone briefings. Within the first few months of working together, the agency generated coverage in Intel’s top media targets, and arranged briefings with top analysts covering DCIM.  

Because Intel DCM has infrequent product announcements, Karbo developed PR programs that leveraged non announcement-driven tactics.  For example, working with Intel, we developed a list of top industry trends for use in “expert source” pitches to media and analysts, and an aggressive thought leadership program driven by contributed articles.

Social Media

Although social media was outside the official scope of Intel DCM’s communications program, Karbo implemented several social media tactics that effectively complement the program’s thought leadership strategies. For example, Karbo monitored several data center-related groups on LinkedIn, recommending Intel DCM also participate in the more active discussions. As a result of sharing published articles with LinkedIn group members, Intel DCM reported receiving incoming queries from both prospective customers and ecosystem partner companies.

In addition, Karbo recommended submitting monthly blog posts ghost-written on behalf of Intel DCM’s Jeff Klaus to Intel Corporate’s robust online community, “The Data Stack.” As a result of a steady stream of content, Klaus’s blogs are now labeled as “Data Center Expert” content, and typically average several hundred views per entry. 

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