ViewSonic

Objectives

According to industry analysts and news media, 2011 is the year of the tablet computer. Following the success of Apple’s iPad, ViewSonic, a 25-year veteran of the consumer electronics industry, approached LEWIS PR to develop a launch program for its competing ViewPad tablet.

In an over-saturated market, it’s a challenge for a brand to gain attention, let alone recognition from mainstream media, tech press or key influencers. One obstacle ViewSonic faced was low name recognition. The brand was known primarily for its displays, and there was little awareness that the company had even made tablets in the past. This posed a significant challenge in making the case for why ViewSonic’s ViewPad tablet line stands out above the rest.  
 
LEWIS was charged with developing an exciting PR plan to generate publicity around the ViewPad’s launch and position ViewSonic’s product line as a leader in the tablet computer market. LEWIS developed and implemented a PR plan that resulted in outstanding publicity for the ViewPad’s launch and positioned the product as a leader in the tablet computer market. By changing the perception of the company from one that made good displays to one that offered top-line tablets – the LEWIS team helped to re-brand ViewSonic and enhance its corporate image.

Strategy

The campaign started with a research component to pinpoint the key features that the iPad lacks which are offered by the ViewSonic ViewPad. LEWIS conducted a media audit using competitor names, key words and social media dashboards to look at what the market was saying about iPad in order to identify more differentiators. Some of these components included the iPad’s lack of a webcam, expandable memory features, and limited 10” size option. These research points were key areas used in the differentiation of the ViewPad line at its launch.

LEWIS planned to drive media attention by implementing the launch of ViewSonic’s ViewPad line in phases, for the maximum opportunity to create and expand market awareness.

LEWIS turned the company’s display heritage into a strategic reason for why the ViewPad tablet line delivers the ideal tablet experience. As ViewSonic first introduced an enterprise-focused tablet device in 2001, the company could accurately claim that ViewSonic’s ViewPads were a decade in development. And to stir up controversy and drive additional media discussion, the LEWIS team started a debate about why Apple had decided not to release a 7” tablet offering.

Market Positioning: 
  • Competition: Play to the weaknesses of the iPad
  • Heritage: Leverage ViewSonic's 25 years of display expertise 
  • Education: Share how ViewSonic introducted its first table device in 2001
  • Controversy: Make bold claims about Apple's go-to-market strategy
 
Pre-briefings prior to launch
To kick off the launch of ViewSonic’s tablet market entrance on November 1, 2010, LEWIS held pre-briefings with 20 of the top industry influencers. Outlets briefed included: CDN, ChannelBuzz.ca, Channel Insider, CNET, Computerworld, CRN, Dealerscope, Dow Jones Newswires, eChannelLine, Engadget, Financial Times, Hot Hardware, LAPTOP, Maximum PC, PC Magazine, PCWorld, Smart Computing, Technologizer, TWICEand The Wall Street Journal.
 
During pre-briefings, LEWIS coached ViewSonic spokespeople to pitch LAPTOP’s editor-in-chief Mark Spoonauer with controversial claims about Apple’s go-to-market strategy to stir up debates about why Apple had not released a 7” tablet. This message strategy was successful with day-of stories buzzing with speculations and questions around whether the market needed a smaller-sized tablet device to fully address consumer needs.
 
LEWIS worked with Ian Sherr of Dow Jones on a sneak preview tablet exclusive that ran a few days in advance of the launch announcement to drive further anticipation and excitement around the new products. As a result, a strong tablet round-up piece ran on WSJ.com, positioning ViewSonic as a leader with other key tablet players, including Apple, Dell, HP and Samsung.
 
Resulting directly from LEWIS’ groundwork with reporters in the weeks prior to ViewSonic’s ViewPad 7 launch announcement, a flurry of positive press coverage hit on the day of the announcement, November 1, 2010, by outlets including All Things Digital, Channel Insider, CNET, CRN, Dealerscope, Digital Trends, InformationWeek, IntoMobile, LAPTOP, Maximum PC, MSNBC, PCMag.com, PCWorld, Technologizer, The Wall Street Journal, TWICE, and VentureBeat.
 
Product seeding / reviews
With the help of LEWIS, ViewSonic seeded review units to key targets at CNET, CRN, Computerworld, Engadget, Hot Hardware, LAPTOP, Maximum PC, Men’s Health, New York Times, PCMag.com, PCWorld, Tom’s Guide, among others. Just in time for the holiday shopping season, the ViewPad 7 was included on the front page of The New York Times Personal Technology section alongside the iPad as a top tablet device to give and receive for the holidays.
 
Event - CES 2011
To continue the momentum of ViewSonic’s massive ViewPad exposure, LEWIS contributed to putting a major focus on the category at CES 2011. The hottest news coming out of the show covered tablets, and unlike ViewSonic’s ViewPads, many competing products were unavailable for purchase for several months. LEWIS counseled ViewSonic to highlight the fact with reporters that ViewSonic was actually shipping products.
 
Advance buzz
Leveraging analyst reports of 2011 as ‘the year of the tablet,’ two news exclusives were placed with Dow Jonesregarding ViewSonic’s 2011 market strategy and a CES 2011 news preview.
 
LEWIS worked with TWICE in advance of the CES show to secure a front cover mention and a dedicated story in the special edition TWICE show daily around the new ViewPad launching at the show.
 
On-site briefings
LEWIS’ plan to hold tablet briefings around products already shipping paid off immensely, with 36 tablet-focused meetings taking place on the floor with outletsincluding Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Consumer Digest, Consumer Reports, Dow Jones, Financial Times, Houston Chronicle, LAPTOP, Martha Stewart Living, New York Times, Rolling Stone and The New Yorker. Following the briefings, the ViewPad was included in stories from CES by media outlets such as Consumer Reports and LAPTOP. Encouraging news media to interact directly with product demo units provided them with added assurance that ViewSonic’s tablet solutions were ones to watch. LEWIS also provided sneak peeks at other upcoming tablet solutions to generate added buzz on the show floor.
 
Creative tradeshow presence

ViewSonic’s iconic Finches in human-sized costumes were used to draw attention to the company’s booth. As a result, The Wall Street Journal’s Walt Mossberg and Katie Boehret stopped to take a picture and receive an impromptu briefing. 

 

Results

LEWIS developed and implemented a PR plan that resulted in outstanding publicity for the ViewPad’s launch and positioned the product as a leader in the tablet computer market. By changing the perception of the company from one that made good displays to one that offered top-line tablets – the LEWIS team helped to re-brand ViewSonic and enhance its corporate image.

Highlights as part of ViewPad coverage, among many, include:

  • Two pre-announcement Wall Street Journal online teaser stories about ViewSonic’s tablet market entrance
  • New York Times Personal Technology section ViewPad 7 front-page coverage of the top tablet devices to give and get for the holidays titled, ‘Gift Choices for Lovers of the Next Big Thing.’ The ViewPad 7 was the only other tablet to have a color photo run alongside a picture of the iPad    
  • The ViewPad line announcement has garnered a total of 380,840,099 impressions, since November 1, 2010
  • A total impression count of 118,133,485 was achieved at the time of the initial announcement alone (month of November 2010)
  • A total of 36 tablet-focused briefings were held at CES 2011
  • Product reviews have run in many leading outlets, with more on the way from influencers including Associated Press, Bloomberg BusinessWeek, Entertainment Weekly and WIRED
 
Associated Documents
ViewSonic-Case-Study-.pdf