Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Google gets in on 'Intel Inside' campaign

http://news.com.com/Google+gets+in+on+Intel+Inside+campaign/2100-1024_3-6178926.html

Story last modified Wed Apr 25 06:18:37 PDT 2007


Intel is injecting some of Google's famous ad magic into its "Intel Inside" campaign.

The world's largest microprocessor supplier and the most popular search engine were set to announce on Wednesday a co-marketing initiative that will allow makers and sellers of Intel-based laptops and other computers to easily buy keyword-based search advertising and online display ads for branding through Google's AdWords system.

Intel is introducing a virtual marketing storefront for its thousands of channel and reseller licensees that will provide a single online site for planning and creating ad campaigns such as placing print ads, ordering merchandise and services and customizing items with their company logo. Google is providing a suite of tools within that storefront that will help the users create and manage AdWords campaigns using things like pre-approved ad templates. The storefront and Google program will go into effect April 29.

Previously, Intel had a narrowly focused merchandising program for its "Intel Inside" licensees, allowing them to use marketing funds to buy products with the logo on them, such as pens, cups and mouse pads, said Mike Hoefflinger, general manager of Intel's global partner marketing unit. Now, Intel is broadening the marketing opportunities for licensees and eliminating the out-of-pocket expenses from marketing.

While small businesses may be comfortable buying online ads through Google's online automated ad auction system, the need for coordinating with Intel and other partners makes customized Google ad help necessary through the Intel marketing storefront, he said.

The "Intel Inside" program, established in 1991, has been hugely successful in improving the marketing profile of Intel's products which are buried inside the guts of computers and hidden from the general public.

Google recently switched from using AMD chips to Intel inside its servers. It's not surprising the companies would work together given that Paul Otellini, Intel's president and chief executive, has served on Google's board of directors since before he was promoted to the top spot at Intel in 2005.

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