Jeremiah Owyang discusses how web tools and social media enable companies to connect with customers

Web Strategy Show: When the Web team leads product development, the evolution of Dell Hell to Dell Swell

Dell’s blog champion, Lionel Menchaca spends time with me to talk about some of new programs that they’ve put out over the last year. From the Dell blog, IdeaStorm, and how they’re adapting to the needs of customers.

This video is a bit outdated, as Dell has done a few other things since I filmed this, so be sure to see the chronology at the Dell Social Media Saga Timeline.

Questions I asked regarding IdeaStorm: “Isn’t getting product requirements for the computers the role of the product team? Not the web team?”

What has Dell done that’s so great? Over a year ago, they were getting beat up very badly on blogs, support, and exploding laptops. Now in 2007, they’ve launched a blog, are creating videos and sharing, and have even created the revolutionary “IdeaStorm” website that lets customers tell Dell what features they want on their products. The most shocking? Many of them said they don’t want Microsoft Windows (A strategic partner of Dells) on it, what did Dell do? Watch the video to find out.

Dell is quickly leading the social media space for corporations, as they’ve really embraced the changes, have empowered customers to make decisions about products. That’s revolutionary.

2 Comments so far

  1. […] But hey, no problem, I bought the laptop at Sony Style Store Berlin and boy, do they have good service. They do, right? They sure aren’t like the infamous Dell Hell of the olden times? (Dell has changed a lot since, from what I hear.) […]

  2. […] biggest critic of his own employer –forcing the community to join him, and Lionel Menchaca (my video interview with him) who launched the Dell blog, engaged detractors (even in person) and helped to spearhead the […]

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