As part of re-branding strategy, chip maker Intel Corp. is launching a new corporate and brand identity that will include a re-worked company logo, a change in the ubiquitous "Intel Inside" stickers, and a shift from the Pentium name for its micro-processors.
Intel's image change, to coincide with next week's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, is part of an effort by new Chief Executive Officer Paul Otellini to push Intel into home entertainment. The company, whose processors run more than 80 percent of personal computers, is trying to gain a foothold in the consumer market to counter slowing growth in PC chips.
``Intel has been struggling to find a way out of PCs for the last six or seven years,'' said Eric Ross, an analyst at ThinkEquity Partners in New York, who rates the stock ``buy'' and doesn't own it reports Bloomberg. ``I never dreamed they'd drop `Intel Inside.' Their marketing has been exceptionally successful.''
The change in Intel's brand is the first step in a $2.5 billion marketing campaign, BusinessWeek reported earlier.
Intel also plans to introduce a new chip, which will be called ``Core,'' to complement its Centrino laptop and Viiv home entertainment components.
Samuel B Jones, chief investment officer at Trillium Asset Management, a leading Intel shareholder, said: “I understand why Intel would want people to understand that their focus is not just on PCs, but why abandon the existing branding? They have huge recognition globally and I’m not sure they need to go this far.”
