Letter to Mr. Gerstner, Sept. 6, 2000

unpublished work © 2000 The Ohio Computer Systems Co.

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September 6, 2000

Mr. Louis V. Gerstner, Jr.
Chief Executive Officer
IBM Corporation
New Orchard Road
Armonk, NY 10504

Dear Mr. Gerstner:

I must apologize to you sir, and your staff, for my letter being 1½ pages.

I have spent most of my career working in solitude on your company's computers.   I have a creative genius that allows me to look at problems from a 360° perspective.  This gift allows me to come up with solutions, where others don't even see a problem.  Recently I found, to my surprise, that this genius is not limited to technical problems, so I am applying it to develop a superior ad campaign to re-brand the AS/400 product line. 

I know for a fact that I seem insolent for suggesting that my creative genius could benefit your shareholders.  By the end of this page, you will see that this creativity is highly disciplined.  I believe you will also see that the ideas presented here show I have a keen sense of your customers and your market.  You, sir, must be the judge of that.  A rough draft of the lead ad for my campaign follows:

• The camera pans from left to right.  
• On the left is a business owner in casual clothes with a Model 150.  The caption reads Model 150, Sales: 100K, Users: 10, IT staff: 0.  
• Camera slowly moves right to business-woman with a 170.  Caption reads Model 170, Sales: 5M, Users 100, IT staff: 1.  
• This is all silent because a) you can really get someone's attention with a silent TV ad and b) you can also use it as a 2-page print ad.  
• The camera keeps moving right showing different models.  1000 Users, 10,000 Users all with a small ratio of IT staff. 
• The CEOs dress more conservatively as the camera moves right.
• The last shot shows a Model 840 with a CEO similar to yourself, and stacks of AS/400 "black boxes" and the caption reads Model 840 (fastest computer in the world) Sales: 20B, Users: 100,000, IT staff: 250.
• Then the camera pulls back to show the entire line of CEO's. This fits real well with the current TV ads which crop off the top and bottom.
• Then the clincher: 

"It's impossible to outgrow an AS/400… but wouldn't it be fun to try."

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I believe you would have to agree that if this ad aired on Super Bowl Sunday, in 2 minutes, and for a measly few million dollars, everyone in the world would instantly understand a few of the reasons why the AS/400 is the premier business computer.  This one ad will bring the AS/400's image up to par with all the other major computer platforms.  The other ads I have planned will further enhance the image.

I refer to the computer as an AS/400, but I have a much better brand name for it.  My ad campaign would dovetail with  Mr. Palmisano's positioning of the AS/400 as "Built for Business."   I am putting together a letter that details the concept behind this brand name, which I will FedEx tomorrow, September 7.  I don't even need to know the current plans for the re-branding, to know that my ideas will get better results. 

I hope you, sir, will consider my ideas and consider launching the re-branding of the AS/400 the week of the Super Bowl.  I realize it will cost money to re-shape your existing plans for the AS/400 re-branding.  But in the long run, your shareholders will benefit a lot more by your decision to use my ideas.

Thank you, sir, for your time and consideration,

jt  (James J. Toran)
Co-Owner

© Copyright 2002 jt. Last update: 2/9/02; 6:12:58 PM.