During Q1 this year, Acer Europe and Acer MEA merged into one region: Europe, the Middle East and Africa.
Due to the positive European experience, Acer EMEA has developed a common strategy involving "product definition" and "product positioning" combined with a marketing policy based on indirect channels and maximising distinctive national elements derived from different cultures and challenging market conditions.
"Over the years, Acer has viewed the customer as a fundamental part of our strategy, leading the company to create and launch products and solutions specifically designed to meet the requirements of individual interlocutors in the corporate, SMB, government and home/Soho markets," says Emanuele Accolla, Acer MEA MD.
"In line with this `customer-centric` philosophy, Acer EMEA is confirming its commitment to indirect sales channels. With its widespread presence over the territory, this channel is now the most efficient interlocutor between Acer and its buyers."
In short, there are four basic points underlying Acer EMEA`s market strategy, which include improving the company`s presence in the five European markets, strengthening "brand awareness", increasing market share in EMEA and implementing a common policy for the channel Acer`s resources are firmly focused on the core competencies of the company, such as R&D, product development, demand generation and channel management. Distribution is the foremost supporting element of Acer`s channel strategy and involves partnership agreements with both multinational distributors, existing local channel players and new partners that support Acer`s commitment to government`s policy in IT.
In support of this channel strategy, Acer has created the Acer Channel Programme, offering three different levels of partnership, depending on mutual commitments and the market in question.
Acer Africa will implement its channel strategy from the beginning of 2003, and aims to reinforce and support dealers offering products and solutions dedicated to corporate, government, consumers and professional users, as well as small offices.
The Acer Channel Programme is customised to support niche markets that include Value-Added Resellers, System Integrators and Corporate Dealers who offer comprehensive solutions and services in the government, corporate and SMB arenas. The programme guarantees preferential access to technical and commercial information. Products handled also include the Acer Altos family of servers, an excellent platform for providing integrated e-business solutions.
"Innovative and technologically advanced products, unified support services, widespread presence in the markets with precise channel strategies and integrated communication tools to reinforce the image of the Acer brand are the `tools` that Acer EMEA is using to reach its set objectives," Accolla concludes.
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Established in 1976, Acer is among the world`s top 10 branded PC vendors, providing marketing and service operations across Asia-Pacific, the Americas, Europe and the Middle East, and supporting dealers and distributors in over 100 nations. In addition to offering a broad spectrum of IT products and services, Acer is also a leading e-business innovator, providing e-enabling solutions that combine IT products with a range of services delivered via Acer`s global infrastructure. Acer branded products include desktop PCs, notebook PCs, servers, monitors, personal digital assistants (PDA), as well as a range of IT accessories and MegaMicro-ready IT products. In Europe Acer is the fifth largest PC supplier with an overall market growth of 9.6% in 2001 (vs average market growth of 4.7%). In the mobile PC market, Acer is the fourth largest brand showing growth of 16.8% in 2001 (vs average market 8%). Acer`s mobile PC market leadership is best demonstrated in Italy and the Czech Republic where it occupies the number one position, and also in Austria, Spain and Switzerland where the company occupies the number two position (Data source: Dataquest Report - Q2/2001).
Acer`s 2002 growth in the EMEA region (Europe, the Middle East and Africa) is forecasted to be 10% higher than the average forecasted market growth of 3.2%.
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