In August 2003, Iomega Corporation, a global leader in data storage and the manufacturers of the popular Zip Drive, enlisted the help of Ronstadt & Associates to launch the company's new REV(TM) 35 Gigabyte USB Drive, a revolutionary removable hard disk system designed to replace tape backup for small-to-medium-sized businesses.

• Shatter the industry paradigm that saw traditional tape archiving as the preferred backup storage medium and position the drive as the new standard
  
• Capture the interest of the PC industry and business press to pave the way for future manufacturing deals
  
• Drive sales of the Iomega REV drive

PC industry in general; small-to-medium-sized businesses; key product analysts; business press; small business press; information technology press; engineering publications; technology trades; PC enthusiast press; money/finance magazines; select vertical market publications; San Diego local business media

Position REV as the next evolutionary phase in backup storage, destined to replace tape the way DVD is replacing VHS.

Tactic 1 - "Vision" Tour: More than nine months before REV's first shipment, Ronstadt & Associates arranged a "vision" tour for Iomega's CEO Werner Heid to meet with key engineering and business press. We secured appointments with approximately 30 editors for firsthand demonstrations of the new technology. Results: Heid appeared on CNNfn live and CBS MarketWatch to tout the new technology. By the tour's end, numerous leading publications couldn't wait to review the REV. Also, the positive coverage piqued the interest of PC manufacturers, setting the stage for future Iomega partnerships.

Tactic 2- Comdex Tech Show Product Branding Announcement: With REV's product branding and name finalized, we opted to hold the news until the opening day of the show. Results: By announcing the product name at the nation's largest computer show, we garnered additional coverage for REV with the same media outlets that reported on the technology in August.

Tactic 3- Analyst Review Tour: We needed to win the support of key analysts who could then provide expert third-party opinions to the media. To accomplish this, shortly before the product launch we arranged for executives to meet with several analyst firms to explain REV's significance to the backup storage industry. Results: This created tremendous anticipation, laying the foundation for a highly effective debut.

Tactic 4 - Under-Embargo Pre-launch Briefings: We created a crescendo of positive media coverage by providing key press with an under-embargo briefing ahead of the official ship date. We discussed the product's benefits, comparing it with tape and other backup storage alternatives on the market. Our final aggressive media relations efforts took place when the release hit the wires. Results: Many publications covered REV for the third time. The stories repeatedly put REV head-to-head against tape and positioned it as the dawn of a new era for storage, a superior choice for today's small to medium-sized business.

Tactic 5 - Product Review Tour: We arranged a face-to-face media tour, enabling executives to walk editors through REV's many beneficial features and hammer home key messages. Results: Iomega reps met with editors from more than 30 publications to review REV. The REV drive was also awarded "PC Magazine Editors' Choice," an important industry benchmark.

Tactic 6 - CeBIT Conference Push: We provided support for REV at the Spring 2004 CeBIT conference, a leading trade show showcasing technology products for businesses. Results: Through aggressive media relations and one-on-one press meetings with executives, we secured coverage for the REV drive in planned roundups and articles. REV was named "best of show" at the conference by PC Magazine and eWeek and was honored with a "Best of CeBIT America" award for personal hardware.

Ronstadt & Associates arranged more than 150 press briefings with media representatives during the course of the nine-month campaign, resulting in extensive coverage and REV's immediate acceptance as a viable alternative to tape backup. The drive received terrific coverage in information technology outlets such as CIO Today.com, CMP's Tech Web "Small Business Pipeline," IEEE Spectrum, Computer World, CRN, EE Times, eWeek, Federal Computer Week, Government Computer News, Network Computing and Network World.

Additionally, Ronstadt & Associates secured outstanding REV coverage in consumer and PC enthusiast outlets such as American Photo, Brandweek, Computer Graphics World, CNET, Computer Shopper, Newsbytes News Network, PC Magazine, PC World, Popular Photography, Bloomberg Radio, Financial Times, New York Times, Reuters, and San Jose Mercury News. In all, REV was covered in more than 150 media outlets with a combined circulation of more than 170 million.

The consumer response has been overwhelming. During the first quarter of REV's availability, its sales were $7.5 million, exceeding Iomega's expectations.

Today Iomega has REV Drive evaluation units with more than 40 top-tier manufacturing partners for consideration as built in units with desktop PCs and servers.

These concrete results have placed Iomega on its way to changing entrenched ideas about tape backup as the preferred storage medium for small-to-medium-sized businesses and making REV the new standard.