Chipping Away: Building a Reputation for Sand Video

The Challenge

Privately-held Sand Video was focused on the development of advanced video compression semiconductor technology for a broad range of consumer digital video applications.

The competition included not only some of the world's largest chip designers, such as Texas Instruments, LSI Logic, Broadcom and STMicro (the biggest names in the semiconductor industry) but also competing standards backed by major players like Microsoft.

The challenge: generating credibility for Sand Video and its technology when its much larger, better funded competitors were poised against it.

Strategic Execution At Work

Sand Video was primarily interested in supporting its industry-first demos at key industry trade shows. So we focused on developing and enhancing relationships with key reporters at top-tier publications. Our strategy included offering pre-show exclusives to select reporters.

When we weren't supporting their trade show demos, we provided reporters comments on major industry news. In fact, Sand Video decided to aggressively take on Microsoft in the media regarding the benefits and capabilities of the MPEG-4 compression standard vs. Windows Media 9. We briefed the media on deficiencies of the Windows Media 9 standard.

The Results

We generated coverage that made Sand Video known throughout the industry on a worldwide basis as the recognized expert and leader in advanced video compression solutions. The company's technology was acknowledged to be leading the industry, and its management team became trusted sources. On the basis of the relationship we developed with one influential reporter, Sand Video's CEO was selected to participate in a panel discussion at CES on streaming media, sitting next to representatives from LSI Logic, Apple, and Warner Music.

How did Sand Video measure the impact of our PR campaign? The company's PR coverage regarding MPEG-4 got Microsoft's attention; and Microsoft actively pursued Sand Video for a deal in which tiny Sand Video signaled its support of Windows Media 9. Additionally, Sand Video was acquired by competitor Broadcom for nearly $80 million just 18 months after its initial round of $8 million.

Coverage included:

• EE Times Asia: "Sand Video crafts core for mobile TV" (Jan. 16, 2004)
• Digital Video Editing: "Microsoft Windows Digital Media Division Makes Announcements at CES" (Jan. 8, 2004)
• EE Times Asia: "Consumer Electronics Donning More Video Apps" (Jan. 1, 2004)
• ScreenPlays: "Creative Tools: Real's Video 10 Alters Debate on Compression" (Jan. 2004)
• Mass High Tech: "Sand Video Has the Key to Delivering Mobile Video" (Dec. 29, 2003)
• Nikkei Electronics Asia: "Technology Analysis: Video from Digital Cameras to Reach 1.3M-Pixels/Frame" (Dec. 23, 2003)
• EE Times: "Sand Video Crafts Core for Mobile TV" (Dec. 15, 2003)
• DerStandard: "Sand Video launcht AVC/H.264 Decoder Core Decoder ist speziell auf mobile TV- oder Videoapplikationen ausgerichtet" (Dec. 11, 2003)
• Network World Fusion: "New Decoder for Mobile Devices" (Dec. 9, 2003)
• EE Times: "Sand Video to Launch H.264 Licensable Core for TV-on-Mobile Apps" (Dec. 9, 2003)
• CommsDesign: "Sand Video to Launch H.264 Licensable Core for TV-on-Mobile Apps" (Dec. 9, 2003)
• eMediaLive: "Sand Video to Release Low Power MPEG4-AVC/H.264 Decoder Core" (Dec. 9, 2003)
• EE Times UK: "MPEG group discloses joint licensing terms for H.264" (Nov. 20, 2003)
• EE Times: "MPEG group discloses joint licensing terms for H.264" (Nov. 19, 2003)
• CommsDesign: "MPEG group discloses joint licensing terms for H.264" (Nov. 19, 2003)
• EE Times Asia: "Sand Video offers H.264 decoder core licenses" (Sept. 16, 2003)
• Computerworld: "Vendors prep wares to manage network security" (Sept. 15, 2003)
• Network World Fusion: "Vendors prep wares to manage network security" (Sept. 15, 2003)
• EE Times: "H.264 video coding surges into view" (Sept. 15, 2003)
• EE Times: "Dueling video codecs square off at broadcast conference" (Sept. 13, 2003)
• CommsDesign: "Dueling video codecs square off at broadcast conference" (Sept. 13, 2003)
• EDN: "Summer Movie Season: Tech Companies Hope Video will be a Smash Hit" (Aug. 13, 2003)
• ReThink.com: "Sand Video first to market with H.264 codec core" (July 29, 2003)
• EE Times: "Sand Video offers H.264 decoder core licenses" (July 21, 2003)
• EBN: "Sand Video ups ante in decoder sector" (July 21, 2003)
• CommsDesign: "Sand Video offers H.264 decoder core licenses" (July 21, 2003)

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