This retail manufacturing company understands that Big Data delivers big value by adding context to data that tells a more complete story. With so much data being collected from a wide variety of channels the company was perplexed on what data to collect, how to organize and use it. Together, we are identifying what type of information drives their company and breaking down complex data sets into actionable intelligence allowing them to make more accurate business decisions. One of their major objectives is to demystify big data and apply it to their customers. This will increase the company’s value to their customers exponentially.

After determining the company’s needs, expectations and requirements we decided to segment their data into four categories:

• Diagnostic – A look at past performance to determine what happened and why. The result of the analysis is often an analytic dashboard.

• Predictive – An analysis of likely scenarios of what might happen. The deliverables are usually a predictive forecast.

• Prescriptive – This type of analysis reveals what actions should be taken. This is the most valuable kind of analysis and usually results in rules and recommendations for next steps.

• Descriptive – What is happening now based on incoming data. To mine the analytics, you typically use a real-time dashboard and/or email reports.

We identified all of the various resources that contained usable and pertinent data then developed a process for the data collection…Contact me to see how this project is progressing and how I can help you harness Big Data.

It was imperative for ASSA ABLOY to understand their target audience’s decision-making and buying processes, then align those processes with ASSA’s sales process. Marketing developed a reoccurring research system that included traditional and guerrilla efforts that validated the target audiences processes. Process maps were built diagramming how the various target audiences interacted with each other; their responsibilities, requirements, scope and deliverables. Demographic and psychographic profiles helped separate the target audience members into categories (initiator, influencer, user, decision-maker and buyer) and prioritize them by importance.

Marketing then highlighted the various touch points between each target audience member and where marketing and sales needed to be part of the interactions and conversations. Working closely with the sales team, the marketing team created and implemented tools and activities for each touch point to ensure successful communications. This strategy increased lead generation, quote activity and improved quote to close ratios.  Click here to see decision-making and marketing process maps.

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This B2B company’s in-depth research revealed that their customers are making vendor selections primarily based on internal group consensus and not just an individual buyer. This type of decision-making is twice as difficult compared to individual decision making due to the diverse number of group members and their various needs. Although more difficult, the final solution is more successful.

Research also showed that the company’s sales team has relationships with only 1 to 2 out of 5 to 8 members in the customer’s vendor selection group. The company is presenting solutions to a limited number of members and in many cases the solutions didn’t address many of the members’ needs. The company’s limited sales team can not interact with all of the customer’s group members all the time.

Objective

The marketing objectives are to engage more members in the vendor selection process, increase product brand awareness, increase the number and quality of leads and improve leads to quote and quote to close ratios.

The B2B company’s marketing team-built programs to motivate the customer’s selection group members to proactively ask for the company’s products and services instead of relying on the limited sales force to touch all of the group members.

Social Media efforts are a key component to the program, offering 3rd-party non-bias information to validate the customer’s vendor selection process. In-depth audience profiles identified the audience’s needs, how they satisfy their needs, and in what part of the sales process the needs are used. Goals are set; calendars are developed; marketing automation is integrated; topics, channels and timing are selected, and measurements are put in place.

Over a 12 month period the company’s social interaction and customer response increased dramatically with lead generation and sales… Click here for more information about this project.

The Department Of Energy (DOE) and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) mandates were developed to reduce ozone depleting and global warming refrigerants. These regulations are effecting food retail companies, their suppliers and related manufacturers . The first major milestone is scheduled for 2017 and most companies are scurrying to meet the regulations. Hillphoenix wanted to remind the industry of its expertise and Second Nature line of all natural refrigerants that will not only meet but exceed the regulatory standards.

Objective

The 2016 marketing campaign objective was to position Hillphoenix as the industry’s natural refrigerant expert, build Second Nature brand awareness, increase market share and improve incremental sales.

The campaign started with a due diligence fact finding project that resulted in decisions base on facts and not guesses. Once this information was acquire and analyzed the Marketing Campaign Plan was developed, messaging was crafted and the tools and activities were implemented. Measurements were put into place and reviewed on a monthly bases, then corrective actions were take to optimize the plan.

We definitely took advantage of the 2017 DOE and EPA milestone to increase brand awareness by… Contact me for more information about this project.

In 1968, Albany Door Systems’ parent company, Albany International Corp., pioneered the high performance door industry with the invention of the world’s first high-speed fabric roll up door. The door division, initially known as NOMAFA, later grew through the acquisitions of German door manufacturers Schieffer, Jansen, and Canadian door maker M&I. Capitalizing on the strengths of its acquired companies, the subsequently named Albany Door Systems continued a legacy of innovation throughout five worldwide production facilities located in: Lawrenceville, Georgia, USA; Halmstad, Sweden; Lippstadt, Germany; West Gosford, Australia; and Panyu City, China. In 2007 Albany was acquired by ASSA ABLOY, the worlds largest door manufacture. With over 200,000 installations to date and the combined resources of ASSA ABLOY, Albany is recognized as the leading global manufacturer in the high performance industrial door industry

In the past Albany Door Systems produced solid but meager growth for Albany International. However, in 2003 Albany Door Systems acquired a new management team to ignite the door division’s growth. The new team developed and implemented a growth strategy that included … Contact me for more information about this project.

The American Le Mans Series is recognized as the world’s premier sports car championship.

Benefiting from a licensing agreement with the organizers of the world famous 24 Hours of Le Mans for the use of the name and identical technical rules, the ALMS features participations from many of the world’s most prestigious performance car brands including factory backed efforts from Corvette, Porsche, BMW, Audi, Ferrari, Panoz, Viper, Saleen, Lola, Lola MG, and the world’s best professional privateer teams.

No other sports car series in the world delivers a combination of factory teams, major market penetration and network television.

2004 Objectives

Attract new sponsorship opportunities; leverage Promotions and Public Relations channels to increase brand awareness; expand the viewing and attending audience by supporting local event Promoters with regional and national communications; and strengthen relationships between ALMS and racing teams .

Attract new sponsorship opportunities

• Sponsor acquisition was selected as the keystone for the Series next phase of success. Major market exposure and the association with leading car brands became the Series core offerings. The message was disseminated through television, radio, event promotions, special events, media relations, public relations, website and print advertising. Using audited marketing data from sources such as, Joyce Julius, Nielsen, Arbitron, weblogs, on-site surveys and focus groups we were able to validate or premier competitive stance in the marketplace, second only to NASCAR.
• We were able to identify and match potential sponsors with the Series core offerings, which insured value exchange and increased multi-year agreements. Using this criteria and adding new marketing personnel, sponsor acquisition became more focused and successful while keeping expenditures under control. 2005 projections have increased 235% reaching a 5.2 million dollar level.

Increase the viewing and attending audiences by supporting local event promoters with regional and national communications.

• The Series and event promoters worked in tandem to accomplish this goal. The event promoters engaged the regional and local markets while the Series handled national exposure. It was decide to replace high dollar advertising with guerilla marketing in the regional and local markets.
• The acquired marketing data revealed that the attending fan base would travel 2 to 3 hours to attend an ALMS event. A 250-mile radius was set (not to exclude major cities) around all racing venues, and was sectioned off to determine the main locations of the niche markets. Various guerilla-marketing techniques were used to penetrate these markets to build brand awareness.
• Understanding the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the overall racing market and with the right marketing mix the Series was able to educate and activate new fan involvement as well as seize competitive market share. The most recent Nielsen statistics show that the American Le Mans Series is the most highly rated television racing event next to NASCAR. On-site intercept, call back, and online survey data illustrate a high rate of audience retention, supporting the popularity of sports car racing.

Leverage promotions and public relations to increase brand awareness

• The Series wanted to maximize there marketing mix by using promotions and public relations. The public relations component used tools such as the Series website, online news releases, video new releases, case studies, newsletters and email blasts, local media visits and on-site media networking, while promotional assets were relatively new for this season.
• Promotions were divided into two categories, consumer and business-to-business. The consumer promotions included couponing, premiums, sampling, contast/games/sweepstakes, public and private parties, and special events. Business to business promotions incorporated on-site hospitality, in-store promotional incentives for special sweepstakes offers, and special networking events for teams, manufacturers and sponsors.

Improve ALMS / team relations

• The American Le Mans Series recognized the need for better communications between all of its audiences but specifically the team constituents. The teams (consisting of the car, the crew, the drivers and support equipment) are the actual products that the other audiences relate. Sports car racing is entertainment, and the quality of the teams directly reflects on the quality of the Series.
• Periodic meetings, forums and Q&A sessions were developed to help with team concerns relative to operational, technical and sponsor needs. Co-operative promotions, advertising and overall awareness using the Series existing marketing channels was initiated to help satisfy individual team goals.

Novus Sententia understands the power of the internet, and the technology that drives it. What makes the company successful, in a saturated market, is combining raw talent with business savvy . The Novus team integrates branding, marketing, business strategy, technology and the internet to solve problems. They measure success by building business solutions not just websites.

In 1997 the internet had already proven itself a communications device, but the business implications were not yet understood. Small internet boutiques were a dime-a-dozen but could not integrate business with the web. Marketing agencies and advertising firms treated the internet as a separate entity and not part of an overall business strategy. Novus set itself apart by filling these gaps with e-commerce, credit card services and enterprise systems. After the virtual web companies crumbled only the strong internet companies survived.

The Novus secret to success is applying core competencies to an ever changing market. Using an intuitive guerilla marketing plan including, corporate partnerships, public relations, affiliate promotions, niche advertising and in-depth research, we are able to attract clients and gather an understanding of their needs. This understanding allows us to offer solutions tailored to their company’s challenges ranging from web-enabled technologies, enterprise systems and computer networking, to brand development and market planning. Novus clients are truly offered what they need – Internet Talent, Intelligence and Solutions. Novus has developed a process of value exchange that enhances client relations. A technology focused marketing plan is prepared as part of the Novus development process to realize and support project objectives. In many cases the mid-size clients lack a company wide marketing plan. They solicit Novus to extend the technology strategic plan to encompass their total business objectives. This intimate understanding of their complete business environment allows the clients to leverage all of the Novus assets to help increase success.

Market Objectives

• To increase our client base in a newly discovered Automotive and Motor sports industry while decreasing the overall acquisition cost.

• Reposition our core competencies to take advantage of new technology and give our existing clients additional value.

• Refine our marketing intelligence processes to help strategic development and market planning.

Achievements

• Increased revenues by 28% with the addition of two domestic and three international clients to theNovusSententia 2005 – 2006 client list.
• Developed successful strategic plans that surpassed client specific business goals.
• Repositioned core competencies to give existing clients additional ROI increasing customer satisfaction ratings by 15%.
• Decreased the cost of client acquisition by 13% and increased client retention by 5 base points.
• Built an industry respected brand image and client list through value based partnerships.
• Reduced project costs without sacrificing quality by assembling a pool of reliable and talented consultants. • Installed a marketing intelligence system to analyze, compare and distribute market research.

Marketing-Personal-Fitness-BrandIn 1992 two health and fitness entrepreneurs partnered with an international outdoor travel agency to launch a unique chain of health and fitness facilities. The Personal Fitness founders believed that a healthy life style enabled people to live life to its fullest. For many people this meant experiencing new challenges, pushing themselves to the limits, and loving the excitement. This was reflected in the tag line “Don’t Just Live, Be Alive”. The company’s goal was to establish health and fitness as a life style, not just a trend, to the mainstream fitness enthusiast who needed individual assessments, goal development, and health monitoring on a weekly cycle, as well as the outdoor adrenaline junkie who trained for and participated in destination excursions. Facilities were established in the northwestern region of the U.S. where health and fitness trends had an existing foothold and outdoor activities were plentiful.

Extensive research indicated that the health and fitness market was receptive to a new offering. Rising health care costs, the direct link between diet and illnesses and the media coverage of health related topics sparked a renewed public interest in the health and fitness industry. The competitive landscape revealed unsaturated markets in wide range of geographic locations. Economic indicators supported the company’s move into the market place, while social and political indicators had only a minor influence on market entry decisions.

Market Objectives

• Personal Fitness first year goals were to have enrollment fees and corporate sales cover 60-70% of each business unit’s operational costs. Outdoor excursions would bring in 12-17% of revenues. It was imperative for the company to build brand trust and customer retention through customer satisfaction.

• The private and corporate audience objective was to build a membership base that would use the facility on a daily or weekly cycle. Marketing information identified the audience as “Soccer Moms”, “Working Dads”, and “Single Professional Males and Females”, striving for self-improvement and a healthier lifestyle.

• Personal Fitness engaged the private and corporate audiences through Personal Wellness programs. These programs included individual assessments, goal development, health monitoring, aerobic studio workouts, running, swimming, biking, martial arts, weight training, stretching, cooking classes, diet, stress management, and massage therapy. Certified personal trainers developed, administered and reviewed each program for quality assurance.

• Brand trust was fostered through community relations and special events such as fun runs, soccer camps, tennis and basketball tournaments, blood drives and non-profit functions. They also addressed local schools, youth organizations, and church groups regarding fitness, athletics and the dangers of drug use. Advertising was placed with regional broadcast outlets, newspapers, magazines, and outdoor billboards in conjunction with public relations programs. Over a 12-month period the Personal Fitness brand recognition rating increased 67%, 12% more than projections. Customer satisfaction surveys indicated a “Very Satisfied” audience rating while customer retention ratings measured 89%, both on plan. Personal Fitness was being recognized as the trusted expert in the health and fitness category.

• Personal Fitness AdPersonal Fitness developed their Wellness Programs with input from various commercial healthcare providers. This collaboration added credibility to the programs and persuaded the majority of companies to cover employee membership cost. Company memberships beat first year projections by 20%.

• The combination of private and corporate memberships accounted for 84% percent of operational costs, well above the forecasted 60%-70%.

• More unique to the fitness market was the outdoors excursion audience, ranging from mainstream fitness enthusiasts to outdoors adrenaline junkies. The company booked all travel and outing arrangements, while the local trainers prepared each individual for their specific excursion. A variety of excursions were available ranging from local whitewater rafting to South African safaris. Since an international outdoor travel agency was part of the company’s services, logistics and pricing structures were already established.

• Outdoor excursions were cross promoted within each facility and co-promoted with other travel companies. Regional and national advertising included trade magazines and local broadcast stations, supported by direct mail, sweepstakes, give-a-ways, posters, flyers and trade shows. First year sales were 12% of plan (5% lower than forecasted) but not unexpected due to this unique type of offering.

Audiences

Primary and secondary research was used to develop in-depth audience assessments.

• Soccer Moms – Family oriented females from the ages of 24 to 45 with a high school diploma or undergraduate degree and an annual household income between $30,000 and $55,000. They live within a 30-mile radius of each Personal Fitness location and work out two to four times per week. On average they have two children, own a home, two automobiles and are active in the community. They are family oriented with a need for self-improvement.

• Working Dads – Family oriented career professionals from the ages of 26 to 45 with an undergraduate or graduate degree and an annual household income between $60,000 and $150,000. They live within a 30-mile radius of each Personal Fitness location and work out one to three times per week. On average they have two children, own a home, two automobiles and focus on career advancement and self-improvement.

• Single Professional Males and Females – Career professionals from the ages of 26 to 45 with an undergraduate or graduate degree and an annual household income between $50,000 and $130,000. They live within a 35-mile radius of each Personal Fitness location and work out one to three times per week. They rent commercial property or own a home and one automobile with a focus on career advancement, self-improvement and/or relationships.

• Excursion Males and Females – Single or married career professionals, mainstream fitness enthusiast, outdoorsmen, and adrenaline junkies, from the ages of 24 to 50 with an annual household income between $40,000 to $200,000. Their educational levels range from high school diplomas to advanced degrees. They live within a 75-mile radius of each Personal Fitness location and prefer outdoor activities. They rent commercial property or own a home and at least one automobile. The married mix of this audience has two children and is active in the community while the single mix of this audience has a focus on career advancement, self-improvement and/or relationships. They travel nationally four to eight times a year and/or internationally one to three times a year.

Exit Strategy

After two years of strong performance the company was acquired by one of the industry’s largest health and fitness organizations. This LA based fitness company was looking to expand into the northwestern region of the U.S. and decided to acquire Personal Fitness and leverage its business model.