Because It's the Marketing That Makes the Software Content WORK

In the last couple decades, my work has been focused on content to be consumed in a digital setting. But a solid foundation of product marketing and strategy underpins our approach to discovery and analysis. And that is why our work hits the way it does. Here are some representative case studies.

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IRONMARKETS

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Summary: Analyzing Construction Software Products and Product Categories

Synopsis: Stood up a construction software analysis practice for a trade publishing group, debriefing product teams and founders to create selection-oriented content encompassing:

• Functionality

• Ideal Customer Profile

• Go-to-Market Tactics

• Pricing Strategy

• Competitors

Performed and published primary research into adoption levels and plans for key product categories including field productivity software, machine control, photogrammetry and others.

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IFS

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Summary: Positioning an Insurgent against SAP, Oracle and Microsoft

Synopsis: Held multiple marketing positions in a global enterprise software company, overperforming against goals and punching above the company’s weight in media relations and content marketing.

Initiated the company’s first organized product marketing effort in North America. Over one two-year period, increased awareness among targeted audiences by 58% according to third party studies of manufacturing executives.

• Rewrote virtually all content, with an eye towards product positioning.

• Created a system of competitive intelligence that has better-prepared sales teams for sales cycles against each major rival.

• Leveraged competitive intelligence insights in prospect-facing communications, negating competitor tactics and preframing prospects for IFS tactics.

• Conducted primary research designed to demonstrate the importance of IFS strengths, using the resulting research reports as gated assets and to drive earned media. Earned placements increased from 788,000 in 2005 to more than 652 million in 2009, placing articles in Information Week, Baseline, CIO, CFO, Industry Week, the Wall Street Journal and others. Eventually drove total media impressions past one billion.

 

Gallenberg Equipment: HarvestAire

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Summary: Effectively launched a niche agricultural machinery product driving immediate sales

Synoposis:Study of harvest practices of ginseng growers in North America confirmed demand for a mechanized solution to harvesting this root crop. Subsequent research used to formulate a winning marketing communications message suggested focusing on convenience/ predictability as opposed to decreased cost. Initial launch efforts included dimensional direct mail.

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Because research revealed that convenience and predictability in harvesting time was more important to growers than a perceived lower cost resulting from mechanization, the device was positioned against the unreliability and inflexibility of a large harvest team. An initial mailing stressing this point resulted in two immediate calls to make down payments on the $60,000 harvesters.

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As the product was more widely adopted, it became clear that initial yield estimates in terms of percentage of crop harvested on the first pass were perceived as overly-optimistic. Extensive media relations work ensued to place articles in appropriate agricultural media, explaining that the machine must be adjusted to account for individual soil conditions.

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Secondary research revealed that British Columbia would, within two years, become the most important market for ginseng harvesting machinery. Advised strengthening an existing dealer relationship in that region.

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Gallenberg Equipment: AireGlide Sprayer

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Summary: Repositioned Capital Equipment as a Premium Product, Outflanking John Deere

Synopsis: Recommended positioning a self-propelled agricultural sprayer line exclusively to the potato market. Client was capable of manufacturing only a small number of the machines, and the sales volume could not justify the expense of pursuing the row crop market as a whole. Their competitor, John Deere, derisively referred to the Aireglide as a “potato sprayer.”

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Potatoes are high-value crops that are sprayed frequently, and the company already had distribution to this market. The AireGlide was also the only sprayer on the market stable enough, thanks to a patented suspension system, to support 120-foot booms. This made it an efficient tool for growers who had to spray frequently.

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The initial campaign was effective in winning sales against Deere, despite the fact that Deere sprayers were in-stock and the AireGlide was primarily make-to-order or configure-to-order. Because the growers tended to spend their budget at the end of each season, we heavily promoted the exclusive appeal of having the sprayer configured to their specifications.

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In the subsequent year, it became clear that spraying would be done more and more by custom applicators and coops rather than by the farmers themselves. This meant the more efficient sprayer with the longer booms became attractive to this customer application market. The product line was later sold to Cargill.

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Manitowoc Company

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Summary: Primary Research to Support Rebranding

Synopsis: Manitowoc Company Product perception study resulted in the folding of the West Manitowoc line of 90- to 100-ton cranes into the Manitowoc Company line of cranes. West Manitowoc was named after a former Manitowoc Company president to recognize his contributions to this class of cranes.

 

Our research showed crane owners found the distinction including the name and lime green versus red coloring confusing. Results also revealed that concerns about initial quality problems with an electronic hydraulic control system had been adequately addressed and had not harmed the perception of the crane line.

 

Dorco Manufacturing

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Summary: Relaunched Commercial Product, Launched Retail Product into National Distribution

Synopsis: Helped a contract manufacturer relaunch a branded product used in the commercial fishing industry. The line had been abandoned by the previous owner, and the initial effort was on packaging and pricing. Also recruited a channel of distribution and secured coverage with media serving end users as well as in the channel.

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Positioned the wire mesh baskets as a long-lasting, premium product against less-expensive disposable plastic baskets that had gained inroads in the market. Once the commercial fishing line was back in distribution and achieving sell through, created branding and programs for a consumer version of the product line.

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Launched at the National Hardware/Housewares Show, where we recruited a team of manufacturer representatives, drawing orders from Servistar Hardware, Walmart and other national chains and catalogs. The demand was great enough that Dorco needed to fully mechanize production. Subsequent focus group research established a retail price point too low to liquidate the capital cost of the automated production line, so we recommended the line be sold to someone willing to take on longer-term debt.

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Fox Cities Convention & Visitors Bureau

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Summary: Research-Driven Product Positioning That Has Endured

Synopsis: Weekend occupancy rates were low in the Fox Cities, and hoteliers paying room tax wanted help with this. The bureau had been spending heavily in the metro Chicago market. But I designed a study of visitor patterns in this 11-community area revealed the strongest attraction for recreational visitors was shopping, and that these visitors came from several counties in North

 

Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Used study results to form a cooperative marketing partnership with General Growth Properties to promote the mall to visitors from northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Campaign included print and radio in four markets.

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Also served as media spokesperson around a study on the financial impact of tourism in the region, handled all media relations and advertising and promotional budgeting.

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Crispell-Snyder

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Summary: Research-Driven Marketing Approach for Civil Engineering Firm

Synopsis: Launched and executed a sales and marketing plan for a multi-location civil engineering company. Developed and executed a two-year plan that increased revenue from new clients.

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Focus group research among purchasers of municipal engineering services indicated which of a number of competitors were most vulnerable, and this data was used to formulate the content of a marketing communications strategy and to target prospects. Other quantitative research identified areas of the state most receptive to an expanding municipal engineering firm.

 

Undertook a campaign of thought leadership, earned media, phone continuity, direct mail and speaking opportunities to position the company as expert in emerging regulatory issues including the NR216 stormwater rule and Smart Growth requirements. Secured initial billing relationships with more than a dozen municipalities.

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CONEXPO-CON/AGG

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Summary: This Market Leader Had Low Awareness of Its Value Prop

Synopsis: In formulating marketing communications tools for the largest equipment exposition in the Western Hemisphere, conducted focus group research in cooperation with Cahners Business Information and Construction Equipment Magazine.

 

Determined that while awareness of the exposition was high, awareness of a complex show management and sponsorship structure was confusing and had been communicated with too little frequency. Lifted statements from participants describing their experiences at the exposition to write collateral tools and advertisements for national/international magazines.

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Developed the first-ever Web-based Virtual Trade Show with more than 1,500 exhibitors and media-rich features. This virtual event spanned for six months before and six months after the event, with each exhibitor to the Las Vegas event receiving a free listing. Participants bought up to higher levels of participation including expanded text, images and video.

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Presto Products

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Summary: Repositioning a Technical Product

Synopsis: Presto Geosystems needed to differentiate their geotechnical products against lower-cost competitors. Primary and secondary research determined that this company’s cellular confinement product used to reinforce soil in a number of construction applications was considered too expensive by many specifying engineers, compared to competing technologies.

 

Developed a strategy of positioning the product as a tool for solving specific, hard-to-solve problems.

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Executed this product positioning strategy across purchased and earned media across the geotechnical and construction space. Marketed technical content to engineers following geotechnical conclaves to raise awareness among specifiers of the applications and methods used to deploy cellular confinement systems.

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Tectran Technology Transfer

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Summary: Helped Spin Welding Product Out of Fiat via Technology Transfer

Synopsis: Consulted with an Italian equipment manufacturer launch a portable bore-welding product in the United States. The product’s portable nature made it superior for use in the field rather than the shop, and I focused on this use case as a door-opener.

 

Used a web site, collateral tools and placed media to position the Wolverine Super-Combi as the machine of choice for mobile welders, and to distributors of OEM equipment with their own service departments. Placed articles focusing on the application for hinge point repair.

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