Are you
having
lead flow
problems?
The 90-Day Blitz offers
a solution to such problems as branding weakness, inadequate lead flow,
poor market visibility, the challenge of meeting quarterly numbers, a
need to unify sales and marketing into speaking with one voice, and an
ability to eliminate the inefficiency of the random task–
or fragmented media approach–
to media planning … for which Keith Bates developed his Marcom Engine
process more than ten years ago.
THE KBA VISION
To help software vendors,
focused on fast growth, in fusing the traditionally adversarial
disciplines of sales
and marketing into the single business process of sales/marketing
communications.
We developed the Marcom Engine
to drive this process.
A LOOK AT THE KBA MARCOM ENGINE
The Marcom Engine is a methodology
that evolved in the early ‘90s from years of serving the
marketing communications needs of dozens of software vendors.
It combines the principles of BPR (Business Process Reengineering)
and IMC (Integrated Marketing Communications) into a business
process for the management of sales and marketing communications.
It is a 6 step process as follows: perform a marcom audit, develop
key strategies, build creative repository and standards, construct
a marcom arsenal, deploy and monitor media, and manage lead/sale
opportunities.
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Solutions
The 90-Day Blitz
For Sales and Marketing execs we offer a solution to the twin
problems of low market awareness and inadequate lead flow. It is typically
used to sustain a viral marketing/influencer-based product launch.
WHAT IS A 90 DAY BLITZ?
The 90 Day Blitz is a multimedia, lead generation activity based on response
compression techniques. It is a fully integrated 3 month program that
combines traditional media (print, direct mail, telemarketing, etc.) with
electronic media (broadcast fax, email, websites, SEO, blogging, etc.)
to create a sense of event, which in turn produces a substantial flow
of leads in a very short time with minimal commitment of financial resources.
Typically it uses 3 to 5 media vehicles to present your message to prospects
over a week to ten day period at the beginning of each of three months.
THE SOURCE --- AND RATIONALE
Why response compression? To quote Ernan Roman, author of Integrated Direct
Marketing, "We have found that the traditional sequencing of media
does not create the maximum synergy from the media being employed. Specifically,
the impressions are conveyed over too long a time period, diluting the
impact to a significant degree ... we create a sequence of ongoing contacts,
using a variety of media. These are deployed with short, carefully orchestrated
intervals between contacts so that we gain a disproportionate share of
the prospect's attention. A sense of event is generated -- a feeling that
something important is going on. It would be far more difficult, if not
impossible to achieve this effect through isolated media. We call this
tighter time-frame approach “response compression”. By deploying
media in an abbreviated time frame, we create an intensified synergy between
media that generates much higher response rates."
TYPICAL COMPONENTS
Direct mail (letters, postcards), industry-specific response-oriented
publications, email supported by microsites, telemarketing, occasionally
teleconferencing. Broadcast fax may be considered. Also available are
voice mail broadcasting, webinars, weblogs, and both search engine optimization
as well as search engine marketing. Trade show support is included if
one falls within the time frame. Plus the viral marketing, influencer
relationship marketing and PR which precedes the process.
BLITZ GOALS AND OBJECTIVES
- Goals include sales acceleration, increased market awareness
- Objectives focus on rapid generation of quality leads, improved cycle
time
- The challenge is to do this quickly, and within a reasonable budget.
HOW IT WORKS
- LAUNCH: Typical blitz deployment starts with print advertising or
phase one of a mailing.
- Within 2 to 3 days phase two mail is sent, or possibly broadcast
fax.
- Within 2 to 3 days of snail mail effort an email program is launched.
- And within a couple of days of that telemarketing begins.
- PR should have been launched 60 days prior to print ads.
- Teleconference support can be scheduled if appropriate.
- If the 90 days brackets a trade show a seminar may be added
PROCEDURES ON BUILDING A 90 DAY BLITZ
- Audit of competitive ads, internal collateral available
- Positioning strategies reviewed relative to the TALC (Technology
Adoption Life Cycle -Crossing the Chasm)
- Audience analysis performed for desired targets
- The marketing database is reviewed for appropriate selections.
- A list is generated, or purchased (w/phones, faxes and emails)
- Short marketing strategy documented
- 7 Step communications strategy developed
- Plan and budget prepared
- Creative launched, production follows. Blitz deployed.
SALES/MARKETING PROBLEMS THAT OFTEN PROMPT
THE BLITZ STRATEGY
- Poor response levels to marketing communications efforts
- Return on investment of marketing dollars poor, or not measurable
- Cost of sales too high caused by ineffective media strategies
- Long cycle times due to low market awareness, bad positioning
- Too slow to market with marketing messages
- Quarterly, annual sales goals not being met
COMMON MISTAKES THAT LEAD TO THESE PROBLEMS
- Using a Random Task Approach; standalone ads, mail, PR, etc.
- Searching for a painless solution--Silver Bullet doesn’t exist.
- Engineering-driven cultures rather than Customer-driven.
- Inability to speak with a Single Voice; result is garbled message.
- Impatience/Lack of Testing/ Poor Accountability Procedures
- Attitude that sales generates dollars, marketing consumes them.
- Failure to find a Lightning Bolt ... or Big Idea that reaches the
"feeling" side of your prospects. Selling the steak, not the
sizzle (selling features not benefits)
AND A FEW MORE
- Failure to know your market/competition
- Slow launches ... caused by failure to run marcom process concurrent
with beta
- Weak responses to competitors attacks
- Inability to accurately target your audiences.
- Failure to understand your markets positioning environment.
- Failure to build cross-functional teams to manage marcom as advocated
by Business Process Reengineering.
- Failure to employ an Opportunity Management System (SFA).
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