A NEW VOICE & A NEW FOCUS
Refreshing and extending the value proposition
The big business challenge
Like many B2B sectors, IT managed services is a saturated market, served by mostly indistinguishable brands, who relish communications full of technical jargon and corporate speak.
So when CSI, wanted to reinforce their foothold in the IBM Power space and develop their public cloud service offering – they knew a very different approach was required – not only to stand out from the crowd but also to truly connect with their customers.
They had identified the issues but finding the solution remained a challenge.
CSI was committed to creating an enhanced digital presence to showcase their breadth of expertise through an updated website. However, it required both a fresh approach to messaging and a ‘go-to-market’ plan that could be applied initially in the UK and then easily adapted for the US business.
The new Value Proposition needed to address customer needs more clearly, and be a springboard for a more innovative, practical strategic marketing and communications programme.
Choosing a new agency for the value proposition and messaging project was a much faster and easier decision, thanks to Microsoft. As a Gold partner, CSI’s Microsoft Account Manager introduced them to us here at Perfectly Picked (a Microsoft preferred strategic Marketing partner), which gave them confidence and allowed them to accelerate the project considerably.
The resolve
First we needed to complete some 'structural groundwork' - in order to build a solid proposition we needed to ensure the foundations were robust. So we used a combination of primary and secondary research to ascertain the lay of the land. We then delivered a half-day value proposition workshop with key CSI stakeholders and senior management. This meant that in a short time we were able to to understand CSI’s strengths and ambitions and why it mattered to their customers. The next challenge was determining how to communicate this so we developed a new value proposition, core messaging and a choice of campaign-related messaging routes.
The final step was to weave the new messaging into existing marketing plans. This also included maximising and repurposing existing assets, as well as creating new assets, events and campaigns around: brand awareness, thought provocation, account-based marketing, and lead generation.
The resolve
Shepherd's goals were big, and as a start up there was lots to do. Over the course of two years we helped Shepherd navigate and conquer challenges concerning positioning, go to market, growth, partnering and fund raising.
Success & impact
CSI were delighted by both the outcomes and outputs of the project. The updated UK-based website with the new “different conversation” messaging went live a few weeks later and has been steadily generating improved levels of engagement with visitors.
This was followed by the launch of the new US Tectrade website, using the “Best of Both Worlds” messaging. Roundtables and further PR is work-in-progress, as is a review of existing assets. Future plans are well underway to extend the messaging to email signatures and for use in tactical digital campaigns.
“We really clicked with Perfectly Picked. Their unique blend of a methodical approach, pace of work and style of engagement meant they were not only easy to work with, but a pleasure.
What really impressed was their ability to really understand us. Perfectly Picked were able to see our strengths, identify what was needed, and then took us through an exciting journey to help us transform how our business is perceived in the market."
Lelah Stevenson
Head of Marketing, CSI
