Programs vs. Projects

Deliver Maximum Wood Behind The Arrow.
Extensive work with Hewlett Packard helped create more effective direct mail campaigns for the company's Field Marketing Organization. Early assessment of these programs determined that those developed and driven exclusively by the marketing department, without the input and support of the sales team, resulted in poor ROI. Turning programs that were previously ineffective into highly integrated sales programs became the goal. Subsequently, over 50 direct response vertical market programs were developed, tracked and measured individually; taking the entire sales cycle and chain of influence into consideration prior to each. Both internal and external publics were studied and their input received. Special consideration was given to the sales team's perspectives and the target prospects' areas of concern and hierarchy of decision making. Two weeks prior to each program launch, the sales force received appropriate training, program announcements and copies of the mailing pieces and related literature. This attention to detail and consideration of all related publics produced above average response results of 5%, with a conversion rate of 23% to qualified sales leads.

Integrating the Channel

Sales vs. Marketing.
Such was the case with Bell+Howell, manufacturer and marketer of document imaging solutions. The perception of marketing within the sales force was "those are the people that update our price sheets." Whole Product Marketing was instrumental in building a bridge between Bell+Howell's marketing and sales teams. 

Taking the form of cross-departmental working sessions designed to help the marketing group better understand what the actual needs were "where the rubber meets the road" according to sales. Adding this perspective to the mix, a number of channel related initiatives were developed, further integrating the two departments on more of a program level. Whole Product Marketing also helped develop and promote an integrated channel program called Team3. 

The rational for the theme came from the fact that each of the three competency centers necessary to deliver a ‘whole product solution’ to the customer was represented: 1. Bell+Howell; 2. ISVs (Independent Software Vendors); 3. Resellers (VARs and Distributors). The Team3 program added substantial equity to the brand within the channel. Bell+Howell’s Scanner Division has since been acquired, however, the brand and the commitment to an integrated channel strategy remains in place today.

Leading Edge vs. Bleeding Edge

Someone Must Want What You Are Selling.
Having helped companies navigate the PC revolution of the early eighties, the CAD/CAM revolution of the late eighties, the promise of Pen-based computing in the early nineties and the Dot com phenomena, Whole Product Marketing has attained valuable insight and hindsight into new and developing markets. In each case, these markets did not dissolve, but were in many cases, ahead of their time.They were considered milestones in the advancement of technology. Companies that became part of these developing markets either rode the trend out to market maturity or died in the early stages of market consolidation. Whole Product Marketing has seen two different types of technology companies, those that develop technology based on the needs of the customer and those that develop technology for the sake of technology. Staying customer centric has always been key to determining the best path forward for our clients, as well as helping them adapt to all stages of the market. Direct interviews, qualitative and quantitative research, exit interviews, industry analysts and whenever possible, secondary available published research have proven to be extremely valuable methods of staying in touch with the customer.

Strategic Branding

Image vs. Identity.
Robert Mooers, President of Whole Product Marketing has been a branding advocate his whole career and has developed processes to assess, develop, and merge brands. The biggest mistake companies tend to make is to confuse branding with advertising. A company can create a brand image through advertising, but to effectively support that brand promise it must rely on what is behind it, the brand identity. The key behind developing a brand strategy that works and builds a strong heritage is to understand a company’s culture from the top down, inside and out. This will reveal strengths, weaknesses and possibilities, but more importantly, what the company can realistically promise and deliver to its customers. Branding is a process, not an event. It builds equity over time and must be managed consistently. The tenets of a brand must be communicated and embraced throughout an organization. Though marketing should own the brand management, it is everyone’s responsibility to protect and deliver what the brand stands for.