Extending Market Presence

Client Profile: US-based global software company • Develops & markets business rules development platform for J2EE application creation and management
Customer Base: Fortune 500 • Corporate IT functions • Technical & developer communities • Enterprise  Solution Providers
Challenges: Rapidly extend market presence • Create managed sales pipeline to support growth targets • New product introduction across Europe • Formulate and bring to market new, industry-based value propositions
Impact: 15% increase in EMEA revenue contribution • 3x increase in partner revenue contribution • Corporate re-positioning & messaging • Product portfolio re-brand • Online customer, partner & prospect community built from zero base
Sponsor: Head of European Marketing & Business Development
SITUATION: The European management team of a global software developer needed to increase revenue and profit contributions in Europe.  Instigated by the newly appointed Head of European Marketing & Business Development, our client asked Declare to determine how to extend its market presence in order to continue along its growth path.

With a talented and capable marketing and business development organisation in place in the UK, France and Germany, this next phase of the company’s development required a different approach.  An approach that called for creative thinking, increased focus, marketing process and the adoption of an integrated, on and offline marketing model to position our client as a market leader.

Due to exceptionally fast growth, the company lacked a cohesive, pan-European Go-to-Market plan. Each country was pursuing its own approach incurring unnecessary cost and duplication of effort.  Positioning and market perception varied from country to country making it difficult for potential customers or partners to understand the true business benefit and ROI model offered by the company.

APPROACH: Working in conjunction with senior sales and marketing leaders in both Europe and the US, we started by looking at the basics.  We completed a full assessment of the company’s positioning, messaging, demand generation programmes and tools, sales and marketing processes, value propositions, and customer profiles.  These were areas which, if improved, would have significant impact for our client both in the short-term and in the longer term as it pursued its aggressive growth targets in the face of stiff competition.

We developed and implemented a comprehensive European Go-to-Market plan with clear vertical market segmentation.  In support of the GTM plan, we also developed a transitional marketing execution plan to articulate clear business and technical messages.  With agreed positioning and messaging in place, we then built an effective demand generation engine to fuel the sales pipeline.  In parallel, we developed a new web presence, sales tools, collaterals and content to support the demand generation engine.

SOLUTION: Working closely with the company’s European marketing and business development team, PR agencies and Country Managers the following areas were addressed:

  • 3 new local web sites built for the UK, France and Germany in corporate style with content aligned to local market needs
  • Development of creative and engaging content
  • Product content created by solution area, vertical, geography
  • Development of key demand generation campaigns including the development of the Guide to eBusinesss Transaction Automation in 3 languages
  • Online opt-in nurturing campaign developed and executed in 3 languages together with content creation
  • Management of key new product launches in EMEA including the development & management of product marketing plans
  • Implementation & management of key marketing metrics
  • Development and introduction of segmented European Partner programme
  • Establishment of closer relations with regional analyst community
  • Budget allocation, management and reporting
IMPACT: Engaged under a retained services agreement, the outcome of our work resulted in the following:

  • Market reach extended across EMEA contributing to creation of sales pipeline at 6x revenue goals
  • EMEA revenue contribution grew to over 60% with Germany delivering over 20% of global revenues
  • Delivered clarity of proposition across new key vertical areas – simplifying a complex message
  • Streamlined corporate communication to clearly articulate the value of the company’s product and services offerings
  • New product versions successfully launched into EMEA markets
  • Built significant opt-in, online community of prospects, customers and partners
  • Increased indirect sales channel contribution 3-fold
  • Re-energised key strategic partnership in order to create sustainable pull-through revenue stream
  • Enabled company to provide evidence-based proof points and ROI models