© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Days Of PR + Marketing In The South

Strategic Marketing: How To Choose The Right Tools

For The Right Audience

Mary Ellen HickmanRostov-on-Don, RussiaJune 5, 2013

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Thank You!

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Introduction: Mary Ellen

• 20 years in marketing + brand management

– Fortune 100 companies

– Small businesses

• Experience includes

– Advertising development, consumer research, business analysis, revenue forecasting

– New business and brand launch, marketing consulting in US and overseas

– Starting and running 3 small businesses

• MBA from top-tier school

• Adjunct professor of marketing

Hickman Consulting Partners = Growth

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Situation

• Changing customer needs as markets, industries, and technologies change

• Constant change in marketing technology, media and tactics

• Speed to market is crucial

The Problem:

Outdated, incorrect assumptions,

tactics and communications

Solution: Change Your Perspective

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Market Like A Startup

1. Re-examine your strategy – today

2. Tactics: begin with a clean slate

3. Get it in market. Fast

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

1. Re-Examine Your Strategy: Today

• Consumer need: what has changed?

• Target audience: still the ideal?

• Products and services: meeting needs of consumer and company?

• Pricing: too low or too high?

• Discounting: still benefiting your business, or just a tool for lazy sales teams?

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

2. Tactics: Begin With A Clean Slate

• Scrap the trendy stuff

• Reconsider what’s worked in the past

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

3. Get It In Market. Fast

• Start small, fast and imperfectly

• Develop communications just-in-time

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Case Study 1: B2B

• High-level expertise

• High-tech business

• High stated demand

• Professional communication materials

• High value of services: $100,000 per contract

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Problem

• 3.5 years in business and no significant sales

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Where They Went Wrong

• Service line: Set up as convenient for the company – not the customer

• Pricing: Discounting dramatically to try to get sales

• Communications: Talked about the expertise of the company – not customer need

• Execution: Inexperienced sales team

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Fix

• Marketing strategies: Fix the service line

– Developed a trial product

• Tactics: No marketing required

– Sales process that focused on progress toward close

• Get in market

– Trial product in 2 weeks

– One communication: order form, not proposal

– Set a clear sales process

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Results

• All elements in market in 3 weeks

• Asked for contract within 8 weeks of project start date

• Currently in negotiations for 2 ongoing contracts, total value of approximately $200,000

• Cost: 15 hours of strategy consulting + development of communication piece

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Market Like A Startup

1. Re-examine your strategy – today

2. Tactics: begin with a clean slate

3. Get it in market. Fast

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Case Study 2: B2C

• Automotive industry

• $1MM in annual revenue

• Excellent reputation

• 12 years in business

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Problem

• Sales down – significantly – for 2 years

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Where They Went Wrong

• Target customer: Anyone with a car who lives or works within 20 minutes

• Pricing: Regular discounting and coupons, rarely sold services at full value

• Tactics

– Paid SEO, paid advertising with discounts

– Few reviews online; reviews on Google+ and Yelp average to negative

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

The Fix

• Marketing strategies

– Ideal consumer works within shuttle range, owns 3 – 5 year old car

– Conducted market research: parking lots

• Tactics

– Immediately asked satisfied customers for reviews

– Identified key influencers in office buildings: secretaries

– Gave postcards to secretaries to hand out

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Results

• First elements in market week 1

• Identified secretary – already a client – in key office building week 2, happy to hand out postcards

• Cut marketing budget from $50,000 to $5,000

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

Market Like A Startup

1. Re-examine your strategy – today

2. Tactics: begin with a clean slate

3. Get it in market. Fast

© 2013 Hickman Consulting Partners, LLC. All rights reserved.

• Be strategic

• Prioritize ruthlessly

• Stay focused

© Nike, Inc.

Your Challenge: Just Do It!

Questions?

Hickman Consulting PartnersBrand Management + Marketing Strategy

MaryEllen@Hickman-Partners.com