Taking Your Brand and Message to Market Houston Technology Center December 2004 Steve Latham Spur Digital

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.2 Observations The Winner is rarely the company that:  Is first to market  Has the most sophisticated product  Has the most bells and whistles

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.3 Observations The Winner is often the best marketer  They understand customer needs  They address needs with a compelling message  They deliver their message effectively  They successfully build a Brand  They execute on opportunities  They have satisfied customers

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.4 Roadmap for Success 1)Brand strategy 2)Positioning and Messaging 3)Go-To-Market Strategy 4)Execute your plan 5)Assess and revise

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.5 Branding (recap) A Brand communicates  Values  Philosophy  Culture Brand determines how someone feels about your company A Brand is key to long term success

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.6 Messaging (recap) Messaging is critical for communicating:  Who you are  What you offer  Why it’s valuable  Why it’s unique Start by understanding your customer  Why they buy  How they buy  What drives decisions

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.7 Going to Market… Once your Brand Strategy and Messaging are in place, it’s time to go to market Before you do, answer 3 questions:  What  How  Why

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.8 Go-To-Market: Objectives WHAT Step 1: Objectives Define and Rank Strategic and Tactical objectives Strategic Objectives Growth, new customers, bigger deals, shorter cycles Tactical Objectives Leads, Prospects, Opportunities, Deals

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.9 Go-To-Market: Objectives Strategic Objectives:  New customers  Upsell existing customers  Bigger deals  Shorter sales cycles  Higher market share  Greater brand awareness  Higher customer satisfaction Tactical Objectives:  Leads  Prospects  Opportunities  Deals  Transactions  Revenue

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.10 WHAT HOW Step 2: Tactics Choose marketing tactics based on expected results Define business and technical requirements Go-To-Market: Tactics Tactics Branding, Positioning, PR, Advertising, Direct Mktg, Customer Care Requirements People, Process, Tools, Systems, Management Tactical Objectives Leads, Prospects, Opportunities, Deals Strategic Objectives Growth, new customers, bigger deals, shorter cycles

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.11 Select the RIGHT tactics  Define the message (offer) you want to deliver  Determine the best way to reach them  Public Relations  Advertising  Direct Marketing  Partners Select the RIGHT media  TV, Print, Radio, Phone, Web  The “right” media depends on your market Go-To-Market: Tactics

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.12 Define the requirements  Roles, responsibilities, process, workflow  Tools, technologies, systems  Capital investment (financial costs)  Management and reporting (soft costs) Go-To-Market: Tactics

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.13 WHAT HOWWHY Step 3: Results Quantify expected results Go-To-Market: Results Expected Results Deals, Sales, Market Share, Profits, ROI Tactics Branding, Positioning, PR, Advertising, Direct Mktg, Customer Care Requirements People, Process, Tools, Systems, Management Tactical Objectives Leads, Prospects, Opportunities, Deals Strategic Objectives Growth, new customers, bigger deals, shorter cycles

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.14 Go-To-Market: Results Expected results  Revenue  Cost  Profit  ROI  Market Share  Share of Wallet  Brand Awareness  Customer Satisfaction / Loyalty

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.15 WHAT HOWWHY Feedback Loop Go-To-Market: Assess Expected Results Deals, Sales, Market Share, Profits, ROI Tactics Branding, Positioning, PR, Advertising, Direct Mktg, Customer Care Requirements People, Process, Tools, Systems, Management Tactical Objectives Leads, Prospects, Opportunities, Deals Step 4: Assess Progress Monitor progress Analyze metrics Make needed changes Strategic Objectives Growth, new customers, bigger deals, shorter cycles Metrics Leads Conversion rates Deal size Customers

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.16 Go-To-Market: Assess Metrics for measuring progress  Leads / Opportunities / Prospects  Sales to existing customers  Sales to new customers  Conversion rates  Deal size  Customer satisfaction  Awards  Media exposure Assess results  Compare “Plan” vs. “Actual”  Determine what has changed  Make needed modifications

© 2002 Spur Digital, Inc. All rights reserved.17 Keys To Success Planning is important, execution is critical Keys to effective execution:  Prioritization  Discipline  Efficiency (80 / 20 rule)  Managing people and the process Be convicted, but open to new ideas Let experience be a reference, not a limitation