An account-based marketing programme should always be built on a realistic vision of what you want to achieve with the resources you have. Every ABM programme will look different, but looking at what others are doing can help ensure you’re on the right track. Molly Raycraft reports.
Alias
Type of company: Alias clients tend to be technology businesses with deals sometimes over $50m. Due to these high value deals, sales cycles tend to already work in long terms, which makes these companies suitable for ABM.
Type of ABM deployed: One-to-few is the most popular choice. However one-to-one is also used with some accounts.
Number of accounts: Anywhere between five and 50 accounts depending on the ABM. A solely one-to-few approach tends to serve up the 25 accounts.
Initial start date: Alias help clients set up ABM over what is typically a two month period.
Goals for ABM: Alias sets a benchmark aiming for at least 60:1 ROMI (measured through sales pipeline) on ABM programmes.
Expected timeline for achieving goals: Alias typically expects clients to start achieving their goals after 6-12 months of execution.
Budget for ABM: Budget differs depending on client but Alias always recommend starting an ABM programme on as little budget as you can. Once it’s off the ground you can then consider further investment.
Staff allocated: ABM programmes tend to have a full time ABM manager as opposed to a marketer doing ABM on the side. With Alias, ABM managers work with an outsourced team of ABM strategists, data analysts, and content creators.
Capita
Type of company: Capita is a consulting, digital services and software company.
Type of ABM deployed: Capita takes a mixed approach with its new ABM programme. It focuses on top accounts, which get one-to-one ABM, then its next group of accounts, which are grouped by industry, for which it uses a one-to-few approach.
Initial start date: Capita has been conducting pockets of ABM informally, now the company is embarking on its first steps to set up a formal programme.
Goals for ABM: Its goals are to help key accounts understand how the breadth of Capita’s services can add value to them. Often, clients only see part of an organisation – the one they work with day-to-day or have had immediate experience of. An organisation like Capita, has a breadth of solutions for companies going through transformation – across customer experience, learning and technology. It wanted to make sure clients are getting the best from them. It also wanted to show its deep industry expertise. It’s starting by focusing on its strategic accounts, then will build from there.
Expected timeline for achieving goals: The ABM team are anticipating the 12 month cycle that is normally cited as part of ABM. In the meantime they are planning to use softer metrics to ensure activities are moving toward a positive outcome.
Staff allocated: It currently has a small, nimble but dedicated ABM team team, which it is building out. The aim is to have industry leads who each have a cluster of one to three accounts. Its ABM team will focus on industry and key accounts only. It doesn’t believe this is a “side of desk” activity and wants to cultivate skills, develop training and deploy ABM expertise.
SAS
Type of company: SAS is a business analytics software and services company.
Type of ABM deployed: SAS takes a mixed approach. Those that don’t make the cut for the one-to-one will be passed to another team for a lighter approach.
Number of accounts: In total there are around 50 accounts that come into contact with ABM. However there are five accounts involved in the one-to-one approach.
Initial start date: SAS had been dabbling in ABM for a while, but in 2018 it created its first purely ABM role.
Goals for ABM: The aim of its programme is to drive focus on the company’s most important customers as well as complement its separate strategic accounts programme.
How is this aligned with business strategy: The ABM programme is supported by the go-to-market strategy. All of SAS’ programmes are aligned with the overarching business objective of focusing on the most important customers.
Expected timeline for achieving goals: SAS lock accounts into its one-to-one ABM for 12 months. If they don’t see enough progress in this time, the account is swapped with a more promising one at the end of the 12 months.
Staff allocated: Five one-to-one accounts per ABMer.
Refinitiv
Type of company: Refinitiv is a financial data and technology company.
Type of ABM deployed: The ABM strategy takes a mixed approach of one-to-one and one-to-few.
Number of accounts: Approximately 40 strategic accounts.
Initial start date: The company had carried out a handful of successful ABM pilots. However, last year following a new CMO appointment and marketing restructure, a dedicated ABM team was formed.
Goals for ABM: The initial goal is to grow and retain a small selection of our existing most strategic accounts. However, following success this will be expanded to include Refinitiv’s top 40 strategic accounts.
Expected timeline for achieving goals: The ABM team have dedicated this year to setting up the function and demonstrating the value ABM can deliver with the initial accounts. It’s then planning to scale next year.
Staff allocated: Refinitiv has a dedicated ABM team of nine full-time employees with a global head of account-based marketing and marketing directors and specialists in the US and EMEA.
BT
Type of company: BT is a telecommunications company. It has multiple arms of the business, which has a global reach.
Type of ABM deployed: One-to-one and one-to-few.
Number of accounts: 150 accounts. Initial start date: 2013
Goals for ABM: The programme started with the aim of attracting new business, it has now expanded to also work on retaining and growing established relationships.
Results: As BT’s programme has been running long enough that it’s been able to see substantial results. These include a 20%-30% conversion rate.
How is this aligned with business strategy: The business targets global multinational corporates that have multiple divisions across numerous continents. ABM aligns this because it allows the company to get a better grip on the differing processes and political landscapes of conglomerates, to make BT’s marketing more relevant.
Staff allocated: 15 ABMers.
Find out how BT’s head of ABM Adrian Hardy overcame the difficulties of aligning the sales team here.
