Summary
Leaders in 3D CAD software, SolidWorks worked with integrated agency The Crocodile to create the ‘Enterprise PDM’ campaign. SolidWorks’ marketing usually targets engineers and designers. However, to market its new solution, they realised they would have to create a new dialogue with ‘C-level’ contacts — CEOs, CIOs and CFOs. The aim was to communicate the high-level business benefits, make sales appointments and generate new business. The campaign used a carefully targeted premium DM pack, designed to maximise effectiveness and succeed where other marketing methods couldn’t. The DM conveyed the dramatic benefits of ‘Enterprise PDM’ with compelling case studies, while the enclosed SolidWorks branded calculator powerfully and memorably encouraged them to ‘Add up the benefits for yourself’.
The calculator claimed a place on executive’s desks, keeping SolidWorks’ message front-of-mind.
Subsequent telemarketing capitalised on the DM’s impact, delivering impressive results:
• Sales meetings made with 19 per cent of target companies.
• Genuine opportunities identified in 45 per cent of meetings.
• 36 per cent of opportunities converted to new business.
• New revenue generated — £128,800.
• ROI ratio — 3.0.
• ROI — 198 per cent.
SolidWorks was thrilled to achieve such a strong ROI from the campaign — proving the value of the marketing investment and the effectiveness of the approach.
About SolidWorks
Founded in the US in 1993, and now part of the global Dassault Systèmes Group, SolidWorks is a world leader in 3D CAD software that helps millions of engineers and designers succeed through innovation. SolidWorks solutions deliver an intuitive experience in product design, simulation, publishing, data management, and environmental impact assessment. SolidWorks helps product designers and engineers collaborate to create everything from aircraft to air fresheners — better, faster, and more cost-effectively. More than 1.5 million professionals in over 144,000 organisations worldwide use SolidWorks to bring their designs to life. The Crocodile has worked with SolidWorks for four years, helping the company to use creative and effective marketing solutions to meet its business objectives.
Strategy — broader business issues the company is facing
SolidWorks’ marketing efforts usually target engineering and design contacts — the typical users of the solutions. The company had good relationships with these people and a good reputation in the marketplace. It also has strong brand recognition at IT manager level within their target organisations. SolidWorks is seen as offering advanced and reliable technology-driven 3D CAD software solutions. In 2008, SolidWorks released a new product data management (PDM) software solution, called ‘Enterprise PDM’. SolidWorks believes Enterprise PDM offers some of the same compelling arguments and differentiators that have made it a world leader in 3D CAD solutions: it’s simple and fast to implement, reduces complexity, reduces risk, and is easy to use, reliable and intuitive.
Unfortunately, earlier PDM solutions in the marketplace had often been considered complex, disruptive and expensive. Business managers were sceptical of the ROI and anxious about long implementation times. In order to market its new solution, SolidWorks realised it would have to create a totally new dialogue with ‘C-level’ contacts — CEOs, CIOs and CFOs.
Objectives of the campaign
Communicate benefits of SolidWorks ‘Enterprise PDM’ to C-level contacts SolidWorks had to move its messaging away from the usual technology focus to engage C-level executives — and communicate the high-level business benefits of ‘Enterprise PDM’. Make sales appointments and win new business SolidWorks wanted to generate significant business wins from the campaign, so there was a strong emphasis on making meetings — with the right people — to convert interest into sales.
Target audience
The primary targets were companies in the UK, US, France and Germany, that were either existing SolidWorks CAD customers, or prospects who were using other PDM software. The chosen targets were also what SolidWorks calls ‘strategic accounts’ — companies with 75 -1000 employees and five-20 CAD users. SolidWorks realised that, to market its new ‘Enterprise PDM’ solution, it would have to open a new dialogue with ‘C-level’ contacts — CEOs, CIOs and CFOs — who may never have heard of SolidWorks before.
Despite the many benefits of PDM for designers and engineers, previous solutions had
presented various management-level pain points:
• Total cost of ownership was too high.
• Questionable ROI.
• Time-to-value was too long.
• Implementation took too long.
• Too complex, disruptive and expensive.
The campaign had to persuade executives that ‘Enterprise PDM’ delivered major business benefits, without the drawbacks of earlier PDM solution.
Media, channels or techniques used
The Crocodile’s strategy was to focus on the dramatic savings that ‘Enterprise PDM’ can deliver
for an organisation:
• Reduce costs of ownership by 50 per cent.
• Reduce design costs by 50 per cent.
• Reduce time-to-market by 50 per cent.
The supporting messages were that SolidWorks ‘Enterprise PDM’ is a great value, out-of-the-box solution that can be implemented within days, and that will deliver ROI within 12 months. The results of Enterprise PDM are satisfied customers, higher profits and increased competitiveness. The campaign used a premium direct mail piece sent to C-level contacts in companies in the UK, US, France and Germany. Data for the target list was drawn from SolidWorks’ own CAD customer database, plus bought-in lists of existing users of other PDM solutions. Direct mail was chosen as a powerful way to make an impact with senior executives, while the known quality of the data allowed for fewer, more premium packs to be sent within the budget. The DM pack invited the prospect to ‘Add up the benefits of SolidWorks Enterprise PDM’. An outer box opened to reveal a personalised letter, and three large cards with case studies of how the solution has halved ownership costs, design costs and time-to-market for typical users. When the cards are removed, a SolidWorks desk calculator is revealed, inviting the prospect to literally add up the benefits — and giving the CTA to visit the Enterprise PDM website and contact SolidWorks for more information. The delivery was followed shortly after by telemarketing, capitalising on strong recall of the DM pack.
Timescales of the campaign
Research — January 2010.
Planning and scoping — February 2010.
Campaign briefing — March 2010.
Creative artwork development — April- June 2010.
Translation and proofing — July 2010.
Production — July 2010.
Direct mail deployment — August 2010.
Telemarketing — August 2010.
Campaign analytics results — December 2010.
