Plantronics is a manufacturer of lightweight communications headset products. Its headsets are widely used amongst Fortune 50 companies and have featured in numerous films and high profile events, including the historic “One small step for man” transmission in 1969.
Challenge
It wanted to promote better awareness of its products within the SME sector, with the message that during economically difficult times Plantronics could boost help business productivity by allowing people to juggle workloads and multitask more effectively. Targeting owners and managers in businesses of between 50 and 250 employees, ultimately it wanted to generate 1000 leads for conversion into headset trials or sales.
Solution
It commissioned a research report, complied from surveying more than 1000 SME owners, called ‘Rise of the super SME – A Guide To Plain Sailing Through the Recession’. This was used as the lead generation tool. It was offered as a free PDF download and supported by a free trial offer. This was supported by pre-opted in e-bulletin and online activity spanning a three month period. Working with e-media across a number of subscription based e-titles, such ad SME Business and SME Technology, Plantronics was able to buy into a pre-qualified database of participants who had already pre-registered with the publishers, with any reader clicking on the trial offer giving their permission for their data to be automatically supplied.
Key media angles from the SME research were used to gain online editorial on targeted SME sites, supported by a link to download the full findings at a campaign microsite. When interested parties reached the site, they provided their data to receive the guide by automatic download and for the Platronics telemarketing team and internal sales to follow up with a headset trial offer.
In addition to the editorial placements, a live web TV programme, where the SME research findings and advice were demonstrated by a Cranfield School of Business academic, Plantronics EMEA MD and a Work Wise representative was produced. Live questions from viewing SME leaders were also fed in. Interested parties viewing the web TV content could click through to reach the microsite to register for the guide and headset trial.
Banners, skyscrapers and MPUs were also placed on ad network sites on a pay-per-lead basis, again directing people to the data-collecting microsite. All data collected leads were followed up by a member of the sales team
Results
A total of 147 per cent of forecasted leads delivered – equating to 1470 leads versus the target of 1000. Pre-opted in e-bulletins delivered almost half of those. Richard Robbins, demand generation manager, Plantronics EMEA, says “SMEs are notoriously difficult to target so the research and its findings worked well for us to deliver out a bigger story, within which we were able to align our product message and benefits very effectively.”
