NetSuite’s new ad campaign aims to ‘take down Sage’. Jessica McGreal reports
It’s an extremely bold move for any brand to launch a marketing campaign attacking its competitors. However, this is exactly what software company Netsuite has set out to do in its new controversial advertising campaign that aims to ‘take down Sage’ and increase its own share of the UK software market.
This fierce month-long activity follows a year of success for NetSuite: it acquired London-based cloud ecommerce company Venda and revealed that its UK revenue grew by 100 per cent in quarter three of 2014. The organisation is using this moment of power to draw a sharp contrast between its offering and Sage’s products.
The brand hosted its largest UK-based user-focused event SuiteConnect in London at the beginning of November to kick off the campaign. The one-day event brought together NetSuite employees, customers, prospects and partners to discuss industry trends, products directions and, most importantly, how competitors like Sage ‘fail to match up’.
The ad
This activity revolves around a simple print and online advert that will run in the Financial Times and Metro. The plain white creative features an array of train lines in Sage’s famous brand green colour. These train lines stop at NetSuite’s logo alongside the words: ‘All Sage lines terminate here.’ The whole piece is reminiscent of the famous London Underground map, and ends with the question: ‘Has your business come to the end of the line with Sage?’
However, its competitor is not suffering in silence, Sage’s managing director for the SMB sector UK&I, Steve Attwell, responded to the attack stating: “In Sage’s world, businesses don’t run in a straight line and end. They adapt, evolve and grow. If Sage ran the underground, it wouldn’t be under the ground, it would not have an end of line and there would be no gaps to mind. You would get to your destination quicker, there would be no delays and you would get there with confidence.”
But these comments are unlikely to affect NetSuite’s future marketing plans. Its CEO Zach Nelson admits: “NetSuite is all about making bold moves. We will continue to call out the likes of Sage and SAP whose antiquated software restricts business growth rather than enabling it.” Yet the brand claims this work is not just about criticising a competitor, rather it is targeted at helping customers plan their next business application platform. The marketing team hope the clear question posed in the copy will force Sage’s customers to think about their current deal, and open conversations about Netsuite’s capabilities.
Backing up claims
Meanwhile, the tech firm will be backing up its big claims using rich content that is housed on a dedicated high-end website which is referenced in the ad. The digital content includes videos and testimonials outlining customer success stories from companies that have moved from Sage to NetSuite. These stories will be supported by research that investigates the benefits of making the switch. The stories and research findings will be used in whitepapers, infographics and ebooks that will be shared across the brand’s social channels.
The confident nature of NetSuite’s work is refreshing to see in an industry where firms usually shy away from making big statements. The company already claims that more than 500 customers, including the likes of Hailo and YouGov, have left Sage to join its community. Consequently, the team believes this campaign will bring further success and sales.
In 2015 NetSuite will focus on expanding its base within the UK and the rest of Europe, as well as operations around the world – so keep your eyes peeled for its next controversial campaign.
