Best Practices Implementation at a Consumer Technology Company

Client Profile:
A leading Midwest consumer technology company (“Client”).

Situation:

1. Client is highly decentralized into multiple regions and over 170 market areas.
   • A centralized “corporate” marketing group influences rather than directs the marketing activities of the regions and markets.
     • Environment is not conducive to supporting a national brand
     • Likely causing significant waste in marketing resources through duplication of efforts
     • Likely causing lost opportunities to reuse marketing materials that might be compatible across multiple markets
2. Competitive advantage depends on the development of a mechanism to improve marketing efficiency across the company.
   • Encourage development and sharing of proven marketing programs across the organization
   • Increase compliance with brand identity rules.
   • Must consider creative solutions, since this cannot be accomplished through a mandate.

Contribution:

1. The Bedford Group developed the concept, architecture and content for an intranet-based “Best Practices” Marketplace for the Client.
   • The Best Practices Marketplace allows field-marketing personnel to easily search for existing marketing programs and materials that might meet their marketing needs.
   • At the same time, field-marketing personnel are encouraged to submit local programs to be considered for inclusion in the Best Practices area.
     • Enables Client corporate marketing management to review field-submitted campaigns prior to their being published on the Best Practices site.
     • Programs deemed unworthy of Best Practices status are published elsewhere on the intranet site.
2. The Bedford Group developed and assisted in the implementation of an incentive system to encourage use of the Marketplace
   • Use awards and recognition to encourage all users to both submit and reuse programs.
   • Structured incentive program to place greater emphasis on reusing existing programs rather than submitting programs.

Client Outcome:
Client increased marketing efficiency across decentralized markets by enabling field-marketing personnel to easily search for existing marketing programs and materials that might meet their marketing needs.