Posted on Tue, Jan 24, 2012 @ 09:35 AM
Does your company need to simplify marketing workflows? Or, do you need better organization and distribution of brand assets? What about a greater return on your brand management efforts? Do you feel that collaboration between corporate employees and distributed marketers could be achieved by making branded material available across all media channels, rather than a select few?
If any of these answers is a "yes", or even a "maybe", Frost & Sullivan's newest paper, "The Road to Brand Effectiveness", is an essential read. Even if you feel that your company has a superb strategy for managing workloads and creating an environment that leads to efficient collaboration and easy access to branded materials, why not challenge that theory?
Are you working as wisely to utilize marketing asset management and customization as you believe you are? If so, well done! If not, keep reading, as this report from Frost & Sullivan can help you to achieve your goals.
In this paper, the focus is on the "achievable benefits of marketing asset management when leveraged in conjunction with a collateral customization solution." Rather than just write about this concept and these technologies, a 'real-life' example is provided. By describing the success that HCA has had from deploying these technologies as part of the business model, the paper illustrates the benefits rather than simply talking about them.
As shown by HCA's use of Saepio's solutions, consumers using Marketing Asset Management (MAM) solutions with strong collateral customization capabilities have the advantage of being able to access and reuse marketing materials across multiple media channels. Organizations can also benefit from more simplified workflows, more efficient collaboration, and a greater return on investment. And who doesn't want a more consistent and lasting return on their efforts and investments?
According to Frost & Sullivan, Marketing Asset Management and collateral customization technologies are now considered "cutting-edge tools that are 'must have' to stay competitive in today’s business environment.
In HCA's case, that means having the ability to support marketing efforts within a network of 165 hospitals and 106 outpatient surgery centers. Not only has HCA been able to reuse existing materials rather than starting fresh with each new campaign, product, initiative, or location, but this helped them to achieve an "astonishing return on investment" that is revealed in the paper itself.
Download "The Road to Brand Effectiveness: How Marketing Asset Management and Collateral Customization Solutions Empower Today's Marketers"
If you answered "yes" to the questions above, download this paper to learn more about how you can streamline workflows, improve collaboration, avoid duplication, and complete marketing materials faster and more efficiently. Plus, you can learn from HCA's success and see exactly how much they've saved with MAM and collateral customization since deployment and start thinking about how to apply this to your own organization today.
Download Now!
Posted on Wed, Dec 14, 2011 @ 11:30 AM
It’s that time of year again! The holidays are around the corner. During this time of year Saepio likes to take the opportunity to give back to the community. Every year we participate in the Salvation Army’s Adopt-A-Family Program. In participating in this charity event, Saepio provides food, clothing and toys to an under privileged family during the week of Christmas. This year we’ve adopted two families. In an effort to provide for these families, Saepio holds a Chili Cook-off at the office.
In the spirit of the holidays and keeping with tradition, Saepio had its third annual Chili Cook-off on Monday December 5th. All money raised is put towards gifts and food certificates for Saepio's two Salvation Army adopt-a-families. The staff comes together to either compete in the Chili Cook-off or be an official “tester” of the various home-made chilis.
We had 10 chili entrees, including Haleem, an authentic Indian dish. We also had lots of yummy sides and desserts- cornbread, pumpkin bread, s’mores and chocolate bars! Employees had to pay $5 for unlimited Chili, sides and dessert. After passing judgement on their co-worker's delicious chili, employees paid for their ballots to vote. Some contestants paid for ballots for their own chili, but since it's for charity, we let it slide :-).
Although all the chili was tasty, it was still a competition. After slaving over their chili, the contestants wanted to get down to business. Our second runner up was our Senior Graphic Engineer, Tim Middleton. You may remember Tim from our No Shave November Contest. Our first runner up was Minhaj Islam, QA Engineering Manager, for his Indian dish. And the big winner for the day was Mitch Anderson, Account Executive. Congratulations Mitch! His chili was described as powerfully hot by competitor Tim Middleton.
"I have no real official name of my chili but often I refer to it being hotter than a $2 pistol so we’ll just call it “$2 Pistol Chili”. I also use no beans in my chili because I am from Texas and only Yankees use beans in their chili."
The chili was perfect for a crisp Monday lunch! It was even more satisfying knowing we were helping families. Till next year!
Posted on Wed, Dec 07, 2011 @ 01:31 PM
Ahh... No Shave November. Inspired by the charity event, Movember, the men here at Saepio ditched the razor, started an office competition and showed off what they’ve got! (Or lack there of). There were only two rules: 1. You DO NOT shave in November. 2. If you shave you’re out. Let the beard-growing commence!
As the month progressed, our group trickled off but we were still left with seven competitors. In our office, we award for three categories: Best Try, for those who aren’t as “fortunate” as others, Most Salt and Best in Show.
BEST TRY
This one was a tie. While these two can certainly hold their own in the work place, they just never stood a chance against our “furrier” friends. A for effort!
Kent Galley, CFO & Brian Swezy, Account Supervisor
MOST SALT
Girls like a little salt and pepper! Brett Favre resemblance anyone?
Tim Middleton, Senior Graphics Engineer
BEST IN SHOW
Congratulations Patrick! He definitely takes the cake! In just thirty days we watched his baby smooth face grow more bestial, brutish and manly.
Patrick Wilkerson, Software Engineer
What to know more?
No Shave November is a spin off of Movember. Movember is a charity event held every November. In this case men grow their mustache only. Movember was created to “change the face of mens health.” The month-long event is to bring attention to mens health in general, but specifically to create awareness for prostate cancer. No Shave November was inspired by this charity event but is not affiliated. Check out www.movember.com for more info.
Posted on Thu, Oct 20, 2011 @ 02:15 PM
The latest installment in Saepio's popular Marketing Asset Management 101 webinar series is set to take place on Wednesday, October 26 at 12pm central. We invite you to join us for this special webinar presentation featuring Aberdeen's Chris Cunnane, who will outline Best-in-Class keys to multi-channel marketing success.
Presentation Overview
Consumers want more from retailers; they are looking for a brand relationship, not a transaction based environment. As channels of interaction and digital commerce evolve further, retailers need to know what information customers want to receive and how they want to receive it - in the form of promotions, special offers, product information and updates, or even non-sales touches.
However, current multi-channel marketing capabilities and systems are disparate and siloed, leading to inconsistent branding and disjointed marketing offers across retail channels.
Register for this live event with Chris Cunnane, Research Analyst in Retail and Hospitality for the Aberdeen Group, to learn more about:
- Making investments in new channels
- How to develop a channel integration roadmap
- Aligning the brand across multiple channels
- Using customer analytics as the backbone for marketing communications
A live Q&A session will follow Cunnane's presentation.
About the Presenter
Chris Cunnane is a Research Analyst for Aberdeen's Retail, 
Hospitality, and Banking Practice. Cunnane’s research focuses on customer-facing technologies within retail and hospitality to identify the practices, technologies, and behaviors that separate Best-in-Class retailers from their peers. Cunnane’s retail coverage focuses on the customer experience, and topics include cross-channel retail, customer loyalty, enterprise marketing, and campaign management. Cunnane’s hospitality coverage includes property management, customer experience management, and revenue management and forecasting.
Cunnane brings years of retail experience to Aberdeen, including roles in inventory management, marketing, and customer service. Cunnane holds a BA in Communications from Stonehill College and has an MA in Global Marketing Communication and Advertising from Emerson College.
Download the Aberdeen Report
For a preview of just some of the things Cunnane will discuss in Wednesday's prsentation, download his recent report, "The State of Multi-Channel Retail Marketing: A Paradigm Shift for Reaching New Customers," courtesy of Saepio.
Posted on Tue, Oct 04, 2011 @ 10:00 AM
Google’s recent booklet on the Zero Moment of Truth (http://www.zeromomentoftruth.com) raises some eye opening questions on how consumers consume and marketers market. Clearly, connectivity has changed buying habits and marketers must take note.
That doesn’t mean, however, that everyone should run towards the Zero Moment of Truth (or ZMOT). In fact, many marketers should concentrate on ensuring ZMOTs never occur in the first place. Especially those whose products and services can be procured locally or impulsively.
In the Google booklet, author Jim Lecinski defines a ZMOT as “that moment when you grab your laptop, mobile phone or some other wired device and start learning about a product or service (or potential boyfriend) you’re thinking about trying or buying.”
For the local marketer, the words “start learning” are the critical juncture in that definition. Learning is most often not the sought outcome; a stimulus-response action with limited thought engagement, in contrast, is the objective. If I’m Tide Dry Cleaners, I don’t want anyone within my trade area grabbing a laptop or mobile phone to figure out a destination for his/her laundry needs. I want the response to the stimulus of dirty clothes to be a visit to my Tide location. I need a Local Moment of Truth – a fast, local resolution to my need – not a Zero version or a First one, where the consumer is staring at and deciding between options. I want the power of my location and/or the emotional attachment to my brand to displace any notion the consumer might have of entering a ZMOT.
The five steps below outline local marketing strategies for keeping customers/consumers out of ZMOTs. An additional five steps address how to win if/when a ZMOT does occur.
Usurping the ZMOT
A local marketer’s success (including those marketers with a host of local markets) is largely about winning this Local Moment of Truth and eliminating the ZMOT role in a consumer decision in the first place. So how does this happen?
- Be familiar. ZMOTs happen when there is unfamiliarity with a product or service or its value. For the local marketer, avoiding the ZMOT simply means being known through signage, community/neighborhood involvement, business networking, word-of-mouth and any and every other form of awareness generation. It also means to be worthy of awareness through the products, service, friendliness and business ethics offered, the core business practices that create emotional connections between the local business and its customers.
- Become preferred. Preference is earned, not acquired. The First Moment of Truth has long been held as that moment of decision between one or more choices – such as when the customer stands at a retailer’s shelf and selects one brand, a Burt’s Bees product over a house brand, for example. This is where you rely on the emotional brand connections you have developed. The Second Moment of Truth is when the chosen brand is being used at the buyer’s home and satisfaction or dissatisfaction follows. Becoming preferred is the result of consistently winning the Second Moment of Truth. And strong preference eliminates the need for a ZMOT.
- Provide a ZMOT alternative. Midwesterners know there’s simply no better antidote to a hot, humid summer day than a Route 44 Diet Limeade at Sonic Drive Ins. But as big of fans as they may be, most individuals only know a handful of Sonic locations. When the Route 44 stimulus happens outside those known areas, Sonic risks a ZMOT. The minute someone grabs their Sprint phone and starts to search, Sonic’s loyalty is put at risk … not just for that $5 purchase but conceivably for many purchases to come. To combat this, Sonic needs to occupy not only the individual’s mind but his/her screen as well. Instead of a Google Maps query, Sonic needs the person to access a Sonic app that keeps them safe from the ZMOT risk.
- Rethink local. Local marketing can happen when an individual is nowhere near the local business at decision time. For example, a person may not be aware of a Radisson Hotel near her home. And that doesn’t really matter. When she is looking for a local hotel, it is for a hotel that is where she is going to be, not where she is. Simply stated, local marketing is not just about where people are currently located, it is also about where they are going to be. A woman doesn’t need a ZMOT to “start learning” what she already knows. She knows that the Radisson brand means a great night’s rest and a refreshed start to an important day. To eliminate the risk of a ZMOT, the corporate marketer must circumvent it via the Local Moment of Truth … the customer’s preference in the context of what her location will be.
- Be consistent no matter where LOCAL happens to be. Corporate marketing managers of distributed marketing networks understand full well the challenges of keeping hundreds to thousands to tens of thousands of local marketers around the globe delivering a consistent, common brand strategy and message. H&R Block is an example of a company that does this well. Using a distributed marketing management platform, Block and its local marketers synergistically deliver a consistent customer experience whether the Manhattan office is found in New York or Kansas.
Make ZMOTs Count
While a local marketer’s first objective may be to displace a ZMOT with a Local Moment of Truth, when a ZMOT happens local marketers must be prepared.
- ALWAYS be part of the conversation. As Google’s research shows, connectivity has dramatically changed how buying decisions are made. Even, as Google notes, down to the cold medicine decisions made by soccer moms waiting to pick up kids. Local marketers must be part of these ZMOTs. Aggressive search marketing – both natural and paid – is critical but should be jointly developed between local and corporate marketers.
- Turn current ZMOTs into future Local Moments of Truth. In many cases, such as a restaurant selection, a ZMOT inherently results in a local decision. But in many other cases, a ZMOT consumer is looking both at selecting the correct product or service and finding the best price/value and online options look attractive. Fight back.
For example, a consumer might have ordered a digital TV wall mount online because it was less expensive, rated well and didn’t require a trip to the store. Had a local audio store joined the ZMOT, offered to deliver a wall mount for free the next day and install it for nominal fee, that consumer would conceivably have been all over such an option. A Local Moment of Truth was what may have been what he was after all along, he just didn’t have the knowledge needed for one. Plus, what if the person was also looking to upgrade his home stereo system? A correct response by the local audio store could have circumvented the ZMOT for that purchase, and landed the local marketer the business that really mattered.
- Use your local advantage to hijack a ZMOT. In a ZMOT, the consumer educates him/herself on the product or service and then on where to make the purchase. When the outcome of the selection is a brand name product, use your local advantage to hijack the ZMOT. Move the prospect out of the generic search/review process and into your own consultative product review. Through that process, you can then show how your local business can deliver the product more quickly and how much simpler returns will be, if needed. Provide an incentive for the prospect to buy online at that moment and pick the item up at the store or receive value added service with a next day home delivery.
- Mine ZMOTs for current customers. Never accept that a customer who has entered a ZMOT instead of a Local Moment of Truth is now up for grabs. Just presume they’ve made a small blunder and lead them back. Invest in local paid search placement focused on higher dollar ZMOT moments and messaged directly at wayward customers.
- Focus on building customers that matter. Not all locally occurring ZMOTs are worth pursuing. While a visitor referred by Trip Advisor who spends $90 with you is a never a bad thing, unless your business is located in a high volume tourist area, local marketing dollars would be far better spent on capturing a $60 tab from a local family, who upon a positive Second Moment of Truth, become strong lifetime value customers. Let review sites influence all prospects and use multiple visit incentives to develop the customer relationships that really matter.
Key ZMOT Lessons
Google’s Zero Moment of Truth booklet should serve as a wake up call and/or reminder to local marketers that consumer decision development habits are changing rapidly.
Local marketers – whether corporate marketers with a local presence or front-line marketers – should aggressively seek to displace ZMOTs with Local Moments of Truth, those moments when there the local relationship simply averts thoughts of any alternative.
When a ZMOT does occur, local marketers must move aggressively to capture/kidnap the ZMOT and turn the decision into a local one. However, it is highly important for the local marketers to understand that not every ZMOT is created equal. Local prospects represent a potentially high customer lifetime value relationship. Local decisions by non-local buyers do not unless you can transfer a constant experience and customer lifetime value from local market to local market.
Finally, to minimize the risks of a ZMOT and to capitalize on the opportunity of a ZMOT, consistent customer experience matters. The “second moment of truth,” that experience the customer has with your product or service is essential for displacing future ZMOTs with local moments of truth. That consistency must also include marketing, brand positioning, and messaging.
As Google shows, consumer habits have changed. Change always equals opportunity and with the right moves local marketers can be well positioned to make the most of it.
For More Information
Download Saepio's Distributed Marketing Leadership Series guide, Exploding Brand Value at the Local Level, to help you identify the impact of the local marketer on your brand, then understand how best to leverage brand value given your business model and consumer interaction.
Posted on Thu, May 12, 2011 @ 09:46 AM
A recent post by consultant John Merritt discussing the evolution of DAM systems and how these can now be used to engage customers parallels Saepio philosophies on the future of marketing and how organizations’ marketing processes need to evolve to meet customer demand. (see his original article)
In the article, Merritt asserts:
"Companies today are facing the stark reality that despite all the insight gained through many of their other listening avenues, they are missing out on the holy grail of information - information obtained through real-time streaming of assets from their digital asset repositories to the engaged consumer and back."
He also discusses changes in customer engagement and the evolving media landscape, topics very important to Saepio.
One area of Merritt’s article we would amend, however, is his use of the term “digital asset management.” DAM systems, as they have been traditionally defined, simply aren’t built for the type of two-way, on demand communication Merritt discusses.
Instead of DAM, Marketing Asset Management (MAM) offers the technology infrastructure that can provide the future-oriented communication Merritt advocates. While some individuals misinterpret MAM simply as DAM for marketing, this description isn’t accurate. The key difference between these technologies is MAM’s ability to build on top of a DAM system, adding collateral customization and back-end marketing automation functionality. Without these, the promise of two-way information streaming can only be considered in a generic, impersonal manner where a prospect’s interaction is responded to in an automated manner (think of a basic “if-then” statement that sends a link to an existing document after a certain prospect action).
A second Saepio clarification relates to the article’s focus on utilizing the data your systems can gather for research purposes to make future changes. While we definitely won’t argue that there is great data to be obtained, we think that stopping there is missing an opportunity. Instead, we’d suggest that marketers further broaden this view to consider how engagement data can be utilized as the basis for real-time interaction.
To address this missed opportunity, MAM provides the infrastructure to take this one step further and personalize a real-time interaction. The content’s pieces would still be drawn from the DAM system, but in a new and ever-changing manner. Instead of pulling a static marketing piece from the DAM and providing this as a follow-up based on the interaction, the system can dynamically assemble new content in whatever medium the consumer demands. So not only can you gather the data, you can also put it to work for you. This level or personalization and the ability to provide the consumer with the right message at the right time and in the right medium is something only recently made possible. But we believe it is likely to be part of the future of marketing.
S
aepio’s “Marketing Asset Management as an Alternative to Digital Asset Management” whitepaper, one of our most popular items, supports the fact that many people looking to technology to help engage customers and prospects are finding that DAM systems alone aren’t providing everything marketers need. Take a quick read of the Saepio white paper, then re-read Merritt’s article with Marketing Asset Management in mind. Afterward, come back to this post and let us know what you think.
Original article:
How to drive greater customer engagement from digital asset management
Posted on Tue, Apr 05, 2011 @ 01:34 PM
“Promise” would be the perfect one word
summary of the Gartner Customer 360 Summit.
Clearly, customer and prospect data is available to marketers as never before. Clearly, too, is the ability to engage real time with these customers and prospects. Yet as we listened to the presentations, it became abundantly clear that we are at the cusp of a new customer communications revolution.
The ingredients are all there:
- CRM and prospect data
- asset and content management systems
- sophisticated campaign management and MRM workflows
- automated communication channels and real-time analytics
It seems that these ingredients are prepared to converge at the point of content creation to create a closed loop marketing system.
In one session, a Gartner analyst rhetorically asked how many members of the audience saw the need for full cross-channel marketing. No surprisingly, most all nodded in agreement. When the analyst then asked how many were capable of using more than two mediums in a single campaign, very few hands were raised. Everyone buys into the promise, but few are currently able to execute cross media.
Those of us from Saepio couldn’t help but listen with excitement since Saepio’s MarketPort is perfectly situated to connect these currently disconnected systems and deliver on the promise that now sits just beyond the reach of marketers. Watching this all come together in the next few months will be fun, fascinating and rewarding.
Posted on Mon, Mar 28, 2011 @ 09:45 AM
Saepio representatives will be traveling throughout the country during April and May. Join us at an upcoming show to see Saepio MarketPort's distributed marketing management functionality in person. And if we won't be in your neighborhood, let us know. Chances are good that we'll be heading your way soon.
April & May Event Schedule
- Gartner Customer 360 Summit
March 30-April 1, Los Angeles
The Gartner Customer 360 Summit is all about CRM strategies and technologies designed to better understand, grow and manage customer experiences. We’re excited to be part of this event and show how Saepio MarketPort connects corporate marketers with those at the local level (such as franchises, resellers, agents, etc), connects consumers to your brand, and connects all of your marketing operations - including CRM data - into a single software platform.
- SAS Global Forum
April 4-7, Las Vegas
If you weren’t able to make the National Retail Foundation’s BIG Show in January, this event will provide you with another opportunity to see how Saepio and SAS together can provide smarter marketing that is locally delivered. Saepio’s software platform, operating with SAS’s extensive solution portfolio, automates the marketing process from customer intelligence to customer engagement, eliminates redundancy and ensures that all marketers connected to the brand – whether global, distributed, franchise, VAR or chain store marketers – have the assets and tools they need to quickly customize and execute campaigns.
- National Agri-Marketing Association Conference
April 13-14, Kansas City
If you look at the program for the upcoming NAMA conference, you’ll see a focus on social media and brand identity – two areas Saepio knows well. With clients in the agriculture industry including United Agri Products, we understand how to balance regulatory needs with distributed marketing needs and are eager to display this for the conference's attendees in April.
- Unica Marketing Innovation Summit
May 2-5, Boston
Unica’s Marketing Innovation Summit features five tracks and over 50 breakout sessions. Marketers attending this show to learn more about next generation marketing, analytics, cross-channel marketing, collaboration and effectiveness, and marketing technology will find a stop at Saepio’s booth to be time well-spent. We’re proud to be among Unica’s partners who, as Unica says, “… help transform our customers’ passions for marketing into measurable business success.”
Posted on Fri, Dec 03, 2010 @ 10:11 AM
Our press release on the partnership of Saepio and SAS from earlier this week is generating a lot of buzz in the marketing world - and for a good reason. The result of this partnership is a revolutionary solution that promises to offer marketers the ability to not only ingest data, but also make this actionable by marketers and retailers at the local level.
Join us in January at the National Retail 
Foundation's BIG Show for a sneak preview of this solution in action. Visit expo booth #3165 for a demonstration and to talk with both SAS and Saepio representatives about how this combination of customer intelligence and distributed marketing management will change how organizations communicate with their prospects and clients.
Complimentary EXPO pass
We're excited to show off the impact that this can have for local and distributed marketers and hope to see you there. If you're interesting in attending the expo, but haven't yet made the decision, we'd like to offer you a free pass to Retail's BIG Show. Simply send us an email and we'll provide the details on how to register.
NRF - Retail's BIG SHOW Information
Convention: January 9-12, 2011
EXPO: January 10-11, 2011
Jacob K. Javits Convention Center, New York
Booth: 3165
(more information)
Posted on Fri, Aug 13, 2010 @ 01:46 PM
The buzzword "benchmarking" is often used in the business world and it's clear why. It's hard to know how well you're doing if you don't have anything to use for comparison.
Often, sales figures are the first data points used for comparison. This is not only because they are typically made widely available for publically traded companies, but they also provide an easy starting point for benchmarking since they provide an overall assessment of a company’s success. A simple comparison can tell you how you stack up to the competition.
However, what sales figures do not provide is any indication of how that number was achieved and what drove success or failure. This is where benchmarking becomes more difficult. There are thousands of possibilities for benchmarking across finance, operations, marketing and more. Clearly, benchmarking all of the factors that influence your organization’s success, even just in marketing alone, isn’t feasible.
What’s Important?
Understanding what is important to your organization and its success is a good starting point for benchmarking.
As part of Aberdeen’s recent 
benchmark study report, “Marketing Asset Management: Managing Brand Compliance in Distributed Marketing Environments,” researchers gained insight from marketers into the business pressures that represent the most frequent external forces that impact their organization’s marketing position, competitiveness or business operations.
These included:
- Difficulty managing brand consistency while operating across a wide geography
- Difficultly managing brand consistency due to volume (number of business units, acquisitions, etc).
- The need for faster cycle times on marketing activities due to volatile macroeconomic conditions
- Mandates to improve operational efficiency
Benchmarking
While these pressures were listed by many of the marketers surveyed, Aberdeen’s research determined that there are some very distinct differences in how organizations dealt with this.
Those organizations considered to be “Best-in-Class” were more likely to have an asset management system in place, provide the marketing department with access to all digital assets so that these could be repurposed or reused. Results for these top organizations included:
- Improved ROMI 32% year-over-year, compared to 4% decrease for Laggards
- 18% improvement in brand consistency, compared to 1% decline for Laggards
- Reduced marketing campaign time-to-market by 1%, compared to 3% increase for Laggards
How Does My Organization Compare and What Can I Do?
It isn’t enough to simply benchmark against Best-in-Class organizations if that is the end of the process. Action must be taken for benchmarking to have any significant meaning or effect.
Based on this knowledge, 
Aberdeen has created an easy-to-use self-assessment tool designed for marketers to not only benchmark against best practices in marketing asset management and managing brand compliance, but also receive personalized recommendations for improvement. In less than 15 minutes, you can start building the case for change in your organization and have the data to help support your case.
Through this process, marketers can realize the true value of benchmarking – going beyond the simple comparison of data to create change and (hopefully) join “Best-in-Class” organizations to set the standard in the future.