A case study LEAD GENERATION FACTORY FOR ATOS

A case study LEAD GENERATION FACTORY FOR ATOS

ABOUT THE CLIENT ATOS IS THE SECOND-LARGEST IT SERVICES AND SOLUTIONS COMPANY IN EUROPE. Headquartered in France, it employs 86,000 people to provide hi-tech transactional services, managed services, consulting & technology services, outsourcing and systems integration across 47 countries worldwide, helping its customers to create their firm of the future.

Summary THE LEAD GENERATION FACTORY A MULTI-PROPOSITION, MULTI-COUNTRY DEMAND CENTRE PROGRAMME GENERATING INCREMENTAL SALES 284X INVESTMENT. Atos operates in the IT services market and aims to become the preferred European global IT services brand worldwide by 2016. Its propositions and target audience are changing and consequently its sales and marketing need to transform. The Lead Generation Factory (LGF) is key to this transformation. It is a multiproposition, multi-country demand centre programme that works closely with sales to systematically open doors with its senior-decision-maker target audience and efficiently generate a strong and predictable pipeline which is tracked all the way through to sale. The LGF puts the bespoke needs of each contact, not the individual campaigns, at its core. It drew upon 23 different sub-campaigns during 2014, with the Inside Sales team blending these to appropriately nurture each prospect. In 2014 the LGF generated pipeline amounting to more than 1800 times the investment in the programme, with 45% of these leads coming from outside the IT function. We are projecting incremental sales of 284 times investment. This is a rolling programme that will continue to give Atos a commercial edge in this highly competitive market.

Strategy THE PREFERRED EUROPEAN GLOBAL IT BRAND BY 2016 Atos has a clearly stated goal to become the preferred European global IT brand worldwide in digital and IT services by 2016. In order to achieve this, the business is undergoing a significant transformation both through acquisition and through the introduction of a range of innovative new propositions to the market. To deliver this ambitious strategy it is recognised that sales and marketing need to change in order to engage with its famously hard-to-reach target audience of senior decision-makers. The Lead Generation Factory programme is at the heart of this transformation.

Objectives GENERATE, NURTURE AND FEED Having completed a pilot in 2012/13, the specific objective for the programme during 2014 was to generate incremental closed sales of at least 100 times the investment made in the programme. The overall objective of the LGF is to create an industrialised process to generate, nurture and feed leads into the sales pipeline before tracking them all the way to order entry. It makes for a cost-efficient process that achieves maximum results for minimum budget (see Figure 1: Sales process). FIGURE 1: SALES PROCESS SALES PROCESS FROM LEAD TO CLOSED SALE... Before BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT STRATEGIC SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES CLOSED SALE After BUSINESS DEV. STRATEGIC SALES ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES CLOSED SALE Lead Generation Factory Segmentation and data building Direct marketing to create awareness Specialising in establishing first contact / set-up client meeting

The target audience CORPORATE DECISION MAKERS THE LGF IS A CENTRALISED PROGRAMME THAT TARGETS CORPORATE DECISION-MAKERS ACROSS TEN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES. During 2014 we targeted 18,281 contacts within 4,714 accounts. These contacts included a range of senior IT roles (such as CIO, Chief Digital Officer, Head of IT Architecture and Head of IT Infrastructure) as well as senior commercial decisionmakers such as CMOs and CFOs. The key insight that shaped the design of the LGF is that when addressing such a diverse and senior set of decision-makers (across multiple countries) who face a complex set of strategic issues, the programme needs to be flexible and draw on a wide range of campaign modules which can be leveraged to address the needs of each target organisation. In other words, the programme needs to be completely customer-centric rather than campaign-driven.

23 CAMPAIGNS. 8 COUNTRIES. 5 LANGUAGES. 5 VERTICALS.

The journey MEDIA, CHANNELS OR TECHNIQUES USED LGF PUTS THE BESPOKE NEEDS OF EACH CONTACT, NOT THE INDIVIDUAL CAMPAIGNS, AT THE CENTRE OF THE MODEL. Each conversation is planned according to our knowledge about that contact, so that content from individual campaign modules is blended over time, to create a bespoke nurturing journey.

The journey THE NURTURING PROCESS Definition phase: Audience analysis to determine the best messaging and delivery methods. Next Best Action: Develop targeted propositions and relevant delivery materials to move the target through the sales process. Nurture phase 1: Capture insight to effectively take a contact through the cycle of education, information exchange and definition. Defined interest Nurture phase 2: Following expression of interest, identify BANT-qualified leads, or qualify leads out to re-enter the cycle. The centre of the LGF is the Inside Sales hub a team of data, telemarketing, creative and demand-generation professionals who gather audience and market insight and adapt the approach every day.

The journey DURING 2014 THE LGF PROGRAMME LEVERAGED A TOTAL OF 23 DIFFERENT CAMPAIGN MODULES. These modules used a full range of marketing channels and techniques including thought leadership content, high-impact DM, personalised edms and a range of online assets all coordinated by the central Inside Sales team and supported by CRM and marketing automation as appropriate. During the year the LGF team made 34,160 calls, sent 6,720 DMs, delivered 25,276 edms and had 4,723 nurturing conversations. An example of one of the key campaign modules is given on the following page.

The journey CAMPAIGN MODULE: FACTORY OF THE FUTURE IN EARLY 2014 A UK CAMPAIGN MODULE WAS ROLLED OUT TO MANUFACTURING COMPANIES. Three emails were deployed through Eloqua, with a Factory of the Future position paper addressing the industry s need to embrace new technology to position for future success. Highly targeted DM pieces were created for 60 high-profile contacts. The call to action was a face-to-face workshop. The programme was also supported by sponsorship of the Manufacturing Directors conference and an advertorial piece in The Manufacturer. The UK module was adapted for global deployment. The position paper was rewritten, country-specific DMs sent (hyperpersonalised with PURL downloads of the position paper), and new emails targeting specific sub-markets (Aero, Auto, CPG, PharmaChem) sent. A range of other channels including LinkedIn, industry publications, industry events and sponsorship were used.

Timescales of the campaign The LGF is a rolling ongoing programme leveraging numerous campaign modules. Apps management MES JIT 23 CAMPAIGNS Yuanio Enhanced alliance Comms simplified Enterprise sustainability COUNTRY SPECIFIC CAMPAIGNS Magic quadrant EPCE SAP HCM Hardware / software 8 COUNTRIES JANUARY 2014......DECEMBER 2014 CENTRALISED CAMPAIGNS. Manufacturing JIS JIT Now banking Factory of the future 5 LANGUAGES NHS Helix nebula Big data Financial services Safe Net Canopy event 5 VERTICALS

Results KEY RESULTS ACHIEVED IN 2014 INCLUDE: Generated 194 leads and 422 opportunities 45% of leads outside of IT Created pipeline value of more than 1800 times investment Projected incremental order entry of 284 times investment Opportunities gained with key prospects from large manufacturing organisations from France, UK and Denmark New logos won across UK, Germany and France A new model has been created and proven which is making a significant difference to Atos competitiveness in the market and will continue to drive new sales in 2015 and beyond. PIPELINE VALUE OVER 1800X INVESTMENT INCREMENTAL ORDER ENTRY 284X INVESTMENT

CLIENT TESTIMONIAL The Lead Generation Factory has made a significant difference to our brand awareness, commercial operations and our competitiveness in the market. By taking a blended campaigning approach, we are now able to open new doors within existing clients as well as generate new logos and new business leading to incremental growth. The outstanding ROI of the programme speaks for itself. Joanna Moss Director, Lead Generation Factory, Atos