Strategy

Breaking the marketing conundrum for a network security technology startup

Business Needs

The client operates in the network security market with offerings that are potentially disruptive to the marketplace. The client has more than 100 customers, many of them marquee brands and more than 1000 installs in the marketplace.  It has grown to its current state in an experimental fashion. It desperately needed an organized sales and marketing plan that will help it scale its business and improve its profitability. It also needed to set strategic directions for its business over a 3 year horizon.

Solution

The client offers software-ware based network security products in a market where everyone else is offering boxes. It additionally offers products that help improve IT management costs besides enabling enterprise-wide solutions for distributed business.

Zebu’s consulting team approached the problem in a phased manner with the final objective of creating a marketing plan to target the market. In phase 1, Zebu analysed the client’s current environment – market size and opportunity, competitors and their positioning and industry trends. In phase 2, Zebu audited the clients internal sales and marketing  processes and identified specific gaps that need to be bridged. In phase 3, Zebu created the marketing plan by

• segmenting the market
• identifying profitable & addressable target segments
• creating product positioning
• identifying the specific marketing and sales collaterals & messages that need to be created
• identifying partners and partner programs that need to be in place
• creating guidelines for partner selection and partner management
• creating a promotional plan
• creating a calendar for each of the marketing activities
  

Benefits

• Zebu engagement helped the company with the following
• Research-based understanding of the market potential that they feel comfortable with
• Identification of the gaps in their operational setup
• Defined processes for executing on sales and marketing plan
• A clear, consistent message for positioning the company
• Unambiguous identification of target market and segments
• Calendarized marketing initiatives that the sales and marketing team could execute on
  

The client now has a much sharper focus on execution, top line and profitability. Collateral benefit for the management is increased visibility and accountability that comes with focus.