» New World, New Strategies

This Marketing and Sales Executive Think Tank was hosted at Monteco by Brett Johnson, Marketing Director, Monteco.

1. How do you manage through recession and falling oil prices, and drive demand for your products and services?
2. How can you leverage the Internet to create low-cost, high-value marketing?

What we learned

• Websites
  • Use micro-sites for each division
  • Ensure consistency of design and messaging
  • Ensure thoughtful navigation to make web site functional
  • Provide private access to dealers on web site
  • Include interactive tools
  • Use home page for branding, value proposition, easy navigation to other pages
  • Refrain from flash and video as it slows load times
  • Use analytics and measurement: track page hits, time spent etc.
• Email
  • Provide relevant newsletter
  • Continuously build contacts list
  • Make sure every email has value to the recipient, embed links to content or tools
  • Use iContact to manage spam blocking
  • Track click-throughs
• Blogs
  • Participate where your prospects and clients are participating
  • Identify opportunities

Actions taken to prepare for downturn

• Expanded marketing, using targeted emails
• Aligned Sales & Marketing to make sure messages are aligned
• Cut marketing budget
• Mobilized everyone to sell
• Targeting financial sources that are interested in green technologies

Effective sales and marketing techniques in this climate

• Prepare a business case/feasibility study for energy efficiency (how it saves $$)
• Leverage PR
• Working in community, gaining grass-roots exposure
• Identify the green champion in every company approached
• Use of blogs
• Build relationships, through face-to-face meetings, dinners etc.
• Make sure marketing investment is consistent with anticipated return

Attendees:

• Hybridyne Power Systems Canada Ltd.
• Carbonzero
• Clean Energy Developments