Piloting of Marketing Automation at Weidmüller
Together with Cloudbridge, the Weidmüller project team successfully piloted the use of marketing automation for the selected “Industrial Analytics” business unit. The concrete procedure and the results were summarized in a blueprint, which Weidmüller can use as a basis for the roll-out of marketing automation in other areas of the company. A key criterion for measuring the success of the project was to quickly visualize the added value generated and to demonstrate how marketing automation can contribute to lead generation and qualification.
The project-related cooperation of Weidmüller & Cloudbridge as well as the main successes and added values for Weidmüller are summarized below. Particularly valuable in this summary is the perspective of Benjamin Hollmann, Head of Marketing Management, who has been with Weidmüller since 2012.
Initial situation:
Successful lead generation via digital channels in particular was one of the biggest challenges at Weidmüller before the joint project with Cloudbridge. Benjamin Hollmann finds two primary explanations for this: On the one hand, the possibilities of lead generation in the Weidmüller company and especially in the internal relationship between marketing and sales were not yet known to the same extent, and on the other hand, the existing and known possibilities were not fully exploited. This related above all to the automation of marketing and sales processes.
In the scoping phase of the project, it was therefore quickly determined that for successful digital lead generation and qualification, supported by marketing automation, a marketing funnel must first be established. This must be adapted to Weidmüller’s needs and goals. This funnel is divided into different stages and thus enables target group-specific communication across all touchpoints. Piece by piece, the prospects can be further qualified per “funnel phase” and thus developed in the direction of sales. The successful development of a marketing funnel should take into account organization, conception, goals and technology in order to become a central component of marketing automation in the company.
Project objectives:
In order to be able to measure and prove the success of the pilot project at the end, the definition of objectives was at the top of the list at the beginning. It was determined which essential criteria had to be met so that the Weidmüller team would classify the pilot project as successful. This resulted in three main target clusters:
- Automated lead generation
Effective automation of the lead generation process should ensure an increased number of relevant leads and CRM-ready contacts, as well as improved lead quality. - Creation of a blueprint
The processes and most important methodologies/standards defined for a pilot campaign from the areas of go-to-market design, lead management, inbound marketing and customer journey should be applied and documented in order to specifically create a knowledge transfer within the company and, on the other hand, to enable a blueprint with empirical values for adaptation to other specialist areas. - Measuring success
The definition of parameters & KPIs as well as the continuous measurability of marketing and sales activities were also identified as a key success factor.
Project approach:
In order to be able to achieve the goals defined above, Cloudbridge defined a precisely fitting procedure, which divided the project into three essential phases:
Based on the business plan already in place at Weidmüller and the market entry strategy set for the Industrial Analytics area, the marketing messages for the pilot campaign were once again sharpened in phase 1. In phase 2, the strategic concept and process definition for the development of the marketing funnel as the basis for automated, transparent and measurable marketing processes was then developed.
This set the course for a downstream campaign implementation in phase 3. The project duration until the go-live of the pilot campaign was estimated at approximately two to three months. After go-live, Cloudbridge was scheduled to continue supporting the pilot campaign for six months to ensure continuous monitoring and compliance with the defined KPIs.
Successes and added value:
The key successes and added values achieved by Weidmüller in the joint project with Cloudbridge are recorded below:
- Value Proposition & Key Messaging
Sharpening the target group-specific address and value proposition for the relevant target group. - Marketing Automation Blueprint
Development and documentation of methods/standards and definition of processes for the structured introduction and long-term use of marketing automation at Weidmüller. - Lead Management
Introduction of an end-to-end lead management process with defined funnel stages, minimum lead criteria and responsibilities. - KPI definition and measurability
Development of a KPI and reporting concept for the pilot campaign to ensure continuous measurability of all digital marketing activities. - Knowledge transfer and team enablement
Cloudbridge supported with expertise in translating Weidmüller’s requirements into a logical and structured campaign concept. Through the joint development of a blueprint, the close cooperation in the project team and the supervision and support in the monitoring of the campaign after go live, a continuous knowledge transfer and a successful qualification of the team was achieved.
Why Cloudbridge:
Weidmüller chose Cloudbridge as its partner primarily for two reasons:
- Modular approach
Weidmüller initially wanted to test the introduction of marketing automation as part of a pilot project in order to understand the methodologies and technological mechanisms. This was to form the basis for further directional decisions. Cloudbridge accommodated these requirements and was thus able to score points. - Expertise & consulting at eye level
Cloudbridge placed a lot of emphasis on the operational implementation of the pilot project as part of the Blueprint development. At the same time, an extensive theoretical knowledge base was developed in advance in order to align and implement the project in a target-oriented manner, based on the right questions.
Company description:
The Weidmüller company has its headquarters in Detmold, North Rhine-Westphalia, and is active in the electrical engineering sector and in over 80 countries worldwide.
With around 4,900 employees and sales in 2018 of €823 million, Weidmüller is the partner of Industrial Connectivity and supports customers and partners around the world with products, solutions and services in the industrial environment of power, signals and data. In this context, addressed focus markets include those of the
equipment manufacturers, mechanical engineering, transport technology or building infrastructure.
For the Marketing Automation pilot project with Cloudbridge, the Industrial Analytics business unit was selected as the topic of Industry 4.0.
“The joint marketing automation pilot project with Cloudbridge enables us to further drive the modernization and digitalization of our marketing. At all times, we felt that we had found a partner in Cloudbridge who was able to put themselves in our shoes right from the start – complemented with a great deal of understanding of our issues and requirements. This ensured effective support during the pilot phase. In addition, the project was always and equally characterized by a professional and sympathetic collaboration.”