If you’re seeking to implement an account based marketing strategy, it can be difficult to know where to begin. After all, the umbrella of “ABM” can certainly cover a lot of tactics.
Wondering where to start? Check out these case studies highlighting some of the most successful ABM efforts in the last six years, including a company that took the tumult and chaos of 2020 and turned it into increased retention and customer happiness.
Last week we talked about specific B2B ABM tactics you can use that work in the real world. Now, we’ll highlight some successful B2B ABM case studies to provide you with even more inspiration for your own ABM efforts.
Below are our five favorite case studies from the last few years. All of these ABM efforts either won extremely lucrative contracts, made use of innovative strategies, or combined data and human connection for big ROI.
If you want to win over high-value, hard-to-reach clients, these case studies will show you how.
Quantum Workplace provides employee engagement software with this simple mission: Make work better every day. But how do you make work better every day during a crisis?
When the pandemic hit in early 2020, Quantum Workplace realized their challenge was twofold: they had to stay connected with their current customers during perilous times, while also helping those customers retain and connect with their own employees.
Instead of seeing this as an insurmountable problem, Quantum Workplace chose to see it as an opportunity to become more engaged with their clients than ever.
Quantum Workplace adopted the ABM software Terminus to help them measure everything to do with new leads and current customers. Using intent and engagement data for the first time, they created targeted ads that led their clients and prospects to helpful content.
Their primary goal was to share the tools that were already available and make sure their clients were making their employees feel safe and valued.
From the Quantum Workplace team: “Based on the data, customer-facing teams could prioritize conversations on a weekly basis using engagement spikes and intent data which even included competitor topics.” This new specificity lets them help their customers in more relevant ways than ever before, even through the challenges of a pandemic.
In addition to the qualitative improvement to their relationships with customers, Quantum Workplace also saw the following quantitative results:
Rather than shrinking in 2020, as they expected, Quantum Workplace retained customers and grew, helping more businesses than ever.
Read more about Quantum Workplace’s journey in 2020.
Couchbase is a NoSQL database provider for enterprise. They help their clients set up real-time analytics to improve the flow between real-world operations and data analysis.
Couchbase had a handful of high-value clients in highly technical industries, but a long list of prospects that seemed lower value. In order to increase revenue, they needed to move into new, less technical spaces that still valued innovation.
However, Couchbase was competing with SQL and NoSQL providers who already had heritage accounts in these spaces. In order to break in, they would need to become a recognized name for c-suite level execs and communicate the benefits of their offer in less technical language than they were used to using.
Couchbase implemented a data-based ABM strategy that measured intent (such as keyword research by their targets) and combined that real-world behavior with research-generated social personas of their customers.
By combining the behavior of their prospects with the personae of their existing customers, Couchbase was able to create content that was specific and relevant for their target accounts. Once the content was produced and delivered to the accounts, they measured engagement and adjusted their next round of content accordingly.
Couchbase is now able to track each target account’s engagement, their point of origin, and a pipeline score of their potential value. So far, they’ve generated $1.5 million in pipeline opportunities, and they’re moving into phase two of their ABM strategy with highly engaged accounts.
Read more about Couchbase’s data-backed content process.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise is an enterprise information technology company that prides itself on being an innovative industry disruptor while providing excellent support for its clients’ goals. They offer a number of product lines for data storage, computing, and software.
HPE wanted to expand into the lucrative retail industry, but an overwhelming sea of marketing is already directed at those prospects. HPE needed to cut through the noise and have meaningful conversations with the decision makers who could build a long-term partnership.
Like most HPE initiatives, it started with research. Deep profiles were made for 50 of the top retail companies and the top influencers within each prospective account. Then a database was created linking all of this information, providing actionable insights.
Using this database, HPE created targeted content to build their brand image with their prospect accounts. Once they established their brand as a thought leader, they pursued one-on-one connections with the top decision makers.
HPE hosted an exclusive series of supper clubs for C-suite level execs at premiere London locations, with HPE experts leading talks and networking events. Topics varied from the general to the technically specific, and the conclusions reached at these events were published in white papers and blogs.
Opportunities to book meetings were offered throughout the supper club events, converting networking leads into customers.
These events, along with HPE’s other coordinated ABM efforts, resulted in a pipeline of $150 million. So far, HPE has won $33 million in revenue from their ABM strategy.
Read more about HPE’s targeted, researched relationships.
Northrop Grumman is more commonly known as an aerospace and defense contractor, but they also have an IT sector capable of handling large contracts, even state-wide endeavours. When the Commonwealth of Virginia created the Virginia Information Technologies Agency (VITA) to run all state IT services, Northrop Grumman knew they were the perfect partner.
In Virginia, Northrop Grumman was known as a builder of ships and submarines, not an experienced IT services provider. To win VITA and its $2 billion, 10-year IT Infrastructure Partnership, they would need to show the depth of their experience in IT in a way that captured the attention of VITA’s highest decision makers.
Northrop Grumman began their efforts by networking with key players to better understand VITA’s issues and goals. Before trying to win the account, they made sure to learn the values and desires of their target partner.
Once Northrop Grumman felt they truly understood VITA’s needs, they developed a multi-level campaign to raise brand awareness in Virginia and attract the attention of key decision-makers.
These efforts positioned Northrop Grumman as both a technology expert and a company of proud Virginians who were committed to the wellbeing of their state.
Then, when contact was made with the prospect, every touchpoint focused on providing a customer experience with technical expertise and Virginia roots.
The initiative lasted three years, but won the most lucrative IT contract in state government.
In addition to this win for Northrop Grumman, the contract will result in a capital investment of nearly $270 million and hundreds of new jobs for Virginia.
Read more about Northrop Grumman’s focused efforts to win VITA.
BillingTree is an industry leader in payment processing, with a focus on technology-driven innovation. Their goal: connect with as many small and large businesses to show how their payment solutions can improve their customer experience while also improving their bottom line.
BillingTree was using direct mail with gift cards as an incentive to connect with their customers, but booking a meeting was still hard. Meetings that were scheduled often resulted in a face to face with those unable to make decisions for the company, a waste of resources for both parties involved.
BillingTree needed to get the attention of decision makers. Being a company on the leading edge of financial technology, they wanted a technological solution.
The UviaUs team designed, manufactured, and mailed 100 rugged, locking cases, branded to BillingTree, secured with two combination padlocks. The exterior of the case and an accompanying personalized notecard explained that it contained an Amazon gift card worth up to $100. The catch? We didn’t include the combination.
Opening the case revealed a fully branded interior with a video player embedded in the lid. The video player automatically activates whenever the case is opened, playing an animated video pitch created by the UviaUs team specifically for this campaign.
This campaign cost BillingTree less time and manpower than any previous marketing campaign, but had remarkable results.
That’s a lot of billing.
For more ABM case studies, check out these success stories:
Want to talk more about ABM marketing and how you can make remarkable first impressions that turn into fulfilling long-term partnerships? Let’s chat.
