In planning a major strategic transformation in its B2B marketing efforts, a leading software vendor needed guidance in shifting its marketing from a product “pillars” approach to a “solutions” perspective rooted in customers’ existing and future needs and requirements. The new business model mandated marketing efforts that would be both customer-driven and efficient in deploying marketing resources. Meeting these goals required a needs-based segmentation model as a core component to ensure that segments were validated, understood and targeted effectively and efficiently.

Telephone screening and recruit to web survey. 3,593 screening /recruiting interviews completed across 10 countries. Qualified respondents came from Information Technology, Line of Business and “C-level” (e.g. CEO, CFO, etc.) decision makers in organizations of all sizes across industries. To ensure quality, we provided seamless control across geographies, equivalence in translation of question meaning, and common quality standards for interviewing.

A comprehensive interview collected information relating to software behavior, buying attitudes, emotional needs, corporate attitudes / intent regarding current and future software usage, and firmographics.

A careful, iterative application of advanced multivariate techniques was utilized to produce a predictive segmentation model – what we call Concurrent Segmentation. This model was concurrently based on current behavior, company attitudes toward technology as well as motivational personal values. In this way, attitudinal information could be linked to descriptive data.

The business software market was classified into six segments. The dual behavior-values segmentation model yielded a consistent global structure that both resonates with the personal values that software decision-makers hold dear and was also sensitive to cultural (i.e. national) attitudes as well. Thus, a marketing strategy was developed enabling the client to “think globally, but act locally.”

From the segment profiles, specific targeted marketing messages appropriate for each segment were developed and a ‘gearbox’ tool was formulated enabling salespeople to classify customers and prospects, and to target them with the appropriate combination of suitable products.