No plan and not sure where to start

Highlights

A competitive market (IT services) and an organisation with ambitious growth aspirations
No previous focus on marketing, unclear value proposition and limited resources
No plan and unsure where to start
Marketing foundations are now in place, including strategic alignment, customer-focused messaging and systems
Regular cadence of marketing and sales activity
Governance and accountability oversight
Brand build, lead generation and sales

The Client

MyITmanager is a managed IT services provider (MSP) with ambitious growth aspirations
Based in Christchurch, with an office in Central Otago
They provide outsourced IT support to mid-sized New Zealand organisations across the South Island
They have a strong focus on cyber security and are focused on helping organisations get the most out of their technology investment

Visit myITmanager’s website here.

The Challenge

The business was going through a number of changes when we first started working together. Steve Lowery was the Managing Director and Jamie Unsted (now Director and head of technology), was in the process of buying into the business.

Crowded market - the MSP market is competitive and busy, with organisations ranging from one-person ‘IT support’ through to multi-national operators serving enterprise clients
No marketing resource - they had done little marketing in the past and had no one dedicated to marketing
No plan and unclear where to start or what to prioritise - what activity they had done was ad-hoc and lacked focus. They didn’t have a plan and didn’t really know where to start
Maturing - Steve recognised they were getting to a maturity level where, if they wanted to grow, they had to develop a marketing and lead gen capability
Marketing machine - they wanted help to create and deliver a marketing approach which was sustainable, repeatable and effective

What We Did

We have worked together since early 2023, during which time myITmanager has also acquired a new business (BITS) and relocated their Central Otago office.

How we work and the priority areas have changed as business needs have evolved. At the start, myITmanager received Regional Business Partner (RBP) funding. Initial regular engagement and hands-on delivery has transitioned to Helen now acting more in a strategic advisor role for governance, holding to account and being a ‘sounding board’ for the team.

To get a baseline, Steve and Jamie completed the Marketing Audit
From the Marketing Audit we were able to identify priorities:

Clarify the sales & marketing strategic objectives
Articulate and document messaging
Refine ICP (ideal customer personas)
Develop a marketing activity plan

Workshops helped build marketing capability and knowledge internally
We agreed messaging, clarified target ideal customers and agreed an initial approach to marketing which could be delivered with the limited resources available. The focus was developing a plan that could be realistically delivered
Steve, Helen and her ‘team’ (sub-contractors and collaborators) set up the foundations and got the execution of marketing activity going to build momentum
With the acquisition of BITS (another Christchurch IT services company) the team gained a new in-house marketer (Renu) who delivers marketing activities
Helen has now moved on to a more strategic role
She supports the team in quarterly and annual review & planning sessions (governance and accountability)
She also provides ad hoc support for specific projects, for example when the team wanted to develop a more structured approach to sales activity

Results - Outcomes

“Change has been a constant throughout our time working together and Helen has kept us focused on what is important and helped us move forward,” says Steve.
“She has been a huge asset to our team, offering guidance, direction, and a wealth of industry experience that has significantly bolstered our marketing efforts”

We continue to work together, with Steve and Jamie pleased with the progress we have so far made, including:

Strategic alignment - there is now good alignment between the strategy and direction of the company and the marketing and sales activities
Marketing foundations - have been put in place; the initial focus on cyber security is now being further developed to a wider offering, while still retaining a clear messaging and we have established a number of systems and processes
Marketing function established - this includes having a plan, execution resources, systems and processes and a governance / accountability framework
A regular cadence of activity and planned campaigns - regular tactical activity has been delivered, along with targeted campaigns which has built brand awareness and increased lead generation and sales
The sales team - is starting to gain traction and there have been good outcomes from focusing on referrals and partnerships
Improved team collaboration - the directors, marketing and sales teams are all working together more effectively, have increased clarity over roles and this is delivering better outcomes

Helen comments that Steve and Jamie can be their own harshest critics, but they have achieved a great deal over the last 18 months.

Jamie and Steve say Helen has played a crucial role in helping them grow and focus on the right things.

“We can't underestimate the help that Helen's given us, creating building blocks and pushing us forward,” Jamie Unsted, Director.

Steve adds:

“She has also helped us appreciate how far we have come, which is especially when I spend my time looking forward to what I still want us to achieve!”

Case Story: MyITmanager