225. The Linx Model
• Linx is a Hybrid Model Which Unifies World Class
Strategic Consulting with Cutting Edge Design and
Marketing Communications
• The Results are Unique “Market Driven Business
Strategies” that Look at Needs from Prospects’
Viewpoints, Leveraging Existing Capabilities and Assets
• Linx Combines Decades of Real World Experience
Serving Over a Thousand Organizations, with
Continuing Executive Education from Harvard Business
School and Yale School of Management to Deliver
Best‐of‐Breed Skills and Unique Solutions to Small and
Mid‐Market Organizations… Giving them a True
Competitive Edge
226. The Result?
• New Opportunities
– New Sales to Existing Customers
– Leveraging Existing Customers into New Products and Services
– Taking Advantage of Customers’ Relationships and Spheres of Influence
– Enabling Better Use of Assets Such as Facilities, People, Technologies,
Capital, Culture and Relationships
– New and Better Usage of Distribution/Selling Channels
– New Relationships and Alliances
• Lowered Overall Cost of Doing Business
– An Important Factor in a Down Economy
• A More Robust and Permanent Profitability Model
227. How Linx is Different
• From an Advertising Agency:
– They Rely on Traditional Advertising Executions Because it is What
They Know
– The Reach/Frequency Equation as a Stand‐Alone Model Does Not
Work as a Foundation Strategy
• From a Marketing Consultant
– We Can Implement our Strategies if Desired
– We Can Test, Pull Back and Adjust
– We Can Participate in Risk/Reward
• From a Design Company
– Art for Art’s Sake? Never!
– We are Grounded in Business First and Foremost
• Speak the Language of Management
• Understand the Mindset and Culture of Companies and Industries
228. Strategy… the Best ROI
A marketing element
Strategy
should provide 10X
1000X ROI
ROI. Add in the
efficiencies of
technology and you
bring that number to
Market Driven 100X ROI. But begin
Business with a sound
Strategy strategy and your
Technology Marketing
entire program can
100X ROI 10X ROI
deliver 1000X ROI.
229. Metrics Based Objectives
• To Achieve Overall Revenues
• For Year 1 of $____ Increasing ____ % per Year for Years 2 – 5
• To Achieve Overall Profitability
• For Year 1 of $____ Increasing ____ % per year for Years 2 – 5
• To have CMF of
• ___ Customers 0‐6 Months
• ___ Customers 0‐12 Months
• ___ Customers 24 Months
• To Have a Pipeline of ____Prospects
• To Achieve a Cost per Lead of $___ for Year 1 Reducing ___%
for Years 2 –5
231. Deliverables Synopsis
• Market Focused Business Strategy – The development of a research based model
with clearly defined targets and low cost go‐to‐market strategies.
• Research – A comprehensive view of current and potential markets from a
qualitative and quantitative viewpoint.
• Unique and Practical Strategic Tools – Segmentation Matrix, Value Chain,
Competitive Positioning Quadrant, Marketing Efficiency Funnel, SWOT, Designed
Experiment, Lifetime Referral Value
• Market/Channel Development – Identification of new markets and distribution
options for existing and/or new products.
• Partnerships & Alliances ‐ Identification, assessment and negotiations to leverage
the capabilities of existing organizations in new and potential markets and
channels.
232. Deliverables Synopsis
• E‐Marketing Development – Interactive technologies that help build better
business models, including keyword analysis, vertical landing page development,
comprehensive analytics, e‐comm modeling, web site creation and back‐end
integration.
• Branded Services – The development of proprietary services that add incremental
value to current product and service offerings.
• Product/Service Design and Extensions – Intuitive conceptualization and
approaches to creating product differentiation and brand building through design.
• Branding, Creative and Advertising – The tactical execution of our innovative
communications strategies including Drive‐To‐Web tacticals through the innovative
use of both offline and online properties.
• Media and Promotional Programs – Strategic planning to buying with a specialty
on creating unique on and offline multi media, tie‐ins and trade programs.
234. The Segmentation Matrix
• Understand Your Market and It’s Motivations is Critical to
the Success of Your Marketing/Sales Initiatives
• Segmentation Matrix Delivers The Who, What, Why, How
and Where of Your Marketing Program
• Enables the Organization to Understand what Value it
Delivers for Each Unique Customer Type and How/What
to Communicate
• Defines the Value Propositions, Offers, Go‐To‐Market
Strategies and Target Characteristics for Each Target/Sub‐
Market
• Creates Buy‐in Across the Entire Organization and Allows
for Consistent and Motivational Communications
• A Finely Crafted Segmentation Matrix is a Marketing Plan
on a Page
235. The Segmentation Matrix
Can Be Defined in Multiple Ways, Creating Multiple Matrices
Target 1 Target 2 Target 3 Target 4
Value
Propositions
Pricing/
Offers
Go To Market
Approach
Risk Mitigation
236. Lifetime Referral Value
• Linx Develops Your Lifetime Referral Value… a
Quantification Based on Appealing to Your Customers’
Spheres of Influence or Referral Network Rather than
Spending to Resell the Same Customer Multiple Times
• Delivers a 8 to 10 Multiple ROI Compared with
Traditional Lifetime Value Programs
• The Ultimate Retention Cultivation Tool… Leveraging
Targets who Have Already Bought into Your Brand in a
Revolutionary Way
• Proof of Concept from Harvard Business Review
237. Customer Master File Analysis
• Your Customer Master File is the Single Most Important
Asset You Can Have in Your Business
• Linx Examines, Analyzes and Communicates to Take Full
Advantage of the CMF’s Potential
• Data Mining
• Siloing/Grouping
• Establishing Patterns
• Comparing Behaviors to the Norm
• Examines Market to Match Past Successes and Potential
Trending to Develop New Customer and Prospect List
• Integrates into Automated CRM Programs to Provide
Actionable Programs
238. Messaging Hierarchy
• Three Levels of Messaging
– Marketing: allows the target to sift through the multitude of information
and recognize your message… whether or not they need that particular
service at that exact moment
– Selling: communicates the core competency of the company and the
ability to meet the base needs of the client, and as a result develops an
emotional reaction that says internally, “yes, they can do this for me.”
– Technical: the specs, features, benefits, etc. Of the product/service set
that ensures delivery on the promise made… and closes the sale
• The Vast Majority of Businesses are Never Heard above the Din
– The typical American experiences 6,500 marketing messaging
every day
– Most businesses market using technical messaging
• Linx Defines and Strategizes the Correct Hierarchy of
Messaging to Maximize your Success
239. Branded Services™
• Linx Helps Your De‐Commoditize Your Commodity Business…
• Migrating Your Existing Service Set into Specificity in the
Marketplace and Barriers to Competition
• Little to No Change or Additional Cost to Your Operational
Structure
• Creates Talking Points and Differentiation for the Sales Force
• Can Improve Closing Ratios
240. The Importance of Analytics
• Today, World Class Fortune 500 Companies are Succeeding Based on
Developing Metrics and Understanding Analytics
• SMB Companies That Take this Initiative will Invariably Beat Competitors
Who are Not Thinking and Planning on this Level
• What Does it Take? Linx Helps You Develop a Comprehensive
Understanding of the Market, Trends and Your Place in it Through:
• Primary Research Among Prospects, Current Customers, Old
Customers, Etc.
• Secondary Research to Develop Benchmarks
• A Deep Dive into Online Analytics that Yield Incredible Data
• An Honest Assessment of the Culture and Attributes that Drive Your
Business and Provide Value
241. The Designed Experiment
• Direct Response is the Most Pinpointed Marketing Execution,
but also the Most Expensive CPM
• Human Nature Makes Direct Marketing Programs Unpredictable
• Targets are Inundated with Information and Mail
• Directed Response Allows Marketers the Ability to Test as
Many Variables as They Need to at a Fraction of the Cost
• Testing Four Variables: List, Copy, Format, Frequency Would
Necessitate 256 Splits (If You Even Had That Many Names)
• We Bring This Down to Eight Splits
• Test any Medium (Print, Electronic, Broadcast)
• 95% Accuracy
243. Search Engine Marketing: SEO/PPC
• The Optimal Methodology to Leverage Your Online Efforts
• Industry and Competitive Analysis to See What is Being Searched
• Long Tail Key Phase Methodology
• Increased Relevant Key Phrases for Products and Services
• A Cost Effective Approach to Search Advertising through Pay Per Click
Campaigns
• Search Engine Optimization Based on the Latest Algorithms from Google
and Yahoo
• Sophisticated and Comprehensive Back Link Strategies
• Development of Simple, Effective Offline Strategies to Bring Targets to
Specific Pages and Content within the Website
244. MailLinx™ E‐Mail
• MailLinx E‐Mail Marketing System
• Completely Automated System with Pre‐Designed Template
• Client Controls the Data
• E‐mails Can be Sent to As Many Predetermined Targets Siloed into
Multiple Lists
• InstaClick™ Though Alert Feature Lets Rep Know when Target Clicks into
Site, Where They are Within the Site in Real Time via E‐mail
• Contact Info is Also Sent in E‐mail for Immediate Sales Opportunities
• Provide Full Reporting of Results
• Complete Analytics Show Click Throughs and Defined Goals
246. Comprehensive Planning
A Strategic Marketing Planning Document for Management
• The Marketing Plan Details How Business Objectives are Met
– Short Term Early Victories
– Positioning to Win in the Long Term
• The Plan Serves as the Blueprint for Going Forward
Detailing:
– Analysis
– Recommendations
– Communications Items
– Implementation Calendar (Benchmarks For Completion: Resource,
Timing)
– Financial Plan (Budget Recommendations, Allocations and Cash Flow)
• All Aspects of the Plan Should be Reviewed and Adjusted
Periodically as Market Needs and Company Deliverables are
Always in Flux
247. Comprehensive Planning
A Strategic Marketing Planning Document for Management
• The Plan Typically Includes:
– Situation Analysis of Current Market/Customer Breakdown/Trends
Based on Research
– Target Market Sizing and Analysis
– Audit of Past Marketing Successes and Failures
– Competitive Analysis
– SWOT (Strengths/Weaknesses/Opportunities/Threats)
– Objective/Goal Development with ROI and Timeframe Benchmarking
– Strategic Development
– Channel/Affiliation Opportunities
– Brand Launch/Awareness/Positioning Strategies
– Development of Unique Marketing Messages
– Execution of Creative Approach
– Communications Tactics
– Promotional Programs
248. Example Tactical Elements
• E‐Mail and Keyword Strategies
• Offline Drive to Web Programs
• Branded Service Identification Systems
• Vertical Marketing Programs
• Vertical/Horizontal Web Landing Pages with Specific Content
• Dimensional Direct Mail
• Affinity/Loyalty Programs
• Frequency Direct Response Programs
• On‐Demand Printing of Collaterals with Variable Information
• Trade Show Traffic Building Programs
• Thought Leadership Public Relations Programs
These are Just a Few of Many Traditional and Non‐Traditional
Tactical Vehicles Utilized by Linx… Based on Budget, Expected
ROI and Adherence to an Overall Strategic Plan
249. Overall Tactical Capabilities
• Annual Report Design • Event Marketing
• Brand Development • Identification Programs
• Broadcast Production – Corporate
• Business Plan Development – Product
• Collateral Materials – Event
– Sales Kits • Media
– Catalogs – Research
– Capabilities Brochures – Planning
– Press Kits – Buying
• Co‐op Programs – Post Performance Analysis
• Consumer and Business‐to‐Business • Presentation Design
Advertising • Product Launch
– Design – Identification
– Campaign Development – Packaging
– Execution – Product Design
• Database Marketing – Point‐of‐Sale Displays/Materials
• Direct Mail • Public Relations Tie‐Ins
– Frequency – Event Planning
– Dimensional • Sales Promotions and Tie‐ins
• E‐Marketing Programs • Seminar Programs
– Website Design • Branding
– E‐Commerce • Positioning
– E‐Mail Programs • Trade Show Programs
– SEO/SEM – Theme Development & Tie‐Ins
– Web 2.0 Executions – Booth Creation
– Intranet – Traffic Building
– Online Marketing/Affiliations • Video Production
