Genalytics with PAN Communications

Overview

Genalytics is a provider of advanced predictive data solutions that enable direct marketers to successfully target customers. The company’s patented software platform uses existing data to create predictive models that are applied to over 120 million households, making more accurate projections about future customer behavior.

Objectives

With changes over the past years from direct mail to online avenues, the media, who traditionally cover hot topics and trends, would need to be convinced that the offering was indeed unique and newsworthy. However, the case study approach was unavailable since convincing customers to talk about their success with the offering was not an option as many see it as a competitive differentiator. Genalytics customers, while very happy and loyal, were hesitant to speak with the media since sharing their trade secrets with the market could compromise their competitive advantage. PAN needed to find a way to gain coverage to a regional audience of marketers, business leaders, and even politicians.

Tactics

The PAN team set out to create a “consumer-friendly” relevance to the Genalytics technology –a story that anyone could understand and see the possible value for their company or situation, especially considering Genalytics targets many local franchisees and small businesses. The team also recognized the value in building awareness with business leaders and entrepreneurs that may not have known about predictive modeling for other markets (i.e., political campaigns) where this approach to marketing holds immediate promise. Boston Globe was at the top of PAN’s targeted list of publications because Genalytics draws many of its customers from the region. Considering the complicated technical capabilities of the Genalytics software (i.e., algorithms), the team made the pitch down to earth and relevant for business owners and marketers of all sizes in the greater Boston market. The team considered which elements of case studies and customer stories it could utilize in their media outreach. Genalytics had crafted a very successful predictive model based on their work with a national pizza franchise.

Although PAN knew that the customer wouldn’t speak with the media, reviewing the case studies sparked a fun pitch idea: Use this favorite food to gain the attention of the media to listen to the pitch and explain the concept of modeling customers. The team coordinated the delivery of a fresh, hot pizza around lunchtime on a Friday to targeted local print media including its primary target – the Boston Globe. Along with the pizza, the team included a pitch about how the Genalytics software has been used by a local pizza franchise who had received great ROI success with the targeted on-demand marketing approach. PAN hoped the journalists would be intrigued by the delivery and read the pitch as they enjoyed a slice of pizza with their colleagues.

The team followed up the lunchtime treat that afternoon with a phone call and email to confirm the delivery and to explain further why they received the pizza and how it related to Genalytics’ software. The team captured the attention of Bruce Mohl, business reporter from the Boston Globe. He conducted an initial phone interview with Genalytics’ CEO Ray Kingman and president Doug Newell, and consequently paid an on-site visit to Genalytics where Kingman and Newell had the opportunity to demonstrate the capabilities of the software, including the creation of a model as to what Mohl himself might be a target for.

Results

The coverage, titled “Special Delivery” was featured on the front page of the Monday Business section of the Boston Globe, highlighting the significant capabilities of the Genalytics product and communicating all of the company’s key messages with no mention of competitive solutions. The feature article also included reference to the possible benefits that modeling could bring to upcoming political campaigns, which is a very important future target vertical for the company.

The visuals, page length, and location of the article were significant: The business section of the Boston Globe, a page one, above the fold half-page, exclusive, in color with several eye catching graphics – including the pizza. Genalytics senior executives Ray Kingman and Doug Newell were included in the article with strong sound bites, up-leveling their position as thought leaders in the marketing and more specifically direct marketing space.

Following the publication, Genalytics received close to 40 new business leads – and after all is said, that’s the real measure of success!