Basware's Steve Muddiman's presentation slides at the Ajatusjohtajuus 2014 seminar on 22.1.2014. The seminar was organized by Procom and AC-Sanafor.

1. THOUGHT LEADERSHIP
Getting the whole company aligned

2. Agenda
• Introduction to Basware
• Thought Leadership and its role in the
marketing mix
• Content strategy
• Aligning your content to drive revenue
• Ensuring participation
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3. Basware Vision
The Largest Business Commerce Network
# of suppliers & buyers
# of transactions
Basware Commerce Network
€ value moving across the
network
4
P2P software
Value Added Services

4. Our journey in becoming a Service
Company
Everything changes:
Our operating methods, how we design new
product/service, how we package, price and
position for new markets, the way we
present & deliver value, the customer
segments are changing, employee change
management, shareholder & customer
expectations only become higher.....
Becoming a service company:
Transitioning from a software company into
a service company.
Marketing plays a critical role uniting all
these elements

5. Charting a difficult course....
Products
Services
Network growth
Accelerated growth
6
Enterprises + SMEs
Channel sales
Global leader

6. As we change, our story evolves too
2004:
“Value for financial
processes”
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”Unlocking value in a
connected business
world”

7. •So how do we get
there?
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8. You want to influence buyer behaviour with
your content (lead their thoughts)
• 70% of the content that supports a buying
decision is discovered by the buyers
themselves (they think!)
• And an equal 15% from sales & marketing
Marketers need to create content available
to be found:
• By each buyer, in their context
• When they are looking
Content that accelerates the buyers along their
journey and leaves behind you ‘brand scent’
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Source: Forrester Research
[

9. Developing thought leadership along the
Customer Journey
The Differentiating Moments of Truth
…..a series of MoT’s
Aware
Engaged
Interacting
Involved
Transacting
Delighted
Advocate
“If you’re available at the Zero Moment of
Truth, your prospects and customers will
find you at the very moment they’re
thinking about buying, and also when
they’re thinking about thinking about
buying.”

10. Thought Leadership sits at the pinnacle of content
marketing strategy
Major
Thought
Leadership
Impact of
ideas on
potential
buyers
Solutions, Customer
References & Evaluation
Tools
Products, Services & Collateral
Brand Advertising & Messaging
Minor
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Content
Marketing

11. Thought Leadership embodies bold attributes
Relevant
Provocative
Forward Leading
Distinct
Inspiring
Actionable
Results Driven
Conversational
Credible
Independant
Source: Forrester Research
• Deals with big issues your buyers face
• Challenges conventional thinking
• Anticipates what’s coming over the
horizon
• Different from what everyone is else
is saying
• Energises people about this way of
thinking
• Provides actionable advice on what
clients can do now
• Using the ideas can produce
breakthrough results
• The tone encourages a dialogue
and feedback
• Your company can help people
get there
• Makes no reference to your
products or services

12. What is content?
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
Content is a representation of our brand promise
Good content tells a story
A good story should create curiosity (‘I want to know more’)
Good content drives action
Content should drive engagement
Examples include:
Video
White Papers/e.Guides
Blog posts
PR editorial
Social shares (Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+)
Content and channels overlap and need to be ‘fit for purpose’
Twitter is not good for sharing complex content or ideas

13. Content Marketing
• Content = Marketing
• Approach is the same – but need to act like a publisher
not a broadcaster:
• What stories do we want to tell?
• To whom? (what personas, segments, targets)
• To get them to do what? (CTA)
• How do we reach them? (channels)
• How do we measure success (engagement metrics)?
• How do we turn curiosity and engagement into Sales Ready
Leads?
• How do we measure the overall process so that it becomes
predictable and drives funnel management?
• What tools and platforms do we need to automate/ manage
all this?
13 February,
2014

14. Content engages our audience
across the buying cycle
Brand communications:
problem definition
Solution communications;
why us?
Nurturing/ Engagement
Buyer’s Journey
T
a
r
g
e
t
P
e
r
s
o
n
a
Untroubled
& Unaware
Acknowledge
Pain
Define
Needs
Receive
Proposals
Select
Vendors
Select
Single
Vendor
Engage
Buy
CFO
AP
Other
Finance
Content
Content
Content
IT
13 February,
2014
Content
Content
Purchasi
ng
SMB
Content
Content
$
Content

15. End to End Process - Demand Mgt & Direct Sales
Plan
Engage
Discover
Qualify
Quote
Negotiate
Marketing
Management
Demand
Generation
Identify
Sales
Opportunity
Opportunity
Qualification
Quote
Generation
Client
Acceptance &
Contracting
Contract
Signing and
Acceptance
Activation
Understand
Market
Propensity
Targeting
Retrieve
leads
Nurture
Leads
Generate
Proposal
Proposal
Discussion
Contract
Handling
Order
Handling
Develop Market
Strategy & Plan
Design
Campaigns &
Rules
Prepare for
contact
Propose
solution
Gain internal
approval
Understand
client &
negotiate
Activation
Product Portfolio
Definition
Build
Campaigns
Contact
Prospect
Qualify
prospect
Contract
Signing &
Acceptance
Segmentation
Execute
Campaigns
Landscape
Prospect
needs/req
Reach
BANT
Marketing
Proposition
Prospect
initial contact
Pricing &
Bundling
Strategy
Import
contact
details from
Eloqua
Customer
Contact Strategy
Close
Implement
Gain client
acceptance
Gain credit
acceptance
Gain
commercial
approval
Generate
contract
Key:
Supports Competence MoT:
Pain Point:
Supports Differentiated MoT
Demand
Centre Scope
Transition
to Service

16. End to end customer experience framework & impact on content
Awareness
Problem
identification
Search for
solutions
Brand
awareness
Receive
marketing
Receive
supplier
activation
comms
View mass
media
content
Interact –
Welcome
Interact
- Nurture
Transact
Learn about
propositions
Tailor
proposition &
obtain quote
Recognised/
Personalised
Resolve
queries
Decide to
purchase
Access
resources
Define
requirements
Visit website
or have call
Submit order
Use
Support:
Get Help
Use service
Assisted help
Manage
account
Receive
retention
marketing
Installation
View user
dashboard
reporting
Self help
Receive
version update
comms
Receive winback
marketing
Complete
activation
Extend/
Configure
service
Help chat/
community
Learn to use
Manage bill/
statement
Receive
support
notification
Fulfil
Receive
welcome
comms
Implement
Organisation
Changes
Service
Renew
Receive
Suggested
Service
Advice
Make payment
Key:
Pain Point:
Differentiated MoT
View new
media/ social
content
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Competence MoT:
Demand
Centre Scope
Other Interaction

17. Ways to ensure your stakeholders
are always engaged
Identify your target audience, their issues,
and the sources of information they trust.
Develop your thought leadership platform:
the ideas and content that express the
company’s positions
Engage your audience through a
considered mix of digital, social, and
traditional channels.
Assess the impact on your business and
revise or reinvest.
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18. Brand development platform
Immersion
&
Discovery
Research
& Insight
Brand
Strategy &
Positioning
Brand
Platform
Creation
Activation
• Immersion and Discovery: Business, brand understanding and internal
viewpoints
• Research and Insight: Market,audience and competitor insights
• Brand Strategy and Positioning: Opportunity for the brand in the market
• Brand Platform Creation: Mission/vision, values/character, proposition and
creative platform
• Activation: Internal and external activation
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