+

A MARCOM Plan

March 2016

By William Do

+Agenda

1) Introduction

2) Business Foundations

3) Marketing Planning

4) PR/Events

5) Business Development

6) Conclusion

+

1. Introduction SmartDev Analysis – Company, key facts, development leads

+ “(…)We hire smart people so they can tell

us what to do”Steve Jobs

+1.1 SmarDev LLC.

SWISS offshore company based in Da Nang, Vietnam

SERVICES

- Agile offshore development (90% of the business)

- Agile project management

- Agile Training and Coaching

EXPERTISE

- QR Codes

- Turnkey Prepaid Debit Card Services

- Near-Field-Communication

- IBeacon

PCI DSS certified by the international Security Standards Council

An Agile IT development company

+ LOGO

- Colors: Polo blue, Royal blue and White (space)

- Hexagon shape containing a capital ‘S’

- 3D view: looks like a “box”, connector head

STAFF (+/- 80 people)

- Mainly developers, coders, testers

- Coaches, project managers

- Diverse administrators

Tech staff appears to master the latest IT technologies

MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE

- Flat

- Staff supervised by appointed leaders

OTHER

- 30-40% cheaper than offshore companies based in China or India

(According to the CEO)

+1.2 Additional Insights

SmartDev is privately funded; no partner is involved in the

management of the company

Business is centered around its CEO, Alexander Cuva - Past and

current clients come from his past career

Lack of brand identity; no defined company culture

No specific market focus nor clear target market

Lack of strategic decisions; no sales team

Poor professional image (online); website structure is unbalanced,

inadequate phrasing, grammar errors, poor quality video, etc

+1.3 Key Business Facts

A company culture is given by the founder personality

“(…)worldwide business leaders identified corporate culture to be as

important as corporate strategy for business success” (Bain &

Company, 2007)

Who you know > What you know

Most people only care about what you can give them

“Don’t tell me, SHOW me” – business motto

Satisfied customers = Best company advocates (CRM)

Competition = Clients = Opportunities (to do better)

Development leads

+

2. Business FoundationsInternal Marketing => External Marketing

+ “People don’t buy what you do,

they buy why you do it”Simon Sinek

+2.1 Creating a Company Culture

VALUES (Our philosophy)

Innovation, Simplicity, Transparency, Flexibility, Passion, Continuous

improvement, Courage, Rapid Execution, Embrace Change, Cooperation

MISSION (Our code)

AAA

Aware – We see. We hear. We feel. We are deeply connected to the world. We

stay relevant by staying aware.

Agile – We are quick to detect and seize opportunities. Our proven

methodologies has made us expert in processing information, exploiting

latest technologies and developing innovative solutions

Achieve – We believe that execution is Everything. We achieve and deliver in

a timely manner

VISION (Our motto)

To be the company that best provides IT solutions to businesses which plan

to leave their mark on the world

Tagline: Aware. Agile. Achieve

+

DRIVE CREATIVITY

ACHIEVE BUSINESS GOALS

BOOST PRODUCTIVITY

PROVIDE MORE VALUE TO

CUSTOMERS

AGILE METHODOLOGIES (Our ritual)

Why Agile?

+Since pictures speak louder than words…

Aware. Agile. Achieve.

+Aware

Ready to take on a challenge

+Agile

Quick to make a decision and act

+Achieve

Set high goals and exceed them

+

Stay humble

Just don’t forget to win

+2.2 Website

An IT company cannot do without an OUSTANDING web portal

A B2B WEBSITE FRIENDLY SHOULD BE

- Straightforward; Show upfront what you do

- Beautiful and functional (custom design)

- Content optimized; SEO - Keywords

- Marketing automation software/CRM system integrated

- Mobile friendly

- Using videos to communicate

- Internally linked; connecting pages of the website together

NEVER DONE

A website should never be viewed as finished

LESS IS MORE

Global trend: clean and neat look

A opened window onto the world

+

HEXAGON

Found in the formation of

honeycomb it is associated

with bees and their co-

operative, hard-working

natures

SIXCommunication, Interfacing, Balance, Union, Harmony, Equality, Perfection, Integration, Conjoining, Reliability, Dependability

UNIQUE WEB DESIGN

Logo hexagon shape => Website framework (Consistency)

+ POSSIBLE LOOKS

Here some design references using hexagons

+2.3 Video(s)

MESSAGE

To promote SmartDev services in a dynamic and catching way

CONTENT

The storytelling is centered on a Vovinam martial artist who walks

into a dojo; as he passes the entrance he becomes aware something

is about to happen. He quickly detects several enemies hidden in the

shadows. In turn successive opponents attack our fighter; very agile

he defeats each one of them using different techniques. After

defeating the last opponent he finally achieves his goal; being the

last man standing at the center of the dojo.

PS: The video would use slow motion scenes, screen captions and an

English speaking voice-over

OTHER VIDEOS

Storyme(URL) does great corporate videos using Motion Design

SmartDev website promotional video

+

2.4 Website references

The following companies have made a great use of

graphics/icons/Videos - They are also Agile

+ Rootstrap (URL)• Easy browsing

• Well balanced

• Clean look

• Dynamic interface

• Use of icons

• Videos

• Mobile friendly

+ Adnenom (URL)- Eyes-catching

- Unique images

- One-of-kind look

- Clear message

- Intuitive navigation

- Data friendly: charts

- “Strong personality” vibe

+

3. Marketing PlanningOn/offline strategies

+ “Learn how to see. Realize than everything

connects to everything else”Leonardo Da Vinci

+3.1 Online marketing

CONSISTENCYKeep a clear message through all channels

CONTENT IS KINGCreate relevant content or share influencers’ thoughts

VIDEOSAfter 10 years of business, Youtube is more popular than ever

EMAIL MARKETINGCold emails: Give before askingE.g Attach a video in the email, a client endorsement, etc.

Social media - SEM/SEO (See following pages)

Value proposition – sell services pack (E.g. App + Website)

Marketing focus should first be online

+3.1.1 SEO/SEM

Good Content + Adequate Keywords = Build an audience

Publish Your Content on Quality Sources

Create image tags and name image files with keywords

E.g “sidebar-image.jpg” =>“java-solution-infographic.jpg

Use SEO-friendly URLs and title tags for your website and blog

page

E.g <www.smartdev.vn/blog/?p=123> =>

<www.smartdev.vn/blog/how-to-be-agile>

EXTERNAL LINKS

Post links to content posts on social media, leave quality comments

on reputable sites

Digital marketing

+How to fish a fish?

FINANCIAL COMPANIES

- SEO

- Email marketing

- Outbound Calling

TECH COMPANIES

- Content Marketing

- Conference/Trade show

- SEO

SEO is in the Top 3 of both

industries

Good Marketing = Online + Offline

+3.1.2 Social media rule (and rules)

Product quality content

Be open and engaging

Focus a on specific niche

Use social media to build the business, vice versa

Embrace each social network’s unique culture

Don’t be everywhere

+Use LinkedIn to

Find Qualified Leads – New

prospect

Apply B2B Inbound

Marketing – Blog, articles

Build long term Relationships

with Customers – CRM, Show

that you care

Communicate with visuals –

Graphics, Charts, Videos

Build Professional Authority –

Share New Ideas (Create Value)

+Use Twitter to

Use Twitter for business

(Paid service)

Engage with people – Get

personal

Capitalize on current #events

to communicate to the mass

Increase online traffic

Launch visual marketing

campaigns – Get retwitted

Another place to share videos

+Use Facebook to

Should not be used as the main B2B medium

Show the company culture –share company #stories

Create visual people want to share – quotes, branded images

Connect through videos

Ask a question – get answers, new MQL

Create events

+3.2 Additional Insights and Leads

Consistency is the key

Neither Google+ nor

Instagram should be used

Consider other corporate

social network; Xing, Viadeo

Create a series of YouTube

videos to promote SmartDev

services and Agile

E.g. Addactis (URL)

Pay-per-click; relevance to be

confirmed

+3.3 Offline marketing

Sales collateral: Brochures, flyers – Add non informative collateral

such as pens, playing cards, Rubik's cube, etc. (Brand reminder)

Airlines advertising (Business class)

Advocate marketing (See PR/Events section)

Mobile (Non-digital) Marketing; relevance to be confirmed

Secondary yet useful for event marketing

+

4. PR/EventsContent: CRM, Network marketing, Social Marketing

+ “(…)people will never forget how you made

them feel”Maya Angelou

+4.1 Event MarketingIt is all about the experience

CONTENT IS STILL KINGKnow your audience; talk in their “language”Deliver a clear and memorable message

EXTRAORDINARYTouch your audience, engage on an emotional level

GET OUT THERETry different approaches, experiment and take notesMainstream is not always the way to go

DIGITAL CONNECTIONStart the conversation online, continue IRL

Events are the original Social Marketing

+

Generate positive PR

Influence business decisions

Be different to be

remembered

E.g use a distinguished slogan

to conclude a speech

Wear the same blue sparkly

shoes when you go on stage

It is not about what you say

but how you say it

Show your passion

IMPORTANCE OF PERSONAL BRANDING

Speakers/CEO need to become a “Brand”

+The event experience must be

UNFORGETTABLE

+4.1.1 Outside eventsTo be present where it matters

Trade shows

Industry conventions

Careers fairs

School events

Apply 3.0 Management precepts

Win the audience:Reproducing the story of the promotional video on stage would give a WOW effect=> Gain attention

+4.1.2 In-house eventsHost, sponsor, be the partner of an event

Company event

To reinforce the bound

between employees and

between employees and

the company

E.g Exchange jobs with a

colleague for the day

Public event

To associate SmartDev with

renowned partners would

drag attention onto the

company

+

5. Business DevelopmentThere is always room for improvement

+ “You can’t do a good job,

if your job is all your do”Katie Thurmes

+5.1 Business Development

Sales are the most important skills for a company leader (beside its company expertise)

Advocate marketing: Reconnect with old clients then prospect for new clients“The most valuable customers are not those who spend the most, but those who tell their friends about the purchase”- John LunnE.g. Can past projects be improved?

Hire Professional salespeople to teach consultants about sales (Hiring salespeoples will come after)

New clients should be prospected among MNC operating in Asia followed by Asian companies (once SmartDev reputation is made)

A sales development plan

+5.1.1 SmartDev need salespeople

Alexander Cuva

The CEO of SmartDev needs

to leverage his connections in

order to get contacts/clients

insights on the industry, share

his SmartDev work and sign

new deals with the cliens

Old clients > New clients

Good salesmen are first

good consultants

Trung Hoang Nhac would be

a perfect candidate to lead the

future sales team

+5.2 Product DevelopmentDevelop in-house softwares, apps

Why?

Diversify revenue streams

(Financial)Independence

Take on a challenge

Obtain new customers

from other industries

Showcase company

expertise and talents

Zingpoll by Axon Active Vietnam

+5.2.1 Possible leads

Plug technology

E.g. Car – Smartphone

QR + Money transfer = money

transfer through a picture?

HR solutions

E.g. Find the right staff through

an algorithm

Automatic subtitles finder for

VLC

Future of shared economy?

+

Connect 3D printing machine

with a smartphone app

Ads blocker on mobile; kill it

Virtual reality

E.g Extreme sport sensation

Education

E.g learn online

Wearable technology

Software to write strategic

resumes/cover letters

+5.3 Partnerships/Collaborations

TPP was recently signed by Vietnam and 11 others countries. The

country will soon welcome new venture capitalists and MNC

Strong investment waves from Japan and South Korea in Vietnam

will further lead to higher demand for Information Technology

and polytechnic specialists

Emerging startups all over Asia; particularly in India

Vietnam being at the center of East Asia, SmartDev is strategic

located to be actively work in nearshore outsourcing

SmartDev could be the leader of an Asian Agile Association

exporting its expertise all over the continent

Insights and leads

+5.3.1Concrete leads

Very nearshore possibilitiesFPT – They are also active in the U.SNetmarks, Manulife

Invite IT/Marketing nomads- New insights- Boost energy at work

Women in IT Ruby girls workshops should be prolonged

Current partnerships; to be confirmed

+

6. Conclusion“Excellence is never an accident. It is always the result of high

intention, sincere effort, and intelligent execution; it represents the

wise choice of many alternatives - choice, not chance, determines

your destiny” - Aritotle

+ “If you can’t explain it simply, you don’t

understand it well enough”Albert Einstein

+ROMI

Raise of SmartDev Awareness

Reinforce company culture: Boost productivity and employees

engagement

Increase online traffic: Website, Social media page

Founding the bases of a CRM – Customer relationship management

Word-of-mouth marketing

Reconnect with (old) clients and partners

Short-term Objectives

+ROMI

Position the company into the global market

Build a professional reputation – B2B awareness

Get access to new markets and customers

Potential new partnership leads; bigger clients

Increase job applications = Less time spent headhunting

Becoming an important actor of Vietnam economy

Turn MQL into SQL (= Raise revenues)

Product development: Diversify revenue sources

Long-term Objectives