PROJECT
Oracle Business Intelligence
'Right Path' Lead Generation Campaign for Avnet®

CHALLENGE/OPPORTUNITY
Avnet is a Fortune 500 value-added technology distributor of systems and solutions to major corporations. Avnet works with Microsoft®, HP®, Sony®, Oracle® and others to provide marketing campaigns for their value-added reseller (VAR) partners. Avnet's Oracle division asked Canyon Communications to design a marketing communications program to promote the Oracle Business Intelligence (BI) Suite of software solutions and generate qualified leads.

APPROACH
Telemarketing campaigns have proven to be successful lead-generators for Avnet's partners, so this method was selected as the program's main marketing communications tactic. However, instead of standard "sales calls," Canyon recommended an unconventional approach that had tremendous results; calling prospects and offering them a $25 iTunes® gift card to take a survey on Business Intelligence software. The approach allowed Canyon to verify decision makers' contact information, discover critical information about their Business Intelligence software needs and pass along that information to Avnet's VARs to help them customize their communications with each prospect. This was also a great way to get past the gatekeepers in a prospect's organization and made the prospects more willing to spend five or ten minutes on the phone. Survey information about each prospect was matched and sent to a local VAR with detailed notes about what was discussed on the call. To provide VARs with yet another foot in the door, Canyon sent the prospects who were surveyed a valuable white paper on the topic of Oracle Business Intelligence. The asset was sent via FedEx® immediately after the survey call. On the white paper, Canyon affixed a personalized sticky note (printed in a hand-writing font using variable data), inviting the prospect to find out more about Oracle BI solutions from a particular VAR. This gave VARs a relevant information piece to follow up on in their initial sales call to each prospect.

MEASUREMENT
The results of this campaign were astounding. The program delivered more than 30 qualified leads to each of the 12 participating VARs. Reports indicate up to 40 percent appointment-setting rates among participating VARs as a result of the campaign.

EXTENSION
As an extension of this campaign, Canyon worked with Avnet and Oracle to coordinate customized events that included top IT professionals in each participating VAR's area. At the event, an expert in Business Intelligence spoke about the latest technologies. Attendees were also given an opportunity to network with other IT professionals.