Automated IT – Development and Community Building

Leading technology distributor VADition wanted a mechanism for providing over-worked UK IT professionals with guidance on how to free-up more time for strategic IT innovation, by wasting less time tied up with inefficient, duplicated, manual operating processes.  By engaging IT decision-makers in this way, VADition can more effectively target marketing campaigns on behalf of resellers.

Developing a web portal with a range of valuable and engaging content, and recruiting/nurturing a community of IT professionals to follow and support the ‘Automated IT’ campaign were key objectives.

Planning
Cohesive spearheaded the development of the www.AutomatedIT.tv portal, and proposed the format of the content to be independent, user-focussed and practical.  A series of detailed advisories – technical how-to guides for individual automation straregies - would be developed with input from VADition’s vendor partners, while a regular blog and newsletter would be used to communicate and reiterate the core aims of the campaign.  Cohesive also negotiated partnerships with tier 1 UK IT enduser publications Techworld and Computer Weekly, on content syndication.

This process also led to the development of ‘Tom and Ted’; animated characters who offer a more light-hearted perspective on some of the complex issues surrounding IT automation.  ‘Tom and Ted’ is taken from the word ‘AuTOMaTED’; Tom representing progressive thinking IT pros (as in ‘Tomorrow) and Ted (as in ‘dated’) representing outmoded clinging-to-the-past views.  Tom and Ted add considerable personality to the site, and their video clips provide viral marketing opportunities.

Building a Community
As well as nurturing a database of around 30,000 IT professionals via traditional eDM and eNewsletter communications, the addition of a Automated IT Facebook fan page, LinkedIn group and Twitter presence has enabled the campaign to communicate more closely with its audience.  Cohesive proactively manages this ongoing process; pushing content, running promotions, engaging individuals and responding in real time to trending topics.

Outbound Marketing
Responses to rich content such as advisories are tracked in order to support the most targeted and successful follow-up by VADition salespeople.  As the content is well targeted and largely independent of explicit brand influence, response rates are high and the community targeted remains happy to continue receiving updates and additional free resources from Automated IT.