Challenge
Cox Media Group, a century-old media company, owned and operated two digital ad sales companies in one midtown Manhattan location. Their sellers were running up against enormous barriers-to-entry, experiencing significant confusion in the marketplace and internal communication was amiss.
Issue
Which Cox company are you?
Cox Digital Solutions (digital advertising sales) and Cox Cross Media (television advertising sales complimented by digital) were struggling to differentiate themselves in the crowded media marketplace. Additionally, with dozens of Cox divisions using the Cox name, it was a challenge for sellers to separate themselves from other groups. Cox’s legacy, market stronghold and name recognition in both cable and broadcast television, made it challenging for sellers to convey Cox’s expertise in digital advertising.
They needed immediate alignment, productization and an improved environment to compete against the likes of Google and Facebook for both clients and talent — and win.
Internally, each seller had their own story — messaging was widely disparate, products lacked definition and recruiting new staff was challenging since the offices looked like a 1980s insurance company instead of a cutting edge digital advertising solutions group.
Path
Create immediate visual change while achieving higher level objectives. Serving as SVP of Marketing and Consumer Insights, Rachel Allgood’s first step was to begin generating critical improvements in the organization. She interviewed stakeholders across the enterprise, had conversations with both customers and vendors and created immediate visual change to indicate positive developments were coming.
Build a marketing framework to roll out over time was imperative.
Staff morale was low. First, the most critical sales tools were upgraded, quantitative data was procured and productization of services began. Iterative work was essential to improve performance, increase sales and transform the organization day-by-day.
Identify and productize segments.
Rachel began identifying and defining business segments, products and services into distinct parts for productization and media relations.
Restructure and rename the companies.
The companies were merged into one digital products and services firm with specific expert teams and renamed to add clarity internally and externally.
Results
A brand-new company arose while retaining the credibility of its parent: Cox Enterprises.
Rachel collaborated with an array of subject matter experts from architects-and-engineers to researchers-and-analysts to sales executives-and-programmers to create a distinct brand called Gamut. By tethering the new company to the legacy enterprise through its tagline, Smart Media from Cox, Gamut was able to retain the credibility of the Fortune 500 while presenting itself with a distinctly separate identity.
New products, increased sales and a distinct culture emerged.
For the first time in the history of the company, the sellers were able to go to market with advanced sales tools including videos, subject matter expertise and formalized partnerships with the backing of internal and external stakeholders. Insightful consumer data is now a keystone of success and a driver of revenue across the organization. Gamut boast a team of over two dozens experts who continue to serve both Gamut as well as the broadcast television sales teams.
An energized environment designed for collaboration was born.
Recruiting talent while competing with high-tech firms and polished agencies was challenging. To give all Gamut employees a sense of brand identity, Rachel led the renovation of its offices. The environment is designed to reflect the energy and excitement of advanced technology while retaining the warmth of human connection. After the improvement, the barrier to recruit talent lowered and additionally client and industry events are now hosted in the offices saving money and solidifying relationships.
Site: gamut.media
Before
After
Cox’s legacy, market stronghold and name recognition in both cable and broadcast television, made it challenging for sellers to convey Cox’s expertise in digital advertising. Plus Cox Digital Solutions and Cox Cross Media were struggling to differentiate themselves within their own family as well as in the marketplace.
Rachel led the team to tether the new company to the legacy enterprise through its tagline: Smart Media from Cox. This enabled Gamut to retain the credibility of the Fortune 500 while presenting itself with a clearly separate identity. The name immediately established the brand as distinctly different.
Rachel generated audience segmentation stories and tools to support sales efforts. By productizing data and expertise, the sellers were able to offer a higher-level of service and intelligence to clients, resulting in millions of dollars in increased revenue.
A series of white papers were created to elevate Gamut’s leadership team as subject matter experts across the industry and serve as lead generators. It was vital for Gamut to garner media placements while building its reputation as strong technical and innovative media leaders and subject matter experts. With help from partner ERPR, Gamut leveraged its thought leadership to achieve placement in scores of outlets.
Rachel procured data and tools including Experian, Kantar, DOMO and MOAT to empower sellers to move beyond simply commodity transactions. They became empowered to offer services and intelligence to customers and work as partners to grow business. The same data and tools were used to created content for internal and external communication materials including social media.
New Gamut offices quickly became a business requirement. Even with the transformation of the sales model, products and services, recruiting and retaining talent was a challenge. The firm competes with companies with lots of perks — including Google and Facebook.
Rachel led the renovation of Gamut’s offices. The workspace reflects the new company’s culture and brand identity and is designed to promote collaboration, host events, entertain clients and encourage procurement of world class employees.
“Rachel is an incredibly gifted marketer and I was lucky to have her as my teammate at Gamut as we transitioned the business from unconnected operating groups into a well-defined organization. She’s a collaborator who is just as skilled at working with sales as she is with tech or operations. Her best quality is the ability to bring innovations to life through unique and creative strategies and executions. ”
Samsung
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