Objective:

Our first step was to conduct a two-day strategy summit where the Brenner Associates team met with key Micromem executives to review and examine all aspects of the company's market including their competitors, their potential customers, the company's current image within the industry and various related market conditions. From this in-depth review, we were able to make some clear recommendations concerning the marketing steps needed to help Micromem succeed.

Strategy:

Brenner Associates worked with Micromem to develop and implement marketing strategies that would help the company meet their first stage objectives: gain industry recognition and credibility; form new business relationships with valuable industry partners. Some of these strategies included:

• Identify and focus initial marketing efforts solely on industry that would be first to use new technology.
• Create product positioning statement and messages that speak directly to the focus market and its customers.
• Identify and train company spokesperson to speak with the media.
• Create materials that explained the new technology in terms accessible to the general press while at the same time, develop more sophisticated materials for the technical press.
• Meet and form relations with key industry analysts.
• Leverage existing partners and build credibility through association with these better recognized companies.
• Garner coverage in mainstream and business press.

Action:

The following are examples of tactics used to help HP gain back its reputation as industry innovators.

• Commissioned IDC to research and quantify the printing e-services market opportunity.  PR used the IDC estimates to build a case for how HP was the one company best positioned to capture share and revenue of this burgeoning market.
• Organized nationwide analyst tour to build support and momentum for a printing e-services launch.
• Developed messaging and press materials supporting the launch of the e-services campaign.
• Conducted press tour and granted select interviews with HP CEO.
• Created high-level, memorable press event in San Francisco designed to create visibility and communicate the importance of the announcement.

Results:

Using the strategy outlined above, Brenner Associates was able to garner coverage for Micromem in several key business publications including the Wall Street Journal. As a result, Micromem caught the attention of several highly respected fortune 500 companies and formed several partnerships that have been fiscally and technically invaluable to the company's ongoing growth and success.