Client: Komatsu Background: Komatsu is a Japanese manufacturer

Client: Komatsu

Background:Komatsu is a Japanese manufacturerof heavy punch presses. The targetmarket has a distinct preference for buying American. Our primary competitor is U.S. built and 20% less expensive although not nearly as advanced a product.

Audience:Small metal forming companies making a single purchase and uppermanagement of major corporationspurchasing in quantity.

Objective:Emphasize our competitive advantages–lower maintenance, cost, and reduceddowntime through high impact visualsusing low budget trade ads, directmail, and trade show work.

Solution:The ad for low maintenance featured a bald man and promised reduceddowntime and increased productivity.This theme was carried into directmail using a paint can with a ‘baldman’ t-shirt, and into the tradeshowwith Komatsu employee’s wearing‘bald-man’ skull caps. The second ad used rabbits as a metaphor andpromised 30% longer die life.

Results:100x ROI. Less than $50,000 in trademedia and PR has resulted in over $5 million of directly-attributable new customer sales (not consideringKomatsu prior to the break of the campaign!).

365 san antonio road, mountain view, ca 94040 w eb www.group365.com phone 650.947.8400 f a x 650.947.8440

Client: BoostWorks

Background:BoostWorks designs software solutionsto optimize network and Web site performance.

Audience: The target market is two-fold: IT and upper management from .coms to Fortune 1000.

Objective: Initially to simply create a Web site.This single objective quickly snow-balled into a fullblown promotionalbranding effort generating traffic fortrade shows and their Web site.

Solution: Because their product is networkacceleration software, the strategy led to developing the tagline “Fuel for Faster Networks” and a visualpneumonic of a red gas can whichpositions their software as an additiveto hardware. This branding theme wasused in the Web site, trade advertis-ing, a direct mail piece (12,000 run), and a trade show booth. Trade showdevelopment included a gas stationtheme, fuel pump kiosks, gas attendantshirts for employee’s running thebooth, and a free fuel give-away.

Results: The campaign was very successful –500 visitors to the booth brought inthe direct mail card even though therewas no incentive to do so–dramaticallyresulting in greater than expected orpreviously experienced booth traffic. Web site hits increased 114%. New site promotion tactics are justbeginning to be measured.

Trade Ad

Direct Mail

Web site


Client: BoostWorks

Background: BoostWorks offers an end-to-end software optimization solution toenhance Web site performance on the “last mile.”

Audience:IT Managers and Developers

Objective:To capture names of potential customersand demonstrate the product througha FREE Web site performance test.

Solution:Implement a multi-media programusing banner advertising, e-mail sponsorships and direct mail over atimeframe of 2 months with a budgetof $75,000. Creative strategy leveragingand continuing the new branding effortof “Fuel for Faster Networks” throughvisuals of gas cans, speedometers, fuelbarrels and stoplights. The messagingfocused on gaining interest by showinga level of understanding and solutionsfor their “last mile” problems–includingserver response time and applicationaccess from remote locations. Themedia plan integrated all tactics andstaggered bi-weekly postcards withbanner creative rotation and weekly e-mail blasts.

Results:The program is only 3 weeks into an 8-week schedule but early measure-ments indicate promising results:

• 75 companies have submitted theforms and requested a FREE test.

• Banner click through rates arebeing reviewed on a daily basis to make adjustments to optimizethe minimal budget


Direct Mail Series

Landing Page Animation

Banner Ad Series

Client: Cornerstone PeripheralsTechnology

Background:CornerStone is a manufacturer of high-end computer monitors.

Audience:The target market was CIO and upperIT management decision makers.

Objective:Create sales appointments by emphasizing competitive advantages– 20% sharper image, lower downtimewith quality service, and proprietarysoftware that adds productivity.

Solution:The strategy was to create a fun,interactive direct mail series to turn a cold sales call into a warm sales call and generate leads. The conceptof 3 cereal boxes, one focusing oneach key message was developed andcentered around an existing, knownmascot, ‘Buzz, the Fuzz-Free Feline’.Each mailer came with a surpriseinside and a fun game on the back.Other supporting elements included aseries of landing pages, sales supportmaterials and a 15-week mailing andfollow-up plan for the sales force.

Results:A mail/phone follow-up plan wasinstituted to measure, track, and carefully follow-up on each lead. The UK program had a response rate of 25% leading to actual appoint-ments and eventually gaining over$3.5 million in new sales.

Landing Page Series

Salesperson Calling Matrix/Planner

Direct Mail Campaign


Client:MonitorsDirect.com, the e-commerce site for Cornerstone factory-direct monitors.

Background: Prior to January 2000, Cornerstoneused a traditional distributor/resellersales process. The Kimball Groupdeveloped an e-commerce strategy andhelped them re-launch their business.

Audience:IT and Procurement Managers at thedecision-making level.

Objectives:• Increase and maintain site traffic• Obtain new small business customers

Solution:Develop an online advertising strategyusing banner advertising and e-mailblasts to hit the audience where theylive–on their computer. Targeted monitorsections of Web sites and portals suchas cNet, ZDNET and PCWorld wereselected and incorporated into a comprehensive, long-term, low-budgetmedia plan. E-mail blasts, both HTMLand text-based, were sent to existinginternal lists and purchased, externalopt-in lists. The creative strategyinvolved several mini-campaignsincluding the announcement of theirnew, FREE monitor software, a sweep-stakes to win an LCD monitor and low-price specials on top-line monitors.

Results:• Order revenue up 60%• Unit sales up 85%• Warranty sales up 67%• Transactions up 115%• New account revenue up 117%• 83% of businesses had not heard

of brand prior to purchase


Full-size Banner Animation

Tile Banner Animation

Full-size Banner Ad Series

Client: Ramp Networks

Background: Ramp Networks is a leading providerof next-generation Internet servicesplatforms for the small office withproducts available through exclusiveVAR channels.

Audience:Distributors and resellers whose customers are small offices.

Objective:Increase existing, qualified VAR basefrom 5000 to 6000 within a timeframeof one quarter.

Solution:A multi-media, cross-audience commu-nication effort was launched around asweepstakes format to win a HarleyDavidson. The reseller offer included afree t-shirt, discounted “seed units”and access to monthly giveaways ofsports gear merchandise.The multiple tactics used included flyers and a direct mail series to thedistributor and fax blasts and banneradvertising to the reseller. The internalsales force was invited to a themedlaunch party, provided telemarketingphone scripts and campaign posters to hang in their offices. The creativeapproach taken was a bold, tongueand cheek play off of the Harley culture and named “Go Hog Wild.”

Results:The program received historical praisefrom both audiences and succeeded inincreasing the qualified VAR basebeyond the original goal to 6125.


Internal Sales Posters

Distributor Direct Mail Series

Reseller Banner Ad

Reseller Promo Site

Reseller Fax Blast

Client: Vyyo

Background: Vyyo makes wireless hub and modemproducts that are used by telecommu-nications providers to offer broadbandwireless services to their customers.

Objective:Create name awareness for their newcorporate name prior to a scheduledIPO, and introduce a new productoffering of wireless broadband servicesthat are robust and scalable, yetextremely easy to implement.

Rationale/Description:The strategic focus and creative solutions centered on the simplicityand ease of use of Vyyo’s wirelessbroadband capability, the primary constraints presented by hardwiredalternatives. The creative message of simplicity was supported by visualsof childhood toys such as a woodentrain, dominoes, and an erector setbridge. The headline “Remember when connecting meant somethingsimpler…” emphasizes Vyyo’s primarybenefit, with the tagline "Wireless liberty for all" supporting freedomfrom hardwired, expensive and difficult-to-implement alternatives.The two dots from the Vyyo logo are a visual metaphor for broadband connections and were used as connecting points in the visuals of the train, dominoes, and the bridge.

Results:The trade advertising was a first salvoin a successful first (and secondary)public offering. Less than six monthsinto the campaign, productive meetingswere held with major target customers(MCI, Sprint, PacBell, etc.), and aconsortium of service providers havedecided to adopt the standards set by Vyyo.


Trade Ads

Client:Cornerstone Peripherals Technology, aproducer of high-end computer monitors.

Background:Cornerstone’s entire focus had been inthe Document Imaging category, andthey wanted something to kick-off theirfirst foray into broader distributionthrough the channel.

Objective:Generate awareness of this high-perform-ance brand with resellers and distributorsalespeople (fairly young, mostly male).

Rationale/Description:We paired the high-performance of aPorsche Boxster with our high-perform-ance monitors in an exciting sweep-stakes-with-$50-rebate for resellers.(VARs could also earn a 2-year lease byselling enough monitors!) Distributorinside sales teams were given additionalopportunities to earn a variety of "high-performance products for high-produc-ers" from a catalog the agency devel-oped, sourced and fulfilled in-house. Ahigh-profile 2-page spread ad, aimed atthe resellers, kicked off the promotion,snaring the attention of the target mar-ket with an action photo of the car anda hard-hitting sales headline. Direct mailfollowed the ad, drawing a powerful,direct parallel between the high-per-formance of the Boxter and the high-performance of Cornerstone Monitors.Collateral, which could be mailed orhanded out on floor days, listed avail-able prizes and the number of unit salesrequired to win. Distributors could use alog at the bottom of the catalog totrack sales to date, and to determinehow many more sales were required tomake their goals and win their prize.

Results:The program was a roaring success,going from zero to 450 registeredCornerstone resellers in less than a quarter. Just half-way through the program, this promotion reached target sales goals, putting the brakes on a 6-quarter decline in sales!

Trade Ad

Direct Mailer (inside)

Direct Mailer (outside)


Client: Kodak

Background:Eastman Kodak is the well-known makerof film and imaging products basedin Rochester, New York.

Objective:To improve customer service, increasesales of reprints and enlargements, and reinforce the belief that photographsmake the perfect holiday gift.

Rationale/Description:This seasonal program was aimed at deal-ers and their employees using promotionalmaterials which highlighted the gift-givingpotential of Kodak reprints and enlarge-ments. Dealers could order a complete,no-cost promotion kit which includeditems such as shelf talkers, door decals,and items paid for with co-op budgets.Additionally, an employee incentiveprogram was created to improve customerservice, and to increase reprint andenlargement sales based on the numberof prints sold by employee teams.Employee teams chose prizes from oneof three categories which dependedon the average number of prints sold dailyby the team. At the end of the promotion,the dealer added up the totals and faxedin an order form to The Kimball Groupfulfillment center which, in turn, shippedthe appropriate prizes directly to thedealer and the employee teams.

Results:The program was a holiday smash. Thepromotion dramatically raised employeeawareness and sales efforts resulting in afour-fold increase over seasonally reportedaverage store sales.

Kodak Holiday Kit

Kodak Employee Incentive Program


Documents

Client: Komatsu Background: Komatsu is a Japanese manufacturer