Integrating Vision, Strategy and Execution

Whether you need a pipeline of appointments, a brand that sets you apart, completed sales, the launch or development of new products, more business from existing accounts, or funding for a new venture, INFORMA helps you win by integrating the strategy, creative talent, and program management to deliver measurable results.

The INFORMA Group’s approach to measurable, goal-driven marketing activities and business performance is based on a simple premise:

Start with a clear understanding of the desired outcomes and work backwards towards the strategies and tactics that achieve them.

This approach, generally known as outcome-based marketing, enables you to create marketing strategies, tools, and materials that produce results with higher levels of certainty, effectiveness and achievement - not to mention a greater level of stakeholder satisfaction.

INFORMA represents the first marketing organization devoted to applying tested methods of Outcome-Based Marketing (OBM) principles to marketing, sales, and product development programs. We operate differently from traditional ad agencies, design firms or marketing consultancies, balancing strategy, creativity, and accountability, in three important ways:

Focus on Sales
We recognize that revenue cannot be generated until a sale is made. Someone needs to commit to a purchase. So, we focus on the strategies and tactics that lead to sales.

Apply Grounded Research with Proven Methods
We base decisions upon tested best practices that have shown strong correlation to achieving measurable outcomes. And, we’ve identified and refined methods that have “high leverage,” i.e. methods that produce consistent, predicable results, increasing perceived value, and reducing customer acquisition costs.

Work Backwards
Many companies believe that the key to success in marketing accountability is tracking results. Although we agree that monitoring results is a critical function, tracking is not the same as accountability. We start with outcomes and work backwards towards the strategies and tactics that achieve them.

ENvision
Architect
Build
Launch
Evaluate

Envision
In the first step of ENABLE we assess the problems and opportunities and visually “prototype” options with a proprietary Strategy Visualization Process. We explore the alternatives, assess the tradeoffs, and work with you to develop a vision for growth. This step is also designed to assess the specific needs and project outcomes as well as continuously monitor progress toward these outcomes through Project Scorecards™. We assess and prioritize the issues that are important to all stakeholders in your organization. This helps us to understand you, what opportunities exist in your marketplace, what your goals are, and to give us the foundation upon which we develop the strategies that will achieve your goals.

Architect
The next step consists of developin a Marketing Action Plan™ (MAP) that is driven by the outcomes and milestones you specify. We help you define how your vision will be built, what outcomes need to be measured, which target markets to reach, what messages to communicate, how the message should be delivered, and the team, tools and tactics it will take to make the vision come true. In this step we create a plan for the entire program and each project, defining strategies, tactics, budgets, and schedules.

Build
Building the tools, engaging the team, and putting the systems in place to actually execute are all components of the Build step. Whether you need a Web site, brochure, public relations, sales training or a better product, we organize the resources it takes to design and produce the goods.

Launch
To launch the program we apply the tools and tactics to actually deliver the results. We manage projects so the people responsible do their jobs, the technology performs, and the sales rise. Creative and production resources are applied toward implementation during this step of the process. Reporting is accomplished through a Marketing Monitor.

Evaluate
On-going evaluation and monitoring of results is a key step in the ENABLE process. It allows the execution of the project to be modified based many sources of input including learned behavior, feedback, and new information. This continuous improvement approach ensures that desired outcomes will be achieved. Each step of the ENABLE process is geared to achieving results by aligning market factors with client needs early in the process. Integrating methods and creating milestones that allow results to be monitored continuously improve both lead-time and performance.

The ENABLE Tools

The central tools of the ENABLE process are Marketing Action Plans (MAPs), Marketing Monitors, and Project Scorecards.

Marketing Action Plan
The MAP provides a clear blueprint for you at each stage of the project. A program MAP is prepared to establish the overall budget and schedule. Project MAP are created for each component of the program. Click here for an example.

Marketing Monitor
The Marketing Monitor is a report that is created during the production stage of a project, where materials are developed. It is designed to keep you abreast of what has been accomplished in each project.

Project Scorecards
The Project Scorecard is a report designed to help all stakeholders in your organization understand the degree to which projects are achieving outcomes.