Services
CREATING SUCCESS FOR TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
When you work with Banner, you get access to an entire suite of marketing services all under one roof.
Abraham Maslow, he of the Hierarchy of Needs fame, once said, “If you only have a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail”. At Banner, we have pretty much the whole toolbox – from brand development, advertising and demand generation through to media, digital and channel enablement.
It means we can solve your challenges using the most appropriate tool for the job. Better still, it means we can mix and match services to take you even further. And on the very rare occasion that we don’t possess the right tool ourselves, being part of WPP and the Y&R brands network gives us access to specialist capabilities the world over.
Through WPP we also have access to the full buying power of Group M as well as to a wide range of services, research and planning tools.
What can we do for you?
ADVERTISING
The technology market is changing. Customers have less time, less trust and a bewildering array of options for where they get their information from. Consequently they have no time for messages that fail to address their real needs. They need communications that are relevant, believable, deliverable and different. And that’s where we come in.
Getting under the skin of technology buyers
Because we only deal with the technology market, we understand what makes technology buyers tick. We know how they buy, where they buy and what can stop them from buying.
It means we can craft communications that cut to the heart of the matter. That break through the competing clutter and noise to talk directly to your customers’ real needs. Communications that deliver lasting results for your business.
Reach and range
We’ve run campaigns in over 30 countries worldwide for some of the world’s leading technology brands. We’ve created everything from press, broadcast and digital advertising through to online games, videos, blogs and stunts. In fact, think of pretty much any way to get a message to your customers and chances are, we’ve done it.
At a glance
- We understand technology buyers better than virtually any other agency
- We create campaigns that cut through the clutter and make a tangible difference to your business
- We’ve produced virtually every type of advertising across Europe and beyond
Want to know more? Check out some of our case studies.
MEDIA
The media has never been more fragmented. Technology buyers and influencers now have a multitude of options – from press, outdoor and broadcast through to blogs, forums, podcasts, video on demand, ambient and guerrilla to name just a few.
Combined intelligence
Getting the right mix is vital to the success of your campaigns. Importantly it’s just as important to know what not to do as to which media to select. Every choice must be based on solid, empirical evidence (not just the latest in thing). That’s why we work with experts such as IDG, IAB and Comscore to ensure we have the critical insights and data to create campaigns that deliver the optimum route to your customers.
While our team are experts in media for technology brands, they are also immersed in the wider integrated agency. This means they are not restricted in their thinking. So if the best answer for your business lies outside media, you’ll be the first to know.
The centralised advantage
Unlike some media companies, we operate from a single central location. This means we can offer the very best media planning and buying with lower operational costs, better intelligence sharing and greater accountability. And being part of Group M, WPP’s media family means we have access to extensive proprietary research, advanced digital planning tools and massive buying power.
Pan-Europe and beyond
We plan and buy international media for almost all our clients. This covers print, online, broadcast and out of home (OOH). Our team makes it their mission to understand international media every bit as well as UK media. We plan and run campaigns throughout Europe as well as into the US and Asia. And we were the first agency to establish stringent service level agreements with all the major technology publishers.
The end result is that we have the understanding and experience to help you engage with your customers and prospects.
At a glance
- We use the latest research and thinking to get under the skin of today’s technology buyers
- We’ve planned and bought almost every type of media across Europe and beyond (and as part of WPP, we’d challenge anyone to buy at better rates)
- We are centralised – giving you greater accountability and a more responsive service
See what we’ve done for other technology clients, check out our case studies.
To see who we're currently working with, here's a list of our latest clients.
SEARCH
93% of all technology purchases begin with search. It’s natural therefore that many companies want to be in the top listing position. After all, isn’t that where customers will look first? Well, yes and no. In fact, depending on the type of search terms used, conversion rates can actually increase in lower positions.
A smarter way to search
Importantly, this is not about out-spending the competition. The keyword arms race is in full swing and benefits no one but the search engines and ad networks.
Today, it’s about buying smarter, discovering the most profitable, timely phrases. It’s about acting faster, taking advantage of emerging opportunities while they’re still emerging. And it’s about understanding the mind of the technology buyer – getting to grips with what they search for, why and when.
Strategic insight, tactical response
Our fully Google-accredited search team runs campaigns right across Europe. They’ll ensure you’ll appear in front of customers at precisely the right point in the buying cycle. They’ll help you take advantage of tactical opportunities as well as long term strategic aims. And they’ll make the very best use of your budget – after all search should work for you, not the other way round.
At a glance
- We can help you buy smart (without getting caught up in the keyword arms race)
- We’re fully Google-accredited and run campaigns right across Europe
- We understand how tech buyers search and how best to reach them profitably
Discover more about what we can do for you with our search case studies.
DIGITAL
There was a time, not so long ago, when digital meant some banner ads, EDM and a landing page.
Everything is digital
Today, however, digital is deeply routed in every single thing we do. From multimedia nanosites that fit within standard banner units to interactive benchmarking and insight tools. From addictive online games to marketing automation programmes that allow you to adapt campaigns on the fly. And from online video through to the vast and growing expanses of social media. Virtually everything is digital.
Our team has created solutions using all the elements above – as well as many, many more. As you’d expect from an agency specialising in the technology market, digital holds no fear for us. In fact, we revel in it. The possibilities today are virtually limitless and we can’t wait to put them to work for your business.
A smarter approach
Importantly, just because something can be done doesn’t mean it should be done. We bring an intimate understanding of technology buyers to every project. We know how they use technology, where they engage with vendors and what influences them. It means we can create a digital solution that both delivers against your objectives and makes the best use of your budget.
At a glance
- We are digital to the core and have produced almost every type of digital deliverable
- We understand how technology buyers engage with brands online
- We won’t simply recommend any individual solution just because all the cool kids are doing it
See some of the digital projects we’ve completed for other clients, take a look at our case studies.
INTEGRATED
There is no single discipline that can beat the intelligent combination of multiple approaches. Technology purchases, especially business-to-business, are not snap decisions. They often involve long sales cycles with multiple influencers and complex routes to market. The right approach at one stage of the sale can be inappropriate or ineffective at another.
Integrated from the start
Right from our beginnings way back in 1984, we have always been an integrated agency. It has given us the freedom to recommend precisely what works (rather than shoehorn clients into an approach because it was the only one we could deliver). It means we can engage your customers and prospects in the right way at the right time in the right place. We can not only influence their behaviour but also that of the people who influence them. Simply, we can deliver results.
Integrated because it delivers results
The average business technology buyer today will consult multiple sources of information before short-listing your product or service. This will range from your website and advertising through to industry blogs, analysts and face-to-face events – in fact, on our own communications map, we list out over 110 different ways to communicate our clients’ messages (and the number is growing all the time). It all goes to show that today it pays to be integrated.
At a glance
- We have never been anything other than an integrated agency
- We have a multitude of ways to get your message out to your customers
- We understand how to mix and match different approaches to deliver results
Learn more about how our integrated approach has helped other technology companies, check out our case studies.
BRAND DEVELOPMENT
Brand is important. For most technology sales, customers will consider just two or three companies. So developing a strong brand is critical.
Change vs consistency
Technology brands, however, face a dilemma. On the one hand, the technology market is characterised by relentless change. Yet on the other, branding is founded on long-term consistency.
The answer is to determine what should be fixed and what should remain flexible. You must understand where the market is headed to create a dynamic, agile brand framework. One that can shift positions to take advantage of new opportunities and see off emerging threats.
Tech experience, tech understanding
We’ve helped both established players and fast-moving start-ups develop powerful, flexible brand strategies. Like many brand development specialists, we come with a complete kit bag of tools and techniques. Yet unlike most brand consultancies, we have a unique understanding of the technology market, its customers and the challenges you face.
At a glance
- We understand that the technology market delivers unique challenges for creating strong, enduring brands
- We have a brand development toolkit specifically designed for tech
- We’ve helped create powerful brands for established and emerging companies in the sector
Find out how we’ve helped other technology companies, view our brand development case studies.
CHANNEL ENABLEMENT
Many technology companies in Europe sell through two-tier distribution. They are dependent on their distributors and resellers to drive sales and convert the leads they generate. Yet too many vendors find successful, truly profitable channel relationships remain frustratingly out of reach.
How much time and money are you wasting?
All too many companies are producing material that never gets used. Or delivering leads that aren’t acted upon. Or finding they are losing out to competitive cross-selling.
We have extensive experience creating and delivering channel enablement tools that make a fundamental difference to resellers’ success. Tools that deliver lasting, tangible results. And which strengthen the relationships between vendors and channel partner.
Deeper understanding, greater effectiveness
The secret is to get inside the mind of the reseller. To develop tools and support materials that solve the real problems they face every time they seek to sell your products. Certainly this can involve traditional co-branded collateral. But to really make a difference you have to go further. In recent months we’ve developed everything from interactive sales tools and videos through to competitive playbooks, flash cards and channel incentive programmes.
At a glance
- We understand the challenges of selling through two-tier distribution and the pressures on both vendors and resellers
- We have wide experience creating channel enablement programmes that deliver tangible benefits to the resellers’ sales efforts
- We can take you a long way beyond the traditional co-branded DM piece and brochure
Learn how we can make a difference to your channel programme, check out our case studies.
DEMAND GENERATION
Generating consistent, qualified, profitable leads is a challenge faced by almost every technology marketer today. The days where you could blast a piece of direct mail to your entire database and then wait for the responses to come flooding in have long gone. The game has moved on.
Demand generation has evolved
Today, demand generation is more strategic and more effective than ever before. It’s now possible to create contextually relevant, individual messages to customers. Customers whose behaviours can be tracked in real-time. Who can be served the right message in the right way at the right time to move them forward in the sales cycle.
We know the theory
We pride ourselves on being at the forefront of modern demand generation. As hosts of the sell-out annual Demand Generation Summit, we have access to many of demand generation’s most innovative thinkers and most effective practitioners. It gives us a forum to share best practice and learn the latest techniques.
And we put the theory into practice
We put this knowledge to work for our clients, combining an unparalleled understanding of technology buyers with the latest marketing automation technology to deliver outstanding results. We manage fully end-to-end lead generation and nurturing campaigns throughout Europe. We help sales teams communicate in more effective ways. And we track every interaction, adapting and evolving campaigns in near real-time to increase their effectiveness.
At a glance
- We are at the cutting edge of modern demand generation
- We can help you create powerful demand generation campaigns and then track and tune them in near real time
- We’ve worked with many of today’s advanced marketing automation systems – we are an Eloqua partner and the agency Responsys turned to when they wanted to advertise their own system
Learn more about our demand generation capabilities. View recent case studies and download our Momentum white paper.
WHO WE'VE WORKED WITH
| symantec | NOVELL | DELL |
| COREL | Ernst&Young | SanDisk |
| Sage | Autodesk | colt |
| eloqua | Trend Micro | Pitneybowes |