Deliverables
- Product Launch & GTM Strategy
- Market Analysis
- Customer & Market Research
- Partner Marketing
- Product Messaging & Personas
Results
- Sustained product innovation as the company went through a leadership transition
- Launched 2 new products and rolled out new features for 3 more
- Enabled company to shift its narrative from a commoditized hardware product to a value added business platform
When innovation can’t wait
When Clover, an Android point of sale platform for small to medium sized restaurants, was acquired by a major financial services firm, marketing budgets got bigger but hiring FTEs took longer.
However, product innovation needed to keep moving as they made the transition from nimble startup to subsidiary of a much larger company. Customers and market competition demanded that Clover continue to morph from a point-of-sale hardware builder into a full-fledged restaurant operations software platform.
Pillars of the product marketing team
Clover’s new marketing leader had worked with EM at prior jobs. Bringing in some of our seasoned product marketers was the main pillar of their strategy for building out the team. They knew they could show others the ropes, and they could handle ambiguity and change as the company brought in new leadership. They also knew they could count on them to work productively without a lot of hand holding.
We found several people on our bench with deep product marketing experience in leading Silicon Valley tech companies. They each had a lot of experience with launches, and industry experience with small business and financial technology.
“I got way more from your consultants than I expected. You know, you have a vision and plan for what you think the consultant can do for you. But that’s not what really happens. They come in and they see what you need and who you are and they see ways they can add value.”
Enabling the company to grow during the pandemic
Our marketers put together value propositions and go-to-market plans for several new offerings, including two new hardware-optional services, Clover Payments and Clover Essentials. They also launched Station Solo, a full-fledged hardware and software business platform, as well as an online ordering product featuring partnerships with Google and GrubHub. In addition, they worked on improving the company’s loyalty and customer engagement apps.
The work they did was instrumental in enabling the company to change its narrative from hardware builder to SaaS business platform. These initiatives were also critical for the company’s growth at a time when restaurants were being hit hardest by the pandemic.
