Sucess Story 1

Trend positioning and research preparation

Background & objectives

A globally active B2B tool manufacturer had set itself the goal to profitably use the topic of sustainability for its brand communication.

However, the medium-sized manufacturer had neither found a positioning on the topic at brand level, nor did the target buyer group have the topic of sustainability in mind as explicit or implicit purchase criteria.

Before the GIM research team could test campaign concepts, the first step was to develop narratives that depicted the possible spectrum of positioning and could be evaluated by the global target group.

The GIM consult surplus value: Interlocking knowledge of future, industry and target group with an expert's eye for research

GIM consult then developed a lab together with GIM foresight, in which vivid and testable narratives were developed based on GIM's trend know-how and target group knowledge as well as the manufacturer's industry know-how. The work was structured into ...

  • Impulse | A look at what's behind the trend by GIM foresight: What perspectives should be taken into account in this topic?
  • Reflection | What in-house knowledge existed on the topic of sustainability, the target group and the brand? What tensions could be derived from this?  
  • Positioning | SWOT assessment of the brand in relation to the trend and identification of potential: where could the manufacturer score?
  • Argumentation | Developing narratives as a bridge between brand competences, trends and target group needs
  • Adaptation | Jointly developing product or campaign concepts to communicate the new positioning incl. culturally neutral illustration of the insights.

 

The return on invest: testable and relevant input for research and, as a consequence, the basis for successful positioning!

In addition to a clear positioning of the brand on the topic of sustainability, relevant future concepts and narratives were developed. Prioritised on the basis of development opportunities, these had to fit the brand assets and could be tested and validated immediately. The subsequent GIM research was able to identify a concept that formed the basis for the manufacturer's successful campaign work. In addition, there was a crash course for the project team in basic skills for concept and idea development.

Success Story 2

Customer centric process optimisation

Background & objectives

An FMCG manufacturer had decided on a new strategy to react to declining sales due to increasing competitive pressure and to make the company more customer-centric.  

For this purpose, an internal project was set up to make processes more efficient and at the same time make the new customer centricity visible to the customers.

The project assignment for GIM consult was to review organically grown processes together with the division teams in the context of the strategic goals and to optimise internal cooperation.

The GIM consult surplus value: Interlocking process, team and end customer perspectives

The GIM consult team developed a three-step concept for the client, with which the course for the realignment of the processes could be set within the framework of a consulting workshop. Particular attention was paid to the change process in order to interlock the departments, which until then had worked largely autonomously, more closely in terms of content, as their participation would be indispensable for the success of the project.

Stage 1: Translating the strategy into operational tasks of the individual departments and specifying what the goal achievement in the department can be measured by and what positive effects are achieved for the end customers as a result.

Step 2: Prioritising tasks jointly and looking at synergies – which corporate goals can be achieved (more easily) through cooperation between different departments? Furthermore: Identification of conflicting goals and starting points for resolving them.

Stage 3: Forming interdepartmental project teams and formulating work assignments on the basis of priorities. Defining milestones with the project management as well as project meetings and preparing the steering committee.

 

The return on invest: measurable corporate success

  • Goals were consolidated holistically.
  • Internal cooperation was sustainably improved through interdepartmental working groups.
  • Five concrete initiatives were launched that contributed to higher customer satisfaction and an improved market position, while simplifying processes and saving costs.

Success Story 3

From mono to stereo: 
Optimised delivery after process appraisal in the context of the customer journey

Background & objectives

Following the reorganisation of its carrier and delivery methods (e.g. fixed delivery times, return to warehouse after three failed attempts, no depositing of consignments with the neighbour, etc.), a mail-order company found itself confronted with a high rate of complaints.

This prompted a move to optimise the entire delivery process to achieve a better customer experience. 

How we went about this

Pre-work: All relevant stakeholders (from the call centre to logistics down to marketing) undertook a critical appraisal of the current process: from registration, ordering and delivery down to a possible complaint and return of goods.

Process matrix: We transferred the results to a comprehensive process matrix.

Workshop: In the course of a 2-day workshop, this process …

  • … underwent critical appraisal involving all stakeholders
  • … was evaluated in terms of the customer experience (input, in particular from the call centre and from market research) 
  • … and possible gaps in and problems with the process were identified. 

On Day 2, the pinpointed gaps & problems were prioritized and solutions for an improved delivery process drafted (idea canvas). 

The outcome?

The workshop generated the following outcome:

  1. Two IT systems were successfully implemented. This gave rise to a visible decline in complaints.

  2. Critical appraisal of the overall delivery process (incl. initial registration) highlighted hitherto unidentified problems with the correct logging of customer data.

  3. Minor tweaks to the registration process (changing the wireframe for address entry) were enough to substantially optimise data quality for all subsequent customer processes!