Strategic Alliances: Thought leader marketing for worldwide partnership success
Citrix and Microsoft represent one of the longest-lasting and strongest strategic alliances in the technology industry. Since the earliest days of virtual computing with Microsoft Terminal Services, Citrix and Microsoft have partnered to build value-add solutions and co-sell opportunities, bringing the greatest value to the marketplace. From Fort Lauderdale to Redmond and Santa Clara, Merit Mile has been part of this journey for over a decade, supporting the marketing, sales enablement, demand generation, and channel recruitment needs of Citrix and Microsoft’s channel and alliance teams.
Challenge
Tightly integrated technology solutions from two technology companies creates greater value to customers but brings challenges for marketing. How do you convince customers they need both companies’ products when they are capable of being used independently? How do you unify disparate brand identities to visually depict an integrated solution? The answer is much more than two logos stacked side-by-side with a generic 1+1=3-style headline. Owing to our long-standing relationship and first-hand understanding of Citrix and Microsoft technologies, Merit Mile continues to be chosen to support this benchmark alliance.
Solutions
The foundation of any great alliance marketing campaign or content begins with the message, which is where Merit Mile starts. Looking at the business value, use cases, and key selling points of individual products or services, we surface the best of the best into a joint messaging document. Careful attention must be paid to ensure the voice and message is always complementary, not competitive; integrated, not piecemeal, and appealing to buyers and sellers on both sides of the alliance’s relationship. Creatively, we explore how to bring the same level of partnering in our words to the design, drawing out artistic styles, colors, and design elements that honor both brands.
Results
Merit Mile authored and designed multiple content marketing and email nurture campaigns for the Citrix and Microsoft alliance. Deployed globally in ten languages, the campaigns target both business and technical decision makers with thoughtful content that moves them through their respective buying journeys. Early on, the campaigns easy-to-read infographics and videos warm customers up to the joint solutions. Mid-funnel, eBooks and solution briefs provide more substance and insight about Citrix and Microsoft. Late stage, prospects transition to receiving whitepapers, analysts research, demos, and technical guides.
Deliverables
- Email nurture campaigns
- eBooks
- Infographics
- Solution Briefs
- Whitepapers
- Presentations
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