If you want to go far, go together

CASE STUDY: USING RAINMAKER FOR STRATEGIC BUSINESS GROWTH

Ten years ago in 2006 the MD of a medium-sized marketing agency met the MD of Rainmaker and it was decided to commence a new business development campaign as a new business development campaign is supposed to be done.

A 5-year annual retainer plan was decided on to meet ramping annual revenue targets, where the relationship would break down if Rainmaker failed to hit KPIs in any year. On the other hand, the client offered to commit fully, with a jointly approved torch-bearer to front new business meetings, and a separate budget and facility for marketing collateral and design. Critically, there would also be a direct connection to senior individuals at the agency to flesh out the case we would be making to each target brand to answer the business challenges we uncovered with them.

Despite the typical changes in personnel at executive and director level you would expect at our end and churn with key contacts and changes with more junior elements in the team their end, both MDs remained committed to the plan keeping the pipeline alive. The campaign evolved but remained centred on robust values and a proven service structure. Over the first 5 years,

Rainmakers KPIs were met and our joint delivery exceeded in every year bar one our annual revenue targets and smashing the 5-year plan target. The client decided to renew the plan on a rolling annual basis.

Now, after 10 years the results look like this: -

Revenue Growth

In total they have invested £500,000 in us. We have introduced them to £20m of fresh revenue in return, representing a gross return of 40:1.

But there have also been many softer yet still important deliveries: -

Control

By speaking with the senior buyers at the companies they most wanted to work with we enabled the agency to shape their portfolio and realise the founders’ vision for their company

Knowledge

We gathered accurate intelligence on the decision-makers and business-critical agenda of all of their most valuable targets – a total view. In this way we adjusted the messaging we deployed and were able to use solution-selling to present a tailored case for inclusion on the pitches they needed to be on, as well as to access briefs that would otherwise have been under their radar

Match Fitness

We optimised their agency in a variety of ways for proactively generated new business. They have become a different animal in terms of new business self-sufficiency, tools for the job and know-how.