Business Development
Every companies’ ultimate goal is sustainable growth.
When looking to reach this, many factors have to be taken into account. With the current business tendencies, more and more companies have difficulties finding the right balance between profit, product, people and environment.
Working together with experienced people from outside your business can make you look differently at your company.
They can pinpoint problems more easily and can initiate change in a positive and sustainable way.
Thanks to our people who bring experience, expertise and passion for innovation and technologies, your company can accelerate its sustainable growth when calling upon BrainTower.
Business development
In order to increase business, a clear straight-forward strategy has to be developed. This strategy has to take into account both quick wins and growth in the long-term. A good balance between both has to be maintained.
Your company should be imbued by this strategy so everyone is on the same page, with the same clear goal.
How we help:
- Detect & analyze opportunities for new markets
- Create and execute cross & upselling methods
- Expand customer base
- Improve customer loyalty
- Enrich innovation pipeline
- Brainstorm & structure new ideas
Go-to-market
Haste makes waste, so think everything through very carefully before entering a new product. You only can have a launch once, so every tiny mistake is a pity. Invest in research to find the right approach, get to know your target customers, think through a strategy and map all possible implications for your organization.
From sales to logistics and production, every single step of the process needs to be exactly right.
How we help:
- Set up your go-to-market strategy
- Devise an omnichannel sales & distribution strategy
- Create an investment plan
- Set up & maintain financial & cash management
Some examples of possible job titles:
project manager, new business developer, business analyst and others.
Brand & Marketing Strategy
Becoming a strong brand does not happen overnight.
Brands only become strong and inspiring by having a clear mission and vision every step of the way.
Everything they do is in line with their image and strategy.
This way they acquire a relevant and sustainable market position.
Brand Positioning
How do people perceive your brand? Is this the image you want for your brand or not at all? Which factors are the biggest influence on this image? And what can you do to affect this? Positioning is the core of our brand. A relevant and clear market positioning is the ultimate goal and will affect everything that comes next.
How we help:
- Conduct and validate market research
- Brand positioning
- Align communication & action plans between stakeholders
Marketing & Brand Strategy & Implementation
The marketing- and business environment is always evolving. Markets are changing due to hypes, tendencies and environmental circumstances. Customers create other expectations and become more and more critical. The competition is always evolving and finding more clever and new ways to reinvent themselves. New players enter the market every month. Media and tools are always evolving. And so should brands. Flexibility and knowledge is key.
How we help:
- Prepare & execute marketing plans
- Create & implement go-to-market strategies
- Actively monitor KPIs & expected return on marketing investment (ROMI)
Some examples of possible job titles
marketing manager, marketing director, brand manager, product manager, NPD specialist and others
Sales & Key Account Management
You can have a wonderful product, but without sales and account management, the company will never thrive as hard as it possibly could.
All sales activities should be organized in an efficient and valuable way.
They should also be monitored and easily evaluated so they can be adjusted when needed.
To set up the best processes, decisions should be backed up by data.
Account management
Every business should cherish their most valuable customers. To create a synergy between companies, a long-term relationship should be the real goal of both. For each client, specific client goals should be established. That’s why account management is an important trade at itself.
How we help:
- Draft win-win account plans
- Manage client-specific or national P&Ls efficiently
- Negotiate annual agreements on client or (inter)national level
- Implement established plans
Field sales management
Customers have become ever more demanding. Make sure you can meet their expectations with a top-notch sales team and a flawless in-store execution. The team should be leaded and motivated by a sales manager, and they should be supported by custom sales materials, promotions and so on.
How we help:
- Assemble and lead an effective sales team
- Manage client-specific or national P&Ls efficiently
- Negotiate annual agreements on client or (inter)national level
- Propose improvements to optimize sales team operations
Some examples of possible job titles:
sales manager, field manager, national manager, key account manager,
category manager, trade marketeer, shopper marketeer and others.
Category management & trade marketing
Retailers/brands really need to think through their image when developing an in-store strategy.
From products to in-store communication, everything should be in line with the foreseen image.
Category Management
Both the retailer and the supplier need to think through their offer. Is every product lucrative or does it contribute to the image of the brand/shop. Do consumers buy my products? Are there any that are abundant? Should we invest in specific promotions or actions? How should I manage my space?
To make these decisions, they need advanced knowledge of the retail landscape and data insights.
How we help:
- Devise a category management strategy
- Define a category development approach
- Create a space management strategy
- Manage business intelligence activities: Nielsen, GfK, Daltix, …
Trade marketing
B2b clients have other needs and requirements. First of all, because they are not the consumer, but are likely to either use your product or resell it. This kind of business demands a totally different approach, different materials and so on. It really is a trade at its own.
How we help:
- Draft a shopper marketing strategy
- Set up & execute the approach
- Enhance the customer journey
- Create & implement a brand activation plan
- Ensure excellent execution
Some examples of possible job titles:
sales manager, field manager, national manager, key account manager, category manager,
trade marketeer, shopper marketeer and others.
Marketing Communication
For marketing communication to be effective, brands need to understand their audience and what moves them.
On top, communication becomes more and more personal each day.
Customer expectations are evolving and more and more types of communication should be taken into account.
Content creation & management
Relevant content nowadays is one of the smarter ways to lure in new customers. With content pieces, you can explain your product or expertise. It makes your brand more trustworthy. While advertising is skipped or ignored, customers can go looking for added-value content. First, you need to understand your customers’ questions and desires.
- Data analysis
- Content creation
- Content planning per persona and medium
Omnichannel communication
The customer expects you to be present everywhere and always. Brands can no longer afford to only advertise on tv for example. Furthermore, the different channels should reinforce each other and create added value since the customer journey goes beyond channels.
- Communication planning and budgeting
- Agency selection (media,creation, digital, PR, …)
- ROI on communication investments
Digital Communication
More and more digital channels are popping up. And others are constantly evolving and becoming ever more important. Digital communication really requires skills at its own. An important component for this kind of communication is that it is backed up by data.
- Direct mailing campaigns
- Social media
- SEO/SEA
- Design & optimization of websites
- Marketing automation
- Conversation management
Brand and Field activation
To increase brand- and product awareness, sometimes the best decision is to go where the client really is. In-store or on the streets, customers can be anywhere. And actions can be planned accordingly. By handing out products, showcasing your brand or creating promotions, people get in touch with you and will remember you better.
- In-store promotions
- Events
- Sponsoring
- Roadshows
Some examples of possible job titles:
Chief Marketing Officer, marketing specialist, digital marketeer,
marketing manager, communication manager and others.
Commercial & Vendor Due Diligence
Mergers and acquisitions are exciting to say the least.
Commercial or vendor due diligences improve the odds of a successful transaction.
Did you know you could save money by executing your commercial or vendor due diligence before making any other costs?
One thing’s for sure: investing in a clear business case will put your mind at ease and help your finances.
Commercial due diligence
Before any acquisition, a business needs to be evaluated profoundly. All assets have to be taken into account in a business case. The client and product portfolio with all its components, the price strategy that is in place, other commercial investments and so on. When buying, you should be aware of every aspect or company the business has a hand in. Commercial due diligence will have an answer to all your questions.
How we help:
- Analyze client portfolio
- Evaluate product and price strategy
- Map ROI of commercial investments
- Review business plan
- Assess strength of management
Vendor due diligence
Selling your company is definitely a big step. And it’s not like selling any other thing. What you see is not always what you get. So, to give your possible buyers a good insight in the business, conduct a vendor due diligence. That way they can be sure of what they are buying and your business can be estimated to its real value.
How we help:
- Analyze as is results
- Draft business plan (of new products/service, channels, pricing)
- Estimate required investments in organization and commercial policy
- Create an objective & reliable business case
E-commerce
Nowadays every shop needs to have an online component. A website is key.
But what if you want to launch an e-commerce? Start with the question: do I really need it, is my business case positive?
A lot of aspects need to be taken into account and you really have to think this decision through.
You also need to figure out an e-commerce strategy to make sure your online shop will pay off.
E-commerce
E-commerce is the new retail. With the main difference that it’s always-on and everywhere. Of course, this complicates things on many different levels. Warehousing, invoicing and logistics are not the littlest concerns. How to manage all this? We can help you!
How we help:
- Set up your webshop and system architecture
- Integrate internal platforms & systems
- Craft an inbound marketing strategy (lead generation & conversion planning)
Customer journey & experience
In order to make your online business a real hit, you first need to know how and when to get the right audience to your e-commerce website. By mapping out customer journeys, you can identify the moment you will need to reach out to potential buyers and what can attract them.
Secondly, the experience on your e-commerce website needs to be flawless. The sceptic visitors of nowadays will question your product, if your website is not good. The quality of the website will effect the perception of the product.
How we help:
- Map touchpoints
- Optimize UX
- Manage omnichannel planning
- Perform A/B testing
- Calculate ROI
Some examples of possible job titles:
e-commerce manager, ux-researcher, ui-designer, ux-designer, qualitative researcher,
digital expert, digital marketeer, online sales manager and others.
Customer Management
More and more businesses are becoming aware that in order to be successful,
they need to place the customer at the center of every decision they make.
After all, you are designing your business for them.
Nowadays we have all the tools to keep track of every single touchpoint we have with our clients.
Customer journey & experience
In order to make your customers come back, their experience needs to be flawless. By mapping out their journey, you will find the appropriate moment to address and persuade them. You will also create a better understanding, and find ways to connect with them.
How we help:
- Map touchpoints
- Optimize UX
- Manage omnichannel planning
- Perform A/B testing
- Calculate ROI
CRM
Customers have high expectations, and when you can deliver, it will pay off. By using a CRM system, you will manage to keep track of every interaction with your customers and you will be able to provide better on their exact needs. The CRM system helps you to get to know them, which, if used in a good way, will lead to higher conversion and greater customer satisfaction.
How we help:
- Design & set up a CRM system
- Create a one-on-one communication strategy
- Map conversion and open ratio metrics
Loyalty management
Having loyal customers becomes more and more difficult. It really is a sign of the time. Customers put their faith in multiple brands and aren’t afraid of trying something new. So how do you manage to keep them coming back? How do you increase your share of wallet?
How we help:
- Devise a retention grid & segmentation model
- Craft a loyalty strategy & planning
- Manage ambassadors
- Implement, analyze and adapt
Some examples of possible job titles:
Community manager, loyalty manager, customer engagement manager,
CRM manager, customer success manager and others.
Change & Organization Management
When you are not sure your organization is doing the best it can really do,
it’s best to take a step back and analyze your processes so they can be improved.
This can be done by someone outside your organization who can coach your team when
improvement is needed.
Organization audit
Do you know how efficient and effective your company’s internal and commercial processes really are? Are you aware of its core competencies and which ones it really needs to succeed? Or how this will evolve in the future?
BrainTower assesses which skills you need, and which activities to outsource.
How we help:
- Conduct as is analyses of your commercial organization and its processes
- Execute a gap analysis of current skills versus future needs
- Define key success factors
- Select a strategic partner
Organizational change
When the management of a business decides to implement change, they need to think thoroughly about the implementation. The bigger the company, the harder it will be to get everyone aligned. And this is vital. Companies imbued by the same clear strategy, vision and mission will make better progress and without additional effort, they will have better employer branding and attract talent more easily.
BrainTower can analyse your company culture and draw up a roadmap on how to implement change that can last.
How we help:
- Devise assessment of human capital
- Craft and execute a transformation roadmap
- Assess strength of management
Training & coaching
Coaching is cocreation. It’s about combining strengths to find solutions and achieve strong results, with the coach as a sherpa and a facilitator of improvement.
How we help:
- Offer personal coaching for sales & marketing
- Offer creativity coaching
- Align mission & vision
SME Advice & Guidance
BrainTower specializes in SME consultancy: from A to Z and from THINK to DO.
We are aware that SME enterprises need an entirely different approach.
They have other concerns, priorities and ways of working than multinationals.
Our specialists have multiple years of experience in this field and will thus have no problem giving advice and guidance.
THINK
Think before you act, that’s our philosophy. We carefully create your vision and make sure it’s transparent and understandable.
Because a strong foundation is the first step towards success and growth!
How we help:
- Draft commercial and distribution strategies
- Define systems, from CRM to reporting tools
- Outline company and organizational structures
- Create purpose and approach for an advisory board
- Estimate a company’s commercial value
DO
Step two is all about optimizing and implementing strategies and approaches. Because thinking is silver, but acting is golden.
We help you to put your ideas into action in a way that will benefit your organization and your customers.
How we help:
- Prepare a global management & sales approach
- Decide on go-to-market
- Prepare, guide and execute negotiations
- Draft the sales & operations process from order to cash
- Adapt organizational structures and guide transition
- Prepare a company for the next generation