MESSAGING: STRATEGY I II III Market Analysis Brand Exploration Marketing Approach - Industry Insights - Brand Opportunity - Proposed Website Homepage - Industry Trends - Brand North Purpose Layout & Copy - Consumer Insights - Brand Positioning - CX Journey - Target Audience Personas - Tone of Voice - Proposed Email Layout & Copy - Brand Messaging - Messaging Creative Concept - Brand Statement - Messaging Creative Layouts - Brand Visuals for Social Media BRAND : GOAL To fully express the Path by Simplex brand, driving affinity, loyalty and growth. industry : insights overview Collaboration software enables the sharing, processing and management of files, documents and other data types among several users or systems. Developing a framework of collaboration that encourages and improves the generation and distribution of knowledge is crucial in reinforcing internal innovation and collaboration. Research has shown that organizations with more interconnected employees obtain 10% more positive client care assessments than those where fewer links exist (Gallup, Engagement at work). This also translates more tangibly; an organization with more than 10,000 employees can save thousands of dollars a year by improving its collaboration tools, according to Nielsen. Technology has a crucial role to play in enabling organizations to create an environment that supports the goals of their employees but also harnesses their individual and collective creativity to create lasting economic value. The next generation of enterprise productivity and collaboration tools, which enable richer communications, document sharing and co-creation have a significant role to play in establishing this environment. Research has shown that workers are up to 20 per cent more satisfied with their workplace culture when they have access to these tools. When combined with a culture that promotes innovation, collaboration tools lead to employees who are 34 per cent happier with their workplace culture than those who operate in an environment where innovation is discouraged and collaboration not catered for. Path By Simplex ‘In today’s office, data is scattered across different applications, resulting in fragmented work and decreased productivity. Employees now spend a large amount of time tracking down internal communication and files just to get all the information they need to perform the tasks at hand.’ Path By Simplex is a first ever platform that offers collaborative financial management that enables employees to communicate efficiently, find relevant financial data and resources quickly, and reduce overall chaos with a view to increase accountability and productivity for its clients and users. Path By Simplex need to communicate their brand message strongly in the marketplace with a powerful benefit led proposition. industry : analysis Market revenue Worldwide market revenues from collaboration software have been increasing in recent years, from around seven billion U.S. dollars in 2015 to over 12 billion in 2019. The market revenue from collaboration software is forecast to keep increasing, reaching about 13.58 billion U.S. dollars by 2024. The Covid impact The COVID-19 pandemic has forced businesses to rethink how they collaborate - especially with many staff members working from home. In a recent Mastercard study of small businesses, 76% say the pandemic prompted them to become more digital, with 82% changing how their business makes financial decisions. The unpredictability of the Covid-19 global pandemic has many organizations taking a critical look at their business continuity plans and making difficult, fast-paced decisions in order to support their workforce and encourage ongoing collaboration and innovation while also satisfying their customers. Customer trends Employees today are progressive, use a variety of social platforms and are found on social networks for a majority of the day yet most work in a low innovation, low collaboration environment. Up to 56% use a social network at home, versus a low 12 per cent at work. Studies show employees routinely ask their managers for improved tools, but only a third of these received a positive response to their request. For this reason, the adoption of digital collaboration needs to come from the top. Leadership by example remains a powerful force within organizations today. Those who do advocate and implement collaboration software report increased engagement, improved morale and above all improved productivity. The impact of collaboration tools Staff and employees are humans who are mostly social animals who regularly use a social network in their personal lives. It is therefore unsurprising that digital collaboration is fundamental to happiness at work. Studies show that staff are 17 percentage points more satisfied with their workplace culture when they have access to effective digital collaboration tools. Since studies also show that employee engagement can be worth as much as 19 per cent to the operating income of large enterprises, improving engagement through collaboration could be a relatively simple way of enhancing business performance. industry : analysis Cont … Collaboration tools get the best out of an organization’s talent Globalisation has increased the geographical spread of many businesses while Covid 19’s economic downturn has forced teams to cut staff to reduce costs. This combination has dispersed skills and experience beyond the reach of face-to-face communications, at a time when businesses need more than ever to bring their best minds together. And it isn’t just executives who see the benefits of digital collaboration. Workers recognise the benefits too, particularly as productivity enhancers and communications enablers. In the digital age, collaboration tools are a significant enabler of openness. Openness correlates to engagement, to innovation and most significantly to the happiness of the workforce that will be at the absolute core of business success in the decades to come. Digital collaboration and innovation Innovations in processes to deliver incremental value are far more commonplace than silver bullets. Business change, be it due to an acquisition, a transformation of operating practices, or a change in strategic direction is also a process of innovation. It certainly feels radical to those employees that it affects. Although it is not a universal truth that the most innovative organizations are the most collaborative, those that do not enable the cross-pollination of knowledge, insights and experiences between their employees are clearly failing to maximize their returns from their investment in those people. In strategic terms, organizations need to maximize their ability to collaborate and create an environment in which innovation can flourish. In any case, the effects of creating a collaborative and innovative workplace are demonstrated by the overall effectiveness of employees who operate in an environment that gives them the opportunity to do both. First and foremost, these employees are the happiest. Two thirds of employees who are highly innovative are also high satisfied with the culture of their organization, versus an average of 38 per cent of those surveyed by Juniper Research. Highly collaborative and innovative employees travel less to meet colleagues, using tools like instant messaging and video conferencing nearly 50 per cent more often than other groups. Interestingly, as innovators become innovator- collaborators, they rely less on face-to-face meetings and are more likely to use these kinds of digital collaboration tools. This suggests a virtuous cycle, whereby digital collaboration can support innovation, which itself encourages new thinking on the need for and the means of collaboration. The result is a movement away from a narrow definition of collaboration as interaction based on proximity to one that encompasses many different forms of sharing and collective working practices. Sources: 1. Deloitte. (2021). Productivity and Collaboration - https://www2.deloitte.com/au/en/pages/technology/solutions/ productivity-collaboration.html 2. Coronavirus (COVID-19) Outbreak: Short- and Long-Term Actions for CIOs, 4 March 2020. 3. Juniper Research. (2021) https://www.juniperresearch.com AND Gallup/Nielsen industry : analysis Cont … The role of digital collaboration tools Making good tool-related decisions is crucial to creating a broader culture of openness. Staff with effective tools for collaborating see their organizations as transparent as compared to those who do not. However, the right tools only provide a foundation for innovation and leaders need to be encouraged to build the right culture on top of it. Collaboration tools specifically built for finance As the financial sector undergoes digital transformation, the focus is growing on building platforms that allow for internal and external collaboration. So far, tools like Slack have been highly popular, as well as intranet focused platforms like Simppler and Blink. Making digital collaboration easier; however, from a financial sector perspective, there are still challenges to overcome such as financial compliance and ensuring data integrity. Every digital collaboration strategy needs to address these challenges. These platforms, without a core finance focus, can hypothetically expose companies to compliance risks; especially, the leaking of proprietary information, sensitive data, passwords, data, and future partnerships. Internal and external hacking is another concern for companies that use collaboration platforms. So while digital collaboration platforms are an indispensable tool for agile workflow, some enterprises are still reticent to incorporate it because of potential security risks. Interdepartmental compliance issues are another concern. What's to prevent departments from engaging in unethical behaviour that violates regulations? The same applies to compliance surrounding communications with external parties, partners and investors. The solution lies in a social working collaboration platform specifically designed for finance and accounting, with a comprehensive and sophisticated suite of identity management, security and governance features. industry : insight Collaboration tools build more effective innovation and productivity into the workplace Innovation and collaboration are social activities, and in embracing the best collaboration tools, managers can create the conditions for innovation within their organization without necessarily making formal changes to the way it operates. Collaboration tools build cohesion The creation of social cohesion is at the core of success for managers in this environment. Employees that collaborate the most are happier and are more cohesive in teams than other workers. Highly collaborative employees are 17 per cent more likely than low collaboration workers to feel that their new ideas are valued. Cohesive teams are more productive, particularly where skills are complementary; they also make better decisions as they have a stronger basis on which to solve tricky problems, and in the long run, enable social connections that create trust. Collaboration tools lead to openness and cooperation Attitude to risk is often the barrier to innovation, particularly in organizations where employees are typically required to produce a well-defined output using well-defined inputs. This can be as prosaic as producing an invoice or as complex and skilled as fixing a faulty piece of equipment. Teams operating in this way are often held accountable for performance over short timescales. One of the great advantages of digital collaboration tools is that they are built to enable a higher frequency of shorter, but perversely, more engaging contact between people. Emails are too similar to a press release to be seen as anything other than a broadcast propaganda communication. Online meetings and enterprise social networks and other tools are more natural as they are multi-directional – everyone is expected to have their say, but are somewhat protected from the social awkwardness of standing up in a rare ‘town hall’ meeting. Outtake The ultimate in a collaboration platform especially in the financial space is a solution with a comprehensive suite of collaborative tools — enabling real-time collaboration to empower innovation and work reimagined: enabling new ways to collaborate safer, smarter and simpler. It’s these core propositions that will draw audiences with a powerful message that inspires to innovate and work seamlessly and collaboratively from anywhere on any device. audience : insights audience : insights Path by Simplex's core target audience includes CFOs, finance professionals, staff, employees, business managers, etc - primarily in the accounting or finance function, but also outside of it. They’re either in the SME or corporate marketplace, or alternatively individual entrepreneurs. They’re smart, educated and enjoy considerable discretionary income. 70% are male, nearly half are 40-49 years old, 80% have an accounting background or audit-related experience, 70% have been in their current position 3 years or less and they enjoy a current income of $140K. The following insights defines this market segment further: Vision CFOs/professionals and executives are increasingly using advanced technology to give them real-time insights into their business at all times that can be shared faster and more easily within the organization. They also venture outside their offices and into the enterprise, connecting the dots between processes, products, sales, and marketing. They have insight into their competitors and pay attention to their partners, suppliers, and—especially—customers. Top-performing financial executives and staff have an instinct for going out and talking to the people who buy their products and services. The job no longer revolves around arranging outdated financial statements to produce a treasure map that leads to understanding the performance during the last quarter. Rather than simply reporting on financial performance, the best finance executives translate business strategy into finance strategies. It’s the person who can gain the best insights from their teams, work collaboratively and synergize strategy and finance, who have an impact. Operations expertise With their growing role in shaping corporate strategy and direction, executives - both in finance and other key departments - feel the need to understand the organization’s portfolio of businesses and the operation of every function with input from all staff. More and more, finance executives are mastering operational KPIs, not just financial metrics, to ensure that every department and the company as a whole understands what drives performance. The best executive leaders are those who can slot into the business—not disrupt it. They bring insights into problems. And, except in special situations, the budget shortfall isn’t their first topic when they walk into a meeting. Focus on building value as well as managing costs Historically, finance executives have tended to shine in times of trouble, when companies need to cut costs, improve efficiencies, and conserve cash. When companies are in growth mode, finance executives have sometimes been seen as the “No” of the organization—too prone to vetoing promising new ventures. Today, finance executives and leaders need to strike a balance, bringing a more disciplined approach to pursuing innovation and working to ensure that the company takes on the right mix of risks. CFOs and business managers are being expected to sort through new opportunities as they emerge—walk in the shoes of the people asking for capital. He or she must ask the right questions: ‘What are the risks in our strategy? What are the must-win battles?’ and applies critical thinking to strategic risk. audience : insights Cont … Need to communicate effectively with multiple audiences In a marketplace with intense global competition and increasingly active shareholders, finance executives are increasingly being required to become as adept as the CEO at communicating the company’s vision and performance. They need to use the numbers to tell a clear and coherent story. They need to be adept at simplifying —reducing the clutter so that shareholders have a clear view into the company’s vision, goals, and progress, while employees understand exactly how they contribute to achieving corporate goals. By enabling all constituencies to focus on the KPIs that are most important for their purposes, financial executives need to keep everyone aligned and marching in the same direction. A culture of analytics Big data has enormous potential to give companies the real-time critical information they need—if they don’t drown in it first. More and more, finance leaders have been quick to embrace that potential. By simplifying and interpreting the data, and ultimately, by overseeing the conversion of data into real insights, they play a unique and crucial role in driving strategy across the entire enterprise. Meeting the future Increasingly, in the last year, due to Covid and also a shift towards digital, more financial executives are shifting to digital collaboration software: With the majority of small businesses citing speed and security and transparency as top priorities, majority say they’ve changed how their business collaborates together to work faster and smarter with many transitioning their clients to digital methods. Wrap up Path by Simplex’s core target audience is looking to upgrade their digital and especially financial collaboration solutions with a view to improve cooperation, decision making and staff satisfaction levels. Positive sentiment, increased staff satisfaction and continued exploration suggests financial executives and SMEs plan to sign up to digital business collaboration solutions, even as the pandemic subsides. They’re willing to invest in the technology required to advance their intra-working systems and stand by digital collaborations as the new normal for their business going forward. audience : insights The Power of WHY Brands that lead with the “why” behind their product or service and create purpose-driven brand stories that are authentic and resonate with audience’s core values will win out over brands that lead with the functional “what” every time. Path by Simplex needs to develop messaging around the “why” to create purpose-driven brand stories by migrating from a business-centric focus (e.g., this is what we do) to a customer-centric focus (e.g., this is why you want to engage with us). You can do this by: • Mapping the customer experience and journey to understand which touch points are most meaningful — also known as moments of truth — for each customer segment. • Investing in differentiating those touch points to make them branded and memorable. • Adapting your messaging to address customer need-states for each segment. Finance executives will pay a premium for excellent digital collaboration solutions that help streamline their working collaboration because of how it ultimately makes for better businesses, helps reduce headaches and costs and in the case of Path by Simplex, bolsters their growth and innovation efforts. They want to bridge the gap from where their operations are now and the aspirational “streamlined financial collaboration” goals they set out to achieve. Thus, Path by Simplex needs to focus on the end result of the product or service they are offering to help finance executives and the wider body of corporate staff understand the value it will have on their business and outcomes. audience : personas audience : personas Can we delve deeper into Path by Simplex’s target audience? Yes, we can. With user personas. Following are 2 x persona examples of Path by Simplex’s ideal customers. You can then use it to guide any/all brand development and ongoing content planning. Please note these personas will evolve over time, based on new research, changes in the state of play and asset reporting. By identifying these target audience personas, you’ll be able to pick which messaging/core value propositions, keywords and channels to target them with in order to access them. The idea is to reward the audience’s engagement with social kudos, pride, confidence and rewards in the offline and online spaces they live. A website strategy will target your general wider audience and reward their engagement with finding workable solutions on your website to help them maximize their collaborative work management. A social strategy - Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIN and the website, etc - will attract, support and encourage other peripheral consumers who are less confident and vocal in the communications landscape. An advertising strategy - to drive traffic and leads. The CFO BEHAVIOUR • James is a strong problem solver. • He exercises sound judgment and makes decisions based on accurate and timely analysis. • He operates with a high level of integrity and dependability. • He has a strong sense of urgency and is results-orientated. James is responsible for all the money that the company receives and disburses. He oversees the accounting and finance department to ensure proper maintenance of all accounting systems and function. He often supervises the staff in the accounting department making sure that the department runs smoothly, ensuring the maintenance of appropriate internal controls and financial procedures. James values tradition and security. He has over 15 years of experience and an MBA plus a BA in NAME : JAMES Accountancy. He took a traditional path of serving as an auditor, finance manager, and financial AGE : 50 controller, to his current role as CFO which he has been in for almost five years. He works hard and M A R I TA L S TAT U S : M A R R I E D long to fulfil his duties. BIO James is process oriented, looking for every opportunity to introduce time- and step-saving processes GOALS James is the CFO of one of a leading FMCG distribution to every function which he controls. James has profound respect for facts and concrete information. He’s after a business collaboration platform that: firm in Texas - a family business. He lives in a beautiful • Provide employees with an integrated, secure source He appreciates structure and order. He dislikes abstract theories and doing things that don’t make appointed six bedroom home in Houston, Texas with his of truth on finance related aspects of the business sense. He makes decisions objectively, applying logic and rational thinking. He is loyal, faithful, stable, wife and their 3 children - all of whom are in high school. • Easy of use, workflows, and compliance/security practical, down-to-earth and family oriented. They also have a Galveston beach retreat cottage, • Full insights through dashboards where James indulges his love for fishing, swimming, • An incredible look and feel (UX) James is resistant to overt advertising messages and likes to be supplied with enough information and the beach and entertaining with his children, friends and • Seamless integration with ERP = fast implementations family. Well-educated, confident and ambitious, James choices to make up his own mind. He’s particularly unmoved by television adverts and face-to-face is able to enjoy his wealth and the advantages of living in FRUSTRATIONS communications, while local newspapers make almost no impact at all. However, he is a national news a world-class city to the full. James worries are straightforward: Do we have the right reader, though he prefers to access his news and commentary online via The Age, The Sydney His role at work is to accurately project the long-term sources of financial truth? Are we using our cash Morning Herald and the Fin Review. financial picture of his company as well as analyze the correctly?Have we established the right accounting policies and procedures for credit and collections, company’s financial data to maximize profitability, purchasing, payment of bills? How can we collaborate Media and culture is more than just entertainment for James; it forms an important part of his identity, working closely with his colleagues. financially, more effectively and efficiently to grow our challenging and stimulating him intellectually and influencing the way he sees the world. company? Is the company’s performance as expected? PERSONALITY: He is susceptible to well-targeted, niche and interactive direct e-communications. He enjoys being • Personable and independent HOW TO ENGAGE HIM seen to be well-informed and likes to recommend and share his purchase decisions with others: he’s • Driven and proactive • James is most likely to be influenced by brand • Intuitive therefore a very useful influencer for the Path by Simplex brand. websites, online reviews, and search. • Born leader • However most likely, it’s his friends and people he admires that drives his purchase behaviour. Ultimately, James wants his Path by Simplex experience to help him digitise his collaboration efforts PREFERRED COMMUNICATION CHANNELS: • You should associate the brand with leading key amongst his teams and various departments in his business and harness the power of collective • James is highly internet dependent, and use web, opinion leaders in the finance space, and put a LinkedIN, Google and mobile extensively for his product thinking – positioning him as a transformative leader and partner to his board and fellow corporate particular emphasis on engaging James’s colleagues search and purchasing purposes. leaders. as well. The Financial Controller BEHAVIOUR • Regina wants to implement an entirely new working environment from a finch perspective – a new financial digital workplace. • By integrating the technologies that employees use (from e-mail, instant messaging and enterprise social media tools to financial applications and virtual meeting tools), the digital workplace, she envisions breaks down communication barriers, positioning her teams to transform the employee experience by fostering efficiency, innovation and growth. Regina is well educated, urban and stylish, and appreciates a high quality of service and excellence in NAME : REGINA the brands she engages with, personally and professionally. AGE : 36 M A R I TA L S TAT U S : E N G A G E D As a female financial leader, she’s committed to up her game and lead in every way including the way the business makes its financial decisions. She’s very invested in her company and takes the time to GOALS BIO understand the business strategy and company direction. • Save money Regina is a 36-year-old financial controller working for a • Maximize cash flow visibility group of SMEs in the interior design/furniture sector. • Minimize fraud She wants to improve efficiency with collaboration automation and is keen to be on the front line Within the first 24 months of being appointed in her role, • Reduce the risk of audits evaluating the options for digital collaboration and how it will affect the bottom line. the companies saw, on average, a 6% increase in profits • Get the most from her team and an 8% better stock return, compared to She belongs to a group of friends who are multicultural consumers; aspirational, increasingly wealthy performance to her previous predecessor. MOTIVATIONS Regina believes her most important role is inspiring her and who identify themselves as global and cosmopolitan. They ascribe to being intellectual yet love a Regina believes this is due to her push to automate teams to innovate and working capital. To help her team good gossip rag and read fashion magazines and newspapers like Vogue and The Sydney Morning most of the group’s financial operations. She now wants to tackle the group’s financial collaboration - by think outside the box, especially during periods when Herald. She pays more attention to trusted online circles and tends to purchase through private revenue growth is difficult. She wants to find a healthy channels, closed groups on Facebook or private WhatsApp groups. introducing collaboration and productivity tools to fit her balance between inspiring growth, creating (business) enterprise goals. She’s after a tool that can giver her a value, and keeping costs under control. A clear vision, deep understanding of her particular workplace’s strategy, and optimal collaboration between departments is She loves to view lifestyle, food and dining content online, uses social media to track what’s trending financial needs, insights and understanding with therefore deeply essential to her. and to share and discuss related content. She prefers the ease of use of social networks and is looking collective input from all her colleagues. She also looks a for the same features in her company's chosen corporate business collaboration platform. platform that boasts great ratings/reviews and industry FRUSTRATIONS standards to add value to her team. Rudimentary technology, lack of collaboration, lack of With a busy life to manage, Regina uses the internet but dislikes spending long hours online. She access to company data, applications, and resources from regularly visits online websites and LinkedIN to find out information and make informed decisions about PERSONALITY: anywhere on any device. • Strong willed the companies she partners with. • Ambitious HOW TO ENGAGE HER • Driven • Focus on communicating “the benefits” and results of She’s looking for a finance focused collaboration platform that reinforces the ease of working together your brand. Show that your collaboration aspect caters in teams and making smarter financial decisions, coupled with reviews and testimonials. She wants a TECHNOLOGY AND NETWORKING: for her business and growth needs. brand that can help her rethink her group’s financial transformation and revitalise the decision making • Facebook/Instagram/LinkedIN • Make sure that you’re targeting diverse customers - women, multicultural, etc. processes. • Mobile apps and The Internet brand : analysis brand : analysis These are the images of a modern business solutions company. Giant bland offices with row after row of staff members not talking to one another, delayed decision making, frustrated employees with low satisfaction rates, and an organization that has a very ineffective infrastructure for sharing and collaboration. It’s unappealing to most staff, especially the increasing majority of those being millennials who are digital natives and social by nature. Everything about Path by Simplex should be trying to change all that. Path by Simplex seems to be a well respected business collaboration platform provider with a strong offering. It’s current website is respectable, tidy but requires sharper messaging. The foundation of what it offers is powerful, but its message needs to shine through - more simply and powerfully. To win in 2021 means having an emphasis on minimalistic messaging layered on a strong sense of behavioral economics i.e. trying to make the business of collaboration as quick, fun and easy as ordering pizza. Why? Because: 1. Your marketplace demands it. They don’t have the time to sift through words and endless pages about your business benefits to find out what they really need to know. They want information handed to them simply, quickly and with no fuss. 2. Your marketplace expects it. The mobile era means smaller screens and a shorter viewer attention span than ever before. This has sparked the trend towards minimalist content and elements. While the full message of the site or web page remains robust designs have become far more streamlined, elegant and efficient. Designers are saying more with less, and users are rewarded with a more fluid browsing experience. 3. If you don’t, someone else will. The financial collaboration platform industry is ramping up and very soon, a player will break through with faster, simpler, cleaner and more convenient solution that markets its convenience, ease and high level of service. How do we distill the Path by Simplex essence into strong, cut-through and simple messaging? A true ‘North Purpose’ Path by Simplex needs a central purpose statement, a North Star, a thread that guides the brand into the future. This will allow the brand to remain true to Path by Simplex’ reason for being and set the company apart from its peers. A key value proposition The brand needs to find its place and value in the fintech collaboration space, with a view to introduce Path by Simplex to new customers while delighting the existing customer base. In doing so, the brand can deliver sustainable long-term value to its clientele. the : opportunities A clear positioning A strong positioning is paramount moving forward. Customers want to connect emotionally with any brand they spend their hard earned money on. The fact is that tech companies like Google, Facebook and Amazon are setting the standard for how people interact with the brands they love. To remain relevant and continue delivering a differentiating experience for customers, Path by Simplex has to be where they are: on the digital platforms where they are shopping, socialising and doing business. Path by Simplex needs to re-invent the ways the brand communicates and enhance their focus on message, content and storytelling. The website The website is the ultimate expression of the Path by Simplex brand, allowing customers globally to connect with all its aspects, from its features and offering, to its benefits. The layout, experience and customer journey (CX) has to be simple, engaging and straightforward. On social media, Path by Simplex needs to engage, entertain and interact through the use of dynamic posts, content and videos. The Path by Simplex Business collaboration USP could be enhanced further in the future with chatbots and apps. Simple messaging (that cuts through the noise) In 2021, simplicity is part of any good design. Someone with no prior experience should be able to navigate your website easily and sign up as quickly as they like. In 2021, best in class sites such as lemonade.com and ING.com border on 'too simple’ but then it becomes evident that this is what consumers want - a clutter free, fast moving, mobile-first experience. Given the millennial target demographic is maturing - soon to become the most powerful spenders and decision makers, a minimalistic, clean designed mobile first layout is particularly important in order to stay relevant. The imagery The brand needs to support a relatively strong image that is synonymous with its value proposition (versatility, function, purpose built, smart, interactive, social, informative, rewarding, empowering, modern edginess, seamless, appealing, etc). Emotive appeal The “customer” is now more financially literate than ever. The apathy that customers once had is reducing and customers are more prepared to vote with their feet. The appeal and quality of the brand should give consumers a great sense of confidence to make business collaboration solutions online because they see value in the offering and propositions. They should also feel more prepared to deal with online collaboration tools, enabled by technology. the : insights Path by Simplex needs to pay careful attention to their image, the experience they provide and the services they offer. They need strong messaging that makes its quality financial collaboration offering desirable to the consumers it is pitched to. However in positioning the Path by Simplex brand, it is imperative to ensure key messages and tone-of-voice are unique, relevant, strong and consistent, building recognition and desirability for the brand. A logo and tagline is not enough In its totality, branding Path by Simplex needs to be a comprehensive visual system composed of imagery, patterns, icons, topography, formats, stories, supporting graphics and even sounds that can help to build a stronger, compelling and relevant message. And the Path by Simplex team must manage this system consistently. Differentiation is key What makes it unique, special and a relevant proposition, thus creating cut-through and greater recognition? Whilst the use of digital collaboration solutions is growing, significant opportunity exists to increase and optimise their use. Transitioning from email/calls and face to face towards a greater usage for business collaboration represents a significant opportunity for Path by Simplex. Act and think global All brand identity and all related promotional activities must appeal across cultural, religious and ethnic groups. It’s not just enough to have good ideas Fintech brands live and die with the products and increasingly, the experiences they can offer offline as well as online - and Path by Simplex needs to match and exceed the growing focus on streamlined digital and technological services. It’s all about meaning Path by Simplex’s positioning is how consumers will give meaning to your brand based on impressions, feelings and perceptions. The brand and its services will occupy a particular space in the consumers’ mind especially being an industry leader and pioneer. Selecting a positioning strategy and a brand purpose matched to the right target consumer is critical to long-term success. Path by Simplex therefore needs to focus on three key considerations in order to cement its brand positioning: - Appeal to B2B business owners, executives, CFOs, executives, finance controllers, etc. - Appeal to the overall fintech industry, key opinion leaders, media, bloggers, and their various subcultures. - Differentiate itself from competitors with a highly distinct, cut through offering. benchmarking : review “People. Need. Connection” Their Marketing Strategy https://jostle.me/ Their website Until 2019, Jostle's inbound marketing growth was 100% Design: Mostly clean, simple and the customer journey is Jostle’s messaging states that its ‘for leaders who truly care fuelled by inbound marketing. Jostle's recent top of the funnel succinct. about their people, and want them to feel a sense of belonging. growth came from creating content that answered their Messaging: Its messaging is also clear, simple, The website’s simple architecture lets users focus on customers' and prospects' questions.In the past year, the straightforward and to the point. connecting customers’ company culture, instead of wasting company has doubled its organic traffic using a pillar content Positioning: "A turnkey intranet solution that enables time trying to build an intranet.’ and topic cluster approach.At the heart of Jostle's strategy is connection" Jostle begun in a garage with a handful of passionate people co-creation - specifically, involving representatives of the sales For users, Jostle is a communication-based Intranet and its founder Brad Palmer and his leadership team aren't and marketing teams in the early brainstorms around content. solution that offers very quick set-up and simple ongoing typical. They’ve been through leadership adventures like In addition, they had a deliberate strategy of using the exact administration with little training required for users. The scaling culture, aligning teams, and rallying people to a words that customers use in their own marketing. pricing structure seems to be very reasonable compared common purpose and know how powerful and incredible it Overall, the company's approach to "co-creation," and working to other solutions. Users state that Jostle has perfect feels when every employee is engaged and connected. closely with the sales and customer success teams has helped balance of functions and features for organizations’ “Right from our start in Brad’s garage, we’ve been crafting a the marketing team create a strategy and content that needs. Onboarding is rated as smooth and the ongoing different kind of intranet. One that can help leaders with some consistently drives leads. support is very responsive. of their most demanding challenges.” Simplify employee communication https://www.simpplr.com/ Their Marketing Strategy Simppplr believes that intranet software should serve Their website as an aid to a great content strategy. Their focus is on The Simpplr website features an easy, UX friendly Simpplr states that it 'is purpose-built to help your layout. It’s media-rich and strikingly visual, and the UI is making sure that the content they’re producing is employees collaborate across departments and stay well thought-out, making it easy to use and navigate useful, relevant, and engaging. connected to the broader organization.’ the site. Their content strategy focuses on three main components: creation, publishing, and governance. Simpplr's intranet software is managed with clicks, not Out has had broad appeal with users saying that it code so users can manage the platform without IT. When creating content, they focus on making it useful, meets the needs of their businesses. It’s tailored for user roles and the design means users relevant, clearly written, and easily searchable. They also have have policies, guidelines, and a are not buried with information. They can also They also state that it’s the world’s personalise their intranet. Simpplr plays nice with the consistent cadence. They believe in setting up a easiest, enterprise-grade intranet software. Simpplr cloud and integrates with best-in-class cloud apps and federated ownership model across the organization is believes that employees always visit an intranet with aligns well with digital transformations. an integral part of governance and in aligning all a purpose - to find critical content - and they focus stakeholders and set up a core group in your on providing that and simplifying communication. governance committee in the beginning. ‘the heart of your hybrid workplace' Their marketing strategy thoughtfarmer.com One of the main reasons that Thoughtfarmer has maintained a 93% customer retention rate is the Their website ThoughtFarmer is a collaborative enterprise 2.0 software consistent implementation of client feedback that build Messaging: quick easy ladder up to the key benefits which combines traditional intranets with social features. It on improved productivity and adoption rates. Design: Clean and minimalistic. includes traditional intranet capabilities such as profiles, Their pricing is transactional. Its pay-as-you-go plan is Use and reviews: They have a visually friendly platform, commenting, news feeds and activity tracking with mobile the same as Stripe, adding a 2.9% + $.30 cent fee to it is rated as easy to use by reviewers and users can support and drag and drop image handling. every payment made through their platform. create new content easily and quyickly,. Their research indicated that the primary objective for There is also more than adequate information within the ThoughtFarmer is one of the more established social intranet buyers was a single source of findable, forum/community and they have capable customer intranet vendors on the market. It has evolved from a wiki accurate information, so they developed an service and support. platform into a more encompassed social intranet offering. architecture that placed content front-and-centre. Plus Based on the wiki, ThoughtFarmer “combines traditional they deepened the functionality of their architecture by According to users, the on-boarding process is intranet features — things like news, structured introducing elements that will enhance the usability of seamless, and staff are at hand to help answer content, search and an employee directory — with social intranet content such as dynamic org charts, digital questions and ensure the product customers receive is software features, like blogs, feeds, wikis and social asset management tools, and integrations to industry- the one promised. networks.” leading collaboration, storage, and security tools. A better way of communicating Their USP https://try.joinblink.com/ Blink strongly markets itself with PR and strategic Their website relationships, reviews and also messaging that ensures Messaging: Their proof points are delivered in simple Blink integrates with the apps and services organizations it is seen as ‘the single ‘super-app’ for work AKA a straightforward bullet points, they use reviews to get and team already use every day. Information flows into the Digital Workplace in one app. Their simple approach to their message across, stream of the feed so everyone can see it — or act on it — bots and micro-apps makes their approach easy and Their branding is minimalistic and clean. inside Blink. Blink adds a layer of efficiency to enterprise fast to build digital-first experiences. Blink also boasts Their strength suit is their micro-apps that allow users powers like Salesforce, Netsuite and ServiceNow by a central user directory that makes it the first to do a variety of tasks from digitizing payslips and providing companies a suite of features that includes a workplace-messaging app that can truly replace SMS existing forms using your existing tools or with their messaging app, robust search engine, smart bot or email. Users can connect to their entire professional form builder. Users can share video across the entire assistants, and micro-apps. By consolidating the myriad of contact list in one place, inside or outside of their app, feed, chats and hub. tools and technology into one connected system, Blink company. They also have an amazing compliance With over 1,500 Integrations, Blink works with most of looks to modernize enterprise software by making the stack with a beautiful interface, that’s real-time, and the services companies already use. technology in the workplace technology as turnkey and powerful for searching, setting up pro-active alerts, and seamless as your technology at home. self-governance. Their USP firms move faster Liscio positions itself as a company that understands the financial pain of business owners and leaders. They state that they are a collective of seasoned CPAs, innovative engineers, Their website https://liscio.me/ and passionate sales and support professionals, all dedicated Messaging: Although leading with a negative statement to making the life of a business owner and their clients’ lives ‘Tired of chasing clients for documents? Don’t blame Liscio is a modern, secure, invitation-only solution for firms easier. They claim to be always thinking about new and better them, blame your systems”, the rest of the site has to communicate with clients and exchange sensitive ways to help founders achieve goals, and therefore designed strong proof points and benefits. information, eSignatures, and documents on the go. Liscio to meet their needs today and to anticipate them tomorrow. Users state that Liscio is like a company's white-glove The stated vision for Lisco is to ‘become the new standard service extension, a partner in security/document in client communication and collaboration. (So that) their Their marketing focus is strongly focused on thought leadership management/client messaging. They offer consistent clients become a proactive, future-proof, modern firm. and utilising key opinion leadership to drive their message support and deliver an astounding product and service home. that clients appreciate including security, mobile They focus strongly on practice management but they don’t texting notifications, messaging, and document have the deeper insights available from a data mash They also have a heavy SEO/SEM focus with their Google page signing/storage, all at your fingertips. Integrations to capability or integrations with apps like Quickbooks. optimised and a search of their firm name autofilling their google drive, zoom, and others work well too. website address. messaging : development communication : goal We need to develop a value proposition that cuts through the noise. What the right proposition needs to achieve: • An emotional positioning in a functionally led category • Bold, to cut through the noise • Links function with payoff • Helps to guide tangible proof points in power claims to weave into the brand’s comms. interrogating competitor claims People. Need. Connection. Simplify employee communication ‘the heart of your hybrid workplace' The rationale: Why do people need connection? Why do businesses need to simplify communication and to ensure productivity at the heart of a hybrid workplace? Why? Because it leads to collaboration which has the power to spark innovation in the workplace because everyone brings a unique set of knowledge and skills to the table. Working together and embracing these differences gives birth to new ideas through the blending of unique viewpoints. Therefore, the opportunity here lies with linking collaboration to what’s in it for enterprises i.e. how collaboration, especially from a finance perspective, sparks innovation, which leads to growth and profits. where the opportunity lies People. Need. Connection. Simplify employee communication ‘the heart of your hybrid workplace' ‘smarter collaboration, smarter innovation’ This emotive, bold statement hearkens to the fact that Path by Simplex is the faster, easier and smarter (agile) way to collaborate, communicate and connect leading to maximized innovation, led by collective financial insights. communication : opportunity To win, the ‘‘smarter collaboration, smarter innovation’’ element of Path by Simplex’s offering, needs to be tangibly proven. This requires a strong explanation of function and benefit. brand : messaging Strengthen Path by Simplex’ positioning - “smarter collaboration, smarter innovation” via: KEY FUNCTIONAL MESSAGE: Most key business decisions that impact innovation and growth hinge on collective financial insights and collaboration. Path by Simplex is a first ever financial collaboration platform that is everything your team needs to get faster, smarter and more agile at innovating and growing your business. Path by Simplex empowers leaders and staff to maximize innovation by enabling: Smarter Communication Smarter Collaboration Smarter Innovation Path is a virtual gathering place that empowers Path more than just a communication and Path enables agile connections to a smarter communication, which in turn enables productivity app; it's the integrated source of truth comprehensive suite of secure, collaborative staff to share with openness and trust, while for all things financial in your business. It helps tools — enabling real-time productivity to harnessing the power of engagement, creating a break down barriers and pain points relating to empower innovation: it’s simply the best collaborative and innovative workplace staffed by finance, leading to highly productive integrated source of truth to collaborate faster, employees and advisors who operate at a high conversations, discussions and collaboration to smarter and simpler. Leading to organizations that level of satisfaction - while driving the exponential help efficiently manage and inspire staff and defy boundaries and innovate rapidly; tackling growth of your business. projects that unleash transformation. issues in new and exciting ways. north : purpose A True North Brand Purpose The reason for being The following is the proposed true north brand purpose and emotive appeal for Path by Simplex: At the heart of all the Path by Simplex does is a commitment to helping leaders and employees collaborate to make strategic decisions faster, easier and smarter, making organizations more agile while removing barriers to growth and innovation. brand : personality Path by Simplex’s brand personality, tone of voice and style attributes: The brand embodies: Freedom, ease, seamlessness. Relevance, speed, scale, growth Quality service, connections, communication, innovation Delivered by cutting edge technology The Path by Simplex brand is smart, clever, unexpected. It makes people feel that true business transformation and innovation is possible on a streamlined, frictionless business collaboration platform. It invites everyone, and every business, to experience financially led transformation. It’s also inclusive, bold and cut through. When writing for the brand, think what's the twist or the unexpected angle you can add here. Don't take it all too seriously, we never do. Do not → Be overly functional and serious. → Quick wit is not the same as punny or cheesy. the : tagline 01 A tagline that directly reflects the positioning: Maximize your innovation with smarter collaboration 02 - A simple, straightforward positioning Innovate with smart collaboration 03 - A more sedate yet still powerful tagline which pushes the value add Easier, faster, smarter business collaboration and innovation OR Make your collaboration easier, faster, smarter and more innovative. OR (even simpler) Communicate. Collaborate. Innovate. 04 - A tagline aligned to the business name The best PATH to transformation and innovation communications : strategy website : design Design: The approach taken uses expansive white space which immediately leads the eye to the hot orange button: Start for Free. The eye can’t help but be drawn to it. Not only does the color stand out against a monochromatic background, but the CTA incorporates a central curiosity every visitor has, while also being a very low-level commitment as a next step, why wouldn’t I at least want to start now - or find out how? The strategic use of color and minimalist design, is about driving users to take the very action most likely to lead to conversion. When users click on the ‘Start for Free' button, they are immediately funnelled into sign up page. This simplicity means that users don’t have to hunt around to subscribe or get a quote. It's recommended that you include link to watch a short video to demystify how Path by Simplex works. In a 30-second video, users should see how Path by Simplex helps businesses collaborate more seamlessly for innovation, growth and scaling up. Above the fold The language proposed is friendly, approachable, and contemporary. It also expresses a common feeling: we’re with you and we’ve got your back when it comes to simplifying your business collaboration - and helping make your business innovate. The copy above the fold sums up very simply what Path by Simplex actually does. This language conveys that Path by Simplex is with the customer and has provided a frictionless sign-up process to prove it. Besides simple, easy-to-understand messaging, the navigation has been stripped to its essential elements. There are only four main navigation items, Home being one of them. This cuts down on distractions, making for a simpler conversion funnel. It’s also good for users, who may be confused with too many choices. Studies show that users can most easily process seven or fewer navigation items. More than that, and you may overwhelm them. It’s strongly suggested you add a link to TrustPilot, g2.com or similar reviews - so people can see for themselves what other users have to say independently. Please note people trust reviews these days more than testimonials especially for a fintech company, as these are seen to be independent and unbiased. Below the fold Each section below the fold sums up the most important elements of the service in very clear and succinct ways. The first being the brand pillars and clear benefits of the offering. The copy explains what that means in a bit more detail, and there should be a link to the ‘Why Path By Simplex’ page OR a link to another video should they want to know more. There also needs to be a graphic (optional) of how easy Path by Simplex is to use on mobile - very key because many people increasingly prefer mobile to manage their businesses on the go. If there is an app in development or available now, there should be reference to this as an option for enterprise users. There should also be a link or badges to advertise the platform’s security features and give assurance to users e.g. AWS hosting and Guard Duty to protect the integrity of the data. Then it’s suggested that you include links for any press coverage or reviews to fintech media to further push the credibility of the service - similar to the client portfolio logos on the current site. Heed the Need for Speed: More than half of website visits will be abandoned if a site takes more than three seconds to load. Track your site’s speed performance using PageSpeed Insights, Prioritize visible content powered by Lighthouse. For mobile, also Above-the-fold space is at a premium either on determine if technology, such as Accelerated desktop or on mobile devices, making it critical Mobile Pages or Progressive Web Apps, might to feature only what is most important to the further improve your site’s performance. user. Reduce navigation links and nontransactional elements that can be distracting to the user. On search results pages, show enough examples to indicate a breadth of Present a prominent call to action options without cluttering the page. The action a user should take must be obvious on With customers so used to omni channel a landing page. The persona insights and further marketing and platform access, people expect UX research can help identify what your audience to see how the solution can work on all expect to do when arriving on your site. Once platforms especially on mobile. you’ve established a clear call to action, use contrasting colors and fonts for high-visibility and large, easy-to-tap buttons. And ensure there is no latency in advancing the user to the next page in the flow. For key CTAs, like “Start for free” or “Talk Offer a clear value proposition to us,” consider displaying the action button more A landing page should demonstrate how the than once or implementing an always-present or product solves a customer problem, delivers floating CTA. benefits, or is better than its competition. And it should immediately reassure the user that they came to the right place. A good value proposition uses customer-oriented language that answers the question, “Why should I sign up with Path by Simplex?” Show and tell If you can show and tell them just how easy Path by Simplex is and how it can contribute to their end goal - growth, innovation, profit margins, etc, you’ll help grow confidence in your CX : journey business claims. Smarter collaboration that leads to innovation Most key business decisions that impact innovation and growth hinge on collective financial insights and collaboration. Path is a first ever financial collaboration platform that is everything your team needs to get faster, smarter and more agile at innovating and growing your business.
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