ImagineSoftware - Markets are Changing, So is Marketing
Medhealth Outlook: CMO of the Year Feature
When it comes to the marketing section of any industry, the challenges existing in this space are numerous. The complex processes, aligning with the client requirements, and making customer engagement better are some of them. Especially in the healthcare sector, as they have been navigating a pandemic for the past year and a half, the challenges marketing teams face while entering the pandemic are multi-faceted. Starting with how marketing teams communicate with customers to in-person events, everything changed then it was before. Most organizations pivoted their communications which lead to the oversaturation of inboxes, social media expanded even further, and virtual events became a reality.
As the market and buying patterns changed, marketing teams had to become more effective in building genuine connections with clients and prospects. It has never been more important to highlight and elevate values as a company. Marketing experts like Ben Buchanan, CMO, ImagineSoftware are investing their time and efforts to overcome these challenges while trying to align with the changing marketing trends. “All-to-often when we think about organizations that make significant leaps, we gravitate to their ability to innovate or come up with the “big idea. Whether it’s building a brand presence in a new vertical or nurturing a lead through the pipeline, the messaging used and the communication of those messages to clients and prospects must be considered. Our team has been laser-focused on highlighting things that truly matter to our customers and aligning this to the key features and solutions that impact those desires,” begins Buchanan.
Buchanan’s background in business and healthcare is diverse. However, many of the roles he’s held up to this point have been in product management/development or focused on client relationship management. “That background allows a couple of things: I’m a data-driven person. Product management spends a good bit of time surveying the market and building a business case for features or solutions. I think this skill set helped navigate the challenges that we were facing as a team. We took a hard look at the tactics and data behind our existing efforts by cutting in certain areas (events) and investing heavily in others (digital marketing). As we started to see results on the digital front, we continued to expand our efforts,” explains Buchanan.
According to him, having a product background also allowed Buchanan’s team to have a crisper product message in the marketplace which helped them cut through the clutter that clients and prospects were getting in their inboxes due to the growing pandemic situation. In addition to marketing, Buchanan also manages product development for ImagineSoftware where he tends to wear more of an engineering hat, unlike his creative hat in marketing. Buchanan adds, “Given our organizational goals, we have strengthened our messaging and positioning in the marketplace by balancing both. ImagineSoftware has one of the best products in the industry and we have proven this with our clients repetitively.”
The team’s aspiration to drive ImageSoftware to success begins and ends with staying focused and diligent on the messaging that matters. For ImagineSoftware, the two key messages are: “we have the best people” and “we have the best product.” “That is the lens that all of the company’s messaging flows. Highlighting our talent elevates the values we stand for and how we genuinely partner with customers to be successful. Yes, we are a technology solution for our clients, but we want to be more than technology. We want to be a chosen partner that they can rely on.”
According to Buchanan, “We’ve done a tremendous job revamping our communication strategy, pivoting to a more digital-first marketing strategy, and focusing on areas/messaging that resonates. We’ll continue to expand and evolve with those tactics, using a “think inside the box mentality.” Getting the small things right consistently allows us the opportunity to take calculated risks in other areas to drive watershed success. So often in business, we can be reactive to the marketplace, but when you have long term plan and vision that you stay attached to, it encourages the ability to be nimble without completely altering your strategy.”
He concludes “I think I’m considered for this honor because of the team we’ve created in marketing at ImagineSoftware. I have the pleasure of leading some of the hardest working, humble, and collaborative teammates that I have ever been around in my career.”
