When Dallas, Texas-based TAS Environmental Services acquired Houston-based Specialized Waste Systems, its business goals were clear: Expand reach and increase profits. Specialized, a B2B provider of hazardous waste disposal and industrial cleaning services, had an existing customer base. TAS saw the opportunity for growth on the Gulf Coast and the challenge — clients of Specialized would need to be introduced to a new brand, as would the Houston marketplace.
TAS teamed with Howerton+White to align the brands, promote a clarified value proposition that would set it apart from competitors in the Houston area, and develop an account-based marketing strategy to support its sales team.
Data-driven Marketing
We started by studying the market, seeking opportunities for differentiation for Specialized, which was not the only environmental waste solutions company in the Greater Houston area. Industry research, competitor analysis, customer research, and a social media audit yielded leverageable insights. Those insights guided us as we moved forward with the TAS team, collaborating every step of the way on an ABM strategy that leveraged media, marketing, and sales to capitalize on identified opportunities for a successful marketing strategy.
Brand Alignment and Integration
An early step for TAS was to align its new acquisition with its existing branding. Our visual and voice brand expression teams refined the look and language of Specialized so it was clearly part of the TAS offering. Brand guidelines outlined key messages that highlighted the benefits of the company’s products and services, as well as key audiences (personas) to target and how to talk to them. These brand elements were integrated into a new website, advertising assets, collateral, and sales support content, such as letters, emails, and presentation decks, to support the established ABM plan. This layered approach featuring a consistent look and messaging would help promote overall awareness.
Campaign Setup and Monitoring
Keyword research was an integral part of the strategy to position Specialized in the marketplace and place them in front of potential customers by activating unique advertising channels. Targeted, keyword-rich copy and headlines were deployed in display and retargeting ads across all social media channels, A/B tested and further optimized, and then monitored for performance. We crafted buyer personas to inform optimized content, out-of-home campaigns, fleet graphics, direct mail, and other marketing materials. Results were shared regularly, providing the Specialized team with the information needed to monitor their specified Key Performance Indicators.
Sales and Marketing Efforts
Data-driven insights helped Specialized select key accounts aligned with their strengths and the specific decision-makers within those accounts they needed to reach. That is key to a successful ABM sales strategy — it’s not about casting a wide net but using customer data to tailor marketing efforts to high-value accounts. We worked with the Specialized sales team to personalize content (emails, letters) that would speak to specific audiences, including C-suite, procurement, and project specialists.
That content became part of an ongoing conversation with clients, an engagement strategy at the heart of a successful ABM strategy and central to how we operate at Howerton+White. Here’s why: In today’s business-to-business marketing, it is not enough to be an expert or offer an outstanding product or service; you must understand your client’s business goals and objectives and be able to address their pain points. You can only do that by engaging with them and listening.
