Affirming Market Leadership
with Industry Awards:
A Winning Combination
Business Challenge
Initiate, an IBM Company (formerly Initiate Systems), is one of the leading developers of Master Data Management (MDM) software in the world. This was not a typical marketing claim; it was a declaration from industry analysts Gartner and Forrester regarding the Chicago-based company. Even with that accolade, however, the pace and quantity of competition means software companies can never receive too many industry acknowledgments. In addition to positive media mentions and analysts comments, industry awards have become increasingly popular ways for technology companies to differentiate themselves from the pack. In the Fall of 2009, Initiate Systems turned to Tech Image help them with their submission for the TechAmerica Innovators Award. Given annually to eight innovators representing several industry segments, the TechAmerica Innovator Award would extend Initiate’s string of third-party validation points, critical to tipping the scales in a competitive shoot-out
Background
MDM is used by healthcare, government and other data-intensive enterprises to find and organize related but disparate data to provide a single, trusted and complete version of critical data assets. Data is one of an enterprise’s most precious assets. The battle to help organizations manage and manipulate that data is fierce.
While not as large an operation as many of its competitors, Initiate has been able to distinguish itself though a sustained and successful thought-leadership program. Tech Image has been leading the Chicago-based company’s PR and outreach efforts since February 2007.
Solution
Initiate entered two of their resident technologists, Scott Schumacher and Scott Ellard, for the award. The two created Initiate’s proprietary probabilistic search technology, which delivers a consolidated, single view of data on one person, entity, organization or item with a high degree of confidence. Schumacher developed an algorithm that works intuitively, rather than processing information like a machine with predetermined rules. Ellard built a database index that works through experience rather than rote rules.
Award submissions for a category as broad as “software” are demanding to write as similar-sounding entries can cover a wide range of solutions. Recognizing this, Tech Image worked with the Initiate communications team to ensure the entry supplied compelling context up front, even to those not familiar with the MDM space. Enter Captain Jack Sparrow.
In typical enterprise environments it can be difficult to access all related data on a subject. Even if one is aware data exists, finding it can be a challenge. Those who are fans of The Pirates of the Caribbean films will recall that the Isla de Muerta did not appear on any standard map. In order to find it, one already had to know its location.
The technology that Schumacher and Ellard developed addressed this problem for users of Initiate’s solutions. The approach was a radical departure from typical search technologies. The award submission portrayed Schumacher and Ellard as swashbuckling pirates of search; interesting, innovative and visionary. It was just the sort of thing the judges would be looking for.
Read the award submission here.
Results
The most visible success of this campaign was, of course, the selection of Schumacher and Ellard as co-recipients of the award. However, there were follow-up benefits beyond the award.
“Tech Image uses a machine-like process and bull-dog determination to obtain media placements. It doesn’t hurt that they are smart and creative with content development. In addition to being an award winning agency, they have helped Initiate win numerous awards for our company, products and customers.”
—Maria Diecidue, Director of Corporate Communications, Initiate, an IBM Company
The sales staff sent the press release and links to media coverage to customers and prospects. Blog posts and tweets appeared. Leading industry analysts became interested, further validating the work of Initiate’s new award-winners.
Online articles from BeyeNetwork, a data-specific information network, to CNET News picked up on the story. In all, 34 positive exposure mentions appeared across 36 publications, news portals and Web sites, results that are far greater than those typical for an award-driven story. This recognition received by the award helped Initiate enhance its position as a thought leader, a critical element in the healthcare IT, government and Enterprise IT space.
In February 2010, IBM announced it had signed an agreement to acquire Initiate Systems.