Massachusetts Innovators in Sales & Marketing
Technologies
Technologies
By Patrick Rafter, Chief ValueCaster at Valuecasters and
Principal of Rafter Communications is a frequent contributor to the MassTLC
blog. Twitter: @prafter
Principal of Rafter Communications is a frequent contributor to the MassTLC
blog. Twitter: @prafter
Having been active in the MassTLC since its inception, I’ve
been fortunate to attend more than a dozen of the annual MassTLC Leadership
Awards galas. The 18th annual
Awards ceremony (on September 16, 2015) topped them all: great
turnout and a very upbeat mood among attendees, and the best crop of awards
finalists and winners to date!
been fortunate to attend more than a dozen of the annual MassTLC Leadership
Awards galas. The 18th annual
Awards ceremony (on September 16, 2015) topped them all: great
turnout and a very upbeat mood among attendees, and the best crop of awards
finalists and winners to date!
While the presentations of the coveted MassTLC 2015
Commonwealth Award and two Distinguished Leadership Awards at last week’s event
were inspiring, as someone who’s worked in tech marketing and communications
for three decades, I was especially interested in checking out who was in the
running for the Award for the category of Innovative
Technology of the Year – Sales & Marketing.
Commonwealth Award and two Distinguished Leadership Awards at last week’s event
were inspiring, as someone who’s worked in tech marketing and communications
for three decades, I was especially interested in checking out who was in the
running for the Award for the category of Innovative
Technology of the Year – Sales & Marketing.
Sales and marketing leaders featured prominently during last year’s (2014), Awards with HubSpot tapped as Private Company of
Year, Acquia’s Dries Buytaert: Top CTO, as well as Content Raven and Jebbit
taking home trophies.
Year, Acquia’s Dries Buytaert: Top CTO, as well as Content Raven and Jebbit
taking home trophies.
Five Massachusetts Sales & Marketing Innovators
(@acquia, @curata, @MavrckCo, @qstream, @visiblemeasures):
Five noteworthy and successful companies were finalists for the 2015
Sales & Marketing Innovation Award, including the winner: Mavrck.
Sales & Marketing Innovation Award, including the winner: Mavrck.
Here’s my take on the five companies selected as 2015 Awards finalists
(in alphabetical order), with observations on how these sales & marketing
companies market themselves, their respective offerings, and resources each
offer through their websites for prospects and other interested parties:
(in alphabetical order), with observations on how these sales & marketing
companies market themselves, their respective offerings, and resources each
offer through their websites for prospects and other interested parties:
Acquia for ContextDB
www.acquia.com Twitter: @acquia
Burlington, MA-based Acquia is a
software-as-a-service company co-founded by Dries Buytaert and Jay Batson to
provide enterprise products, services, and technical support for its widely
used open-source web content management platform Drupal.
software-as-a-service company co-founded by Dries Buytaert and Jay Batson to
provide enterprise products, services, and technical support for its widely
used open-source web content management platform Drupal.
Since its founding in 2007, Acquia has grown to
become a global leader in content management with 4,000+ enterprise customers,
an expansive product line and “thumbs up” reviews from industry analysts like
Gartner who rated Acquia a “Leader” in its 2015 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Web Content
Management (for the second consecutive year). Describing itself as
“the digital experience company,” Acquia’s momentum in delivering products and
platforms to manage content, community, commerce and content” is formidable,
fueled by 7 rounds of funding from 10 investors including Mass-based North
Bridge Venture Partners.
become a global leader in content management with 4,000+ enterprise customers,
an expansive product line and “thumbs up” reviews from industry analysts like
Gartner who rated Acquia a “Leader” in its 2015 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Web Content
Management (for the second consecutive year). Describing itself as
“the digital experience company,” Acquia’s momentum in delivering products and
platforms to manage content, community, commerce and content” is formidable,
fueled by 7 rounds of funding from 10 investors including Mass-based North
Bridge Venture Partners.
Acquia’s website offers LOTS of Resources including data sheets, white papers, analyst briefs, and archived
webinars.
webinars.
Curata for Curata CMP Content Marketing Platform
http://www.curata.com Twitter: @curata
With offices in Boston and
Cambridge, Curata provides solutions to create, organize and share content, and
measure the impact of content marketing strategies. Curata’s value
proposition (enabling marketers,” for the first time, to harness the power of
content creation, curation, and analytics to yield a predictable and more
successful stream of content,) is delivered through 2 complimentary offerings:
Curata CMP (content marketing platform) and Curata CCS (content curation
software).
Cambridge, Curata provides solutions to create, organize and share content, and
measure the impact of content marketing strategies. Curata’s value
proposition (enabling marketers,” for the first time, to harness the power of
content creation, curation, and analytics to yield a predictable and more
successful stream of content,) is delivered through 2 complimentary offerings:
Curata CMP (content marketing platform) and Curata CCS (content curation
software).
Named by Gartner
as a 2015 “Cool Vendor for Content Marketing,” Curata has
built an impressive
customer base, with both B2B and B2C clients, and small/medium to large
enterprises across a broad spectrum of market sectors.
as a 2015 “Cool Vendor for Content Marketing,” Curata has
built an impressive
customer base, with both B2B and B2C clients, and small/medium to large
enterprises across a broad spectrum of market sectors.
Among the collection of resources, visit its website to register to
download Curata’s eBook on THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO CONTENT MARKETING ANALYTICS & METRICS
download Curata’s eBook on THE COMPREHENSIVE GUIDE TO CONTENT MARKETING ANALYTICS & METRICS
Mavrck for Mavrck
http://www.mavrck.co Twitter: @MavrckCo (not to be confused with Bill Condo of Columbus, OH
nabbed the @mavrck Twitter handle back in 2008).
nabbed the @mavrck Twitter handle back in 2008).
Founded in 2012 by a group of
Northeastern alumni (including Chris Wolfel, Lyle Stevens, and Sean
Naegeli,) Mavrck is not only the winner of this year’s Award, its also the
youngest of the five contenders.
Northeastern alumni (including Chris Wolfel, Lyle Stevens, and Sean
Naegeli,) Mavrck is not only the winner of this year’s Award, its also the
youngest of the five contenders.
Given the skyrocketing reach and
use of social networks by consumers and businesses alike, Mavrck’s capability
to effectively monitor followers, identify micro-influencers, and then engage
customers on a human-to-human level, has savvy brand managers and advertisers
salivating.
use of social networks by consumers and businesses alike, Mavrck’s capability
to effectively monitor followers, identify micro-influencers, and then engage
customers on a human-to-human level, has savvy brand managers and advertisers
salivating.
From its digs in Boston’s North
End, the growing
Mavrck team is developing what it calls
“the most effective influence marketing platform for driving sales on
social networks.”
End, the growing
Mavrck team is developing what it calls
“the most effective influence marketing platform for driving sales on
social networks.”
In under 3 ½ years, this
fast-growing company has won the acceptance of major ad agencies, as well as
blue chip brands such as Hershey’s, P&G, Sears and Tom’s of Maine. Through its free Facebook Fan
Grader, Mavrck taps into millennials’ preference for word-of-mouth
endorsements, Mavrck is helping marketers to engage individuals through people
they trust who are fans of those brands.
fast-growing company has won the acceptance of major ad agencies, as well as
blue chip brands such as Hershey’s, P&G, Sears and Tom’s of Maine. Through its free Facebook Fan
Grader, Mavrck taps into millennials’ preference for word-of-mouth
endorsements, Mavrck is helping marketers to engage individuals through people
they trust who are fans of those brands.
Mavrck’s solutions for “influence marketing” address a major shift in how people decide to buy products and services with Nielsen estimating that 92% of consumers
trust recommendations from friends and family more than advertisements.
To learn more, register to download Mavrck’s
Qstream for Qstream
www.qstream.com Twitter: @qstream
Burlington, MA-based Qstream, whom Gartner, Forrester et. al. consider a radically new and powerful sales performance
platform is used
by leading brands in technology (Xerox, LinkedIn), financial services
(MasterCard), retail and consumer, medical devices and life sciences–
including 13 of the top 15 pharmaceutical companies, to improve the
effectiveness of their sales teams and manage risk.
platform is used
by leading brands in technology (Xerox, LinkedIn), financial services
(MasterCard), retail and consumer, medical devices and life sciences–
including 13 of the top 15 pharmaceutical companies, to improve the
effectiveness of their sales teams and manage risk.
Based on clinically-proven brain
science originally developed for students at Harvard Medical School,
Qstream helps sales teams to improve knowledge acquisition, long-term knowledge
retention, change behavior, and boost learners’ abilities to self-assess their
knowledge.
science originally developed for students at Harvard Medical School,
Qstream helps sales teams to improve knowledge acquisition, long-term knowledge
retention, change behavior, and boost learners’ abilities to self-assess their
knowledge.
Named a Gartner 2015 “Cool Vendor in CRM Sales,” Qstream enables
sales management to track and act upon crucial sales metrics, while
transparently accelerating the performance of individual sales people as well
as teams.
sales management to track and act upon crucial sales metrics, while
transparently accelerating the performance of individual sales people as well
as teams.
Companies who run salesforce.com for
CRM/sales/marketing operations, will be interested in Qstream’s recent
announcement of the “industry’s first
predictive sales capabilities engine for Salesforce.”
CRM/sales/marketing operations, will be interested in Qstream’s recent
announcement of the “industry’s first
predictive sales capabilities engine for Salesforce.”
The Resources section of the www.qstream.com website is
extensive: White papers and eBooks, videos & infographics, webcasts and
Slideshare decks, as well as PDF datasheets on Qstream use in all of its target
markets including “Qstream for High Tech Sales Teams and Channels.”
extensive: White papers and eBooks, videos & infographics, webcasts and
Slideshare decks, as well as PDF datasheets on Qstream use in all of its target
markets including “Qstream for High Tech Sales Teams and Channels.”
Visible Measures for True Reach
www.visiblemeasures.com Twitter: @Visiblemeasures.
Previously chosen by MassTLC as a
finalist for the 2012 Private Company of the Year Award, Boston-based Visible Measures describes itself as
“the leading content advertising company.”
finalist for the 2012 Private Company of the Year Award, Boston-based Visible Measures describes itself as
“the leading content advertising company.”
Founded in 2005, by serial
entrepreneur Brian Shin, Visible Measures has received $70.8M in eight funding
rounds, backed by leading VC partners including General Catalyst Partners, Mohr
Davidow Ventures, Northgate Capital, DAG Ventures, Advance Media / Conde Nast,
and Commonfund.
entrepreneur Brian Shin, Visible Measures has received $70.8M in eight funding
rounds, backed by leading VC partners including General Catalyst Partners, Mohr
Davidow Ventures, Northgate Capital, DAG Ventures, Advance Media / Conde Nast,
and Commonfund.
While other AdTech vendors also
share its view that “it all comes down to data,” Visible Meaures stands apart
as a provider of solutions that help internet video publishers and advertisers
to measure users’ video-content consumption. The sheer scale of Visible
Measures’ reach is awesome: as each day it monitors over 500 million videos and
it has studied consumer behavior of 3 trillion video views by 380
million consumers and counting!
share its view that “it all comes down to data,” Visible Meaures stands apart
as a provider of solutions that help internet video publishers and advertisers
to measure users’ video-content consumption. The sheer scale of Visible
Measures’ reach is awesome: as each day it monitors over 500 million videos and
it has studied consumer behavior of 3 trillion video views by 380
million consumers and counting!
Visible Measures
works with top advertisers and partners including
hundreds of global brands, agencies, trading desks, and publisher clients,
which include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestle, VivaKi and Conde Nast.
works with top advertisers and partners including
hundreds of global brands, agencies, trading desks, and publisher clients,
which include Procter & Gamble, Unilever, Nestle, VivaKi and Conde Nast.
Resources from the
“Insights” section of
the Visible Measures website include informative charts such as “Top 10 Brands in Video” as well as a steady stream of research, including periodic reports on “all that’s new” in branded video viewership, that the
company calls “The Vizzies.”
“Insights” section of
the Visible Measures website include informative charts such as “Top 10 Brands in Video” as well as a steady stream of research, including periodic reports on “all that’s new” in branded video viewership, that the
company calls “The Vizzies.”
Massachusetts Leadership in Sales &
Marketing Technology:
Marketing Technology:
Each
of these five Massachusetts-based companies have demonstrated true innovation
in sales and marketing technology.
of these five Massachusetts-based companies have demonstrated true innovation
in sales and marketing technology.
Just as Massachusetts was the crucible
of the American Revolution in the 18th century, birthplace to the
transformative Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, and home
to high technology pioneers of the 20th century—future historians
may judge 21st Century Boston as the epicenter for new Web-based
platforms that will significantly improve how companies connect and engage with
those that matter—individuals who’ll find their products and services of
value.
of the American Revolution in the 18th century, birthplace to the
transformative Industrial Revolution of the 19th century, and home
to high technology pioneers of the 20th century—future historians
may judge 21st Century Boston as the epicenter for new Web-based
platforms that will significantly improve how companies connect and engage with
those that matter—individuals who’ll find their products and services of
value.
I look forward to seeing what’s in
their product pipeline!
their product pipeline!
