How We Launched a Tech Startup: B2B Marketing Case Study

Using fundamental tools that still deliver impressive results

SoftLi is a technology startup specializing in Manufacturing Execution System (MES) software. This MES solution offers real-time monitoring of production efficiency 24/7. Our primary audience includes manufacturing companies, specifically their technology and production directors. Our approach is purely B2B.

Objective

Enhance local brand visibility for SoftLi and position the brand as the first choice for production directors.

Background

Achieving brand visibility is a marathon, not a sprint. We understood the importance of consistent and sustained engagement with our target audience, not just during promotional campaigns, but beyond.

Team

Lukáš Slovák (SoftLi), Martin Kůra, Lipo.ink, and partners

Strategy

Given the niche target audience of production directors and the location-centric nature of our marketing, we opted for an exclusive Brunch event themed around ‘Digitization of Production’ – a subject not only in vogue but also deeply relevant to SoftLi’s MES offering.

This was an invite-only event. We sourced our contacts primarily from LinkedIn profiles of production directors and from our partners’ databases. Initially, we had a database of 162 contacts from 69 companies. Key success factors included:

• Multi-channel Engagement: Leveraging both LinkedIn and email, targeting multiple stakeholders within a single company.
• Regular Follow-ups: Maintaining frequent communication, updating on event speakers, partners, and logistics.
• Partner Credibility: Collaborating with Lipo.ink and the Liberec District Chamber of Commerce to boost event credibility.
• Branding Consistency: Harmonizing all materials with a consistent style and tagline: “Deploy a Manufacturing Execution System in under 24 hours.”

Execution

• Efficient Communication: Utilized a tried-and-true communication template to monitor and manage participant status.
• Detail-oriented Reporting: Prioritized meticulous proofing of all communications to ensure clarity and professionalism.
• Direct Emailing: Leveraging standard email clients for a more personalized touch, eschewing typical marketing platforms like MailChimp.
• Simplified LinkedIn Outreach: Using basic LinkedIn accounts, we managed to connect with our entire target list within a week.
• Unified Branding: To achieve memorable branding, design consistency was a top priority. We reworked our original tagline to address a key pain point in the industry: the extensive integration periods typical of many MES solutions. The resulting tagline emphasized SoftLi’s expedited integration capabilities and its user-friendly nature.1

Event Highlights

• Offered a special one-month free trial of MES SoftLi.
• Demonstrated the software’s capabilities in real-world production scenarios.
• Hosted lectures on the digital transformation of manufacturing.

Results

Two months post-event, SoftLi secured two customers and had 12 promising leads in the pipeline. 32 individuals from 19 companies registered for the event, demonstrating a significant interest rate.