In 2011, Brite invested in its BriteStar Managed Services platform by building a state-of-the-art Network Operations Center featuring badged security, the latest network monitoring software and the hiring of additional staff to monitor customer networks remotely. The service offered 24×7 comprehensive IT support, off-loaded tactical support functions, patch management and secured customer networks from malicious software, viruses and attacks. By 2012, Brite refined its BriteStar offering with ancillary services: McAfee Endpoint Protection, McAfee Web and Email Protection, Email Archival and multi-year retention, software/hardware asset management, BriteMail Hosted Exchange, BriteVault+ Disaster Recovery and optional Computing as a Service (an equipment leasing program with desktop, laptops, servers and storage).
These new comprehensive product offerings were a unique bundle in the market and targeted small to mid-sized organizations. Brite needed to ensure the service hit the market effectively and with as much fan-fare as possible to not only increase the customer base, but solidify in the market its newly branded position as a hardware, services and security IT consulting company.
An integrated marketing campaign was the best approach. Brite needed to be able to create multiple brand touch points, customer facing materials and effective, descriptive communications to better explain such a comprehensive and complex product. The campaign needed to state the problem clearly, and then present the solution just as succinct. After much study and review, a plan was presented that would include print, digital and social marketing.
Brite needed to convey to small to mid-sized organizations that our service was cost efficient and did not reduce staff, but augmented them. They also needed to sell its value added services like email archival and disaster recovery that many organizations did not have the luxury of considering before.
The Computing as a Service program (which includes BriteStar services) gave smaller organizations the ability to have the latest and greatest hardware, remote desktop support and peace of mind network security without the large up-front costs.
To create a level of authenticity, Brite hired models, professional photographer Kurt Brownell and makeup artists to shoot all of the in-situation shots displayed in the brochure, website, advertising and blog. The advertising appeared in the Rochester Business Journal’s Daily Email Blast for five (5) weeks, as well as an email blast being sent to 10,000 subscribers. Brite also used the Rochester Business Association’s email dissemination services.
In a concerted effort with sales and operations, Brite has seen a year over year revenue growth of 43% in BriteStar Services for fiscal year 2012. New customer acquisition was 27%.
