Client Reference : Appstation
We've been working with Appstation, the makers of Motivity Workforce Software for a number of years. Here they talk candidly about their experience of working with tectales ...
Appstation say 'Tectales aren't churning out cans of beans called case studies'
Appstation is a leading provider of mobile workforce management solutions in the UK. The company’s flagship product, Motivity, is a software based business tool for services and field maintenance companies. The ‘workforce’ app enables a field force to receive jobs and complete electronic job sheets using a mobile device, providing significant business and operational benefits.
Tectales spoke with the company’s Directors, John Moroz and Simon Gellion about their business and their marketing challenges.
When John Moroz joined the business in 2006, mobile workforce apps were a new concept he says, appealing to ‘early-adopter’ digitally-aware organisations. Since then, mobile and cloud-based applications have gone mainstream, with a diverse range of service organisations adopting the technology to manage their field operations. The company’s challenge was attracting and engaging new field force organisations who’d benefit from their mobile workforce app.
Replicate recommendations
Because Appstation gets much of their business via recommendation they decided to commission a series of case studies demonstrating that they’re an established company with a wide range of customers who have good stories to tell, says John Moroz, “We wanted something that replicated those recommendations. I feel case studies do that, particularly if they come across as open, honest and candid.”
They also wanted to reassure prospects that similar services businesses were benefiting from using the technology, “People want reassurance and case studies give them that reassurance.”
"We started looking for new suppliers and asked peers and colleagues if they knew anyone,
which is how we found Tectales. We did one or two case studies as a trial and were very happy with those.
They hit the spot! It was a ‘Yes, this is what we were looking for!’ moment.”
Understand their business
John says it’s refreshing working with a marketer who understands what they do and want to achieve.
“We had several goes over the years, but it never worked for us because people didn’t take time to understand us. Everyone else we worked with, apart from Tectales, did case studies as a formula – problem, solution, outcome, whatever – and filled it with bland words. It came across as formulaic and insincere. They didn’t take much time and trouble interviewing our customers either. Some were not expensive, but then you get what you pay for.”
Simon Gellion adds that Tectales “..gets what we were trying to do, get the business and audience we want to reach. Not just the companies, but the individual people who’d benefit from Motivity.”
A truly bespoke service
Appstation found it hard to define what they were looking for from a case study, says John, as most he’d seen before were disappointing, didn’t ‘hit the spot’ or were boring. “I knew I wanted something that told our story in an open candid style. When I saw it – that was it – that was what we wanted. I’d not seen anything like it elsewhere. Going forward, all we want is more of the same.”
John feels that Tectales “.. isn’t churning out cans of beans called case studies. What’s different is that personal in-depth approach. It is a truly bespoke service. We feel very comfortable working with Tectales. We get a professional job done, but with a personal touch.’"
The customer approach is what makes a difference in getting information out of customers, adds Simon. “Tectales has a nice relaxed style. Customers don’t feel under any pressure, and they are happy to talk. It has worked well from all aspects. Tectales is persistent with customers who are difficult to track down or slow in responding, but gets there in a nice way.”
Getting genuine views
The case studies provide insight into the diversity of the product applications and benefits their customers derive from using Motivity. “We’re talking to people and getting their genuine views. If you read the case studies, they are all different. Some almost appear contradictory, but that doesn’t matter because they are people’s genuine opinions, and the people reading the case studies have different views as well.”
Just know it makes a difference
It is difficult to truly measure the effectiveness of the case studies says John, “We don’t know exactly what triggers new leads on our website. All our leads come from our website. Whether the case studies have an influence on that, I don’t know. Intuitively, it must make a difference. We just believe that it works.”
Much of Appstation’s business still comes from recommendation, however for those searching on the internet, the case studies on motivitymobile.com
have become ‘digital recommendations’ of their business.
Unexpectedly different
What surprised them is how different each of the case studies are. John remarks, “I was expecting the message to be more central and the case studies to be similar. But, it is a much broader spectrum. Some people will read them and think ‘there are mixed messages here’, but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. People will find those that relate to their industry and are likely to find them more interesting than reading five or six of the same thing.”
Simon adds, “We now have case studies in a style we like, containing information we want to get across to people that we would not have been able to achieve ourselves. It is a great aide-memoire of how well we’ve done. You don’t always get this customer perspective unless you ask them. Also, doing this independently, you get a better sort of review.”
New web content too
Following on from the case study success, Tectales was commissioned to overhaul the Motivity website content, “This is our third or fourth reiteration of the website, but this one seems to be sticking and doing the job in terms of attracting people and getting good comments”.
The case studies and the website content and style all marries together, says Simon, “The messages on the website weren’t very clear before. People didn’t understand what we did, nor whether our product was for them. Now, the website tells a story that people can relate to and the case studies back up what we say we do – we do deliver!”