Background

Panagon has traditionally offered enterprise software solutions and services to large companies. The company's leadership decided to extend these services to small and medium-sized businesses and start-ups. Management reasoned that if Panagon could leverage its vast knowledge of business, it could help smaller companies grow into large, lifetime clients.

Insight

Panagon's enormous prestige is tied to the quality of its people. Zinc Solutions recommended the creation of an online "sales engineer" who embodies the best of Panagon and delivers personalized business intelligence. The result: a low-cost online service where clients can ask pressing business questions in plain English - and be guaranteed a personalized answer within 48 hours.

Actions

Create a brand identity. In close cooperation with the Panagon project team, Zinc created an identity and central concept for the online-consulting practice. This is embodied in the character "Joe Portal," an animated consultant who represents all Panagon sales engineers. Joe Portal i s extremely knowledgeable, yet casual - effectively updating Panagons' image for this new customer base. Develop an e-business architecture. Zinc equipped Joe Portal with a public Web site to introduce and promote the service; a proprietary site for subscribers; and an intranet database that routes questions to the appropriate Panagon experts. Design Joe Portal collateral materials. Zinc designed and branded every aspect of the service, and promotional materials. Create e-business brand training. Joe Portal's responses are created by many consultants in several fields. We created comprehensive writing guides to ensure that they respond clearly and consistently to every question. Provide integrated advertising. Zinc created a complete online and offline marketing campaign in the business press.

Results

Joe Portal has come to define the entire category of online consulting services -- helping Panagon eSolutions enroll thousands of customers, and virtually own this new market.