This project was for an MBA course I am taking. I examined many aspects of OtterBox's customer relationship strategies including CRM, social media, retention, and acquisition.

1. OtterBoxCustomerRelationshipandManagement Strategies
By: John White
MBAK223

2. Table of Contents
Chapter 1: Executive Summary
Chapter 2: CRM Evaluation
Chapter 3: B2B Prospecting Strategies: Gas and Oil Industry
Chapter 4: Social Strategy
Chapter 5: Customer ExperienceandSatisfactionSurvey
Chapter 6: Marketing Metrics and Analytical Tracking
Chapter 7: Customer Loyalty and RetentionPlan
Chapter 8: Sales Forecast, Long TermGrowth, and Conclusion

3. Chapter 1: Executive Summary

4. EveryOtterBox customerhasa story abouthow theirtechnologyhasbeensavedbyanOtterBox
case.Mine came at the airportrightbefore a familyvacationtoCape Cod.Aswe were approaching
security,somehow ouriPadendedupontopof our stroller.Thensomeone (notme) bumpedthe
strollerandthe iPadwentcrashingdownto the floor.Directhit!However,withourOtterBox case
surroundingit,there wasabsolutelyzerodamage done. A brokeniPadwouldhave beenabadand
expensive waytostartoff our vacation.
OtterBox'ssuccessstoryisquite remarkable.Theyhave evolvedfromasmall startupintothe
global leadersinthe protectivecase industryformobiletechnology.Theircasesare hip,stylish,colorful,
customizable,andnearlyindestructible.OtterBox hasimplementedseveral veryeffective business
strategiesthathave separatedthemfromtheircompetition,enabledthemtogrow intoa global
organization,andwin accoladesfromthe likesof Forbes,Inc.Magazine,aswell asmanyothers. Inthis
essay,Iwill be discussingOtterBox’s customerrelationshipandmanagementplan. Additionally,Iwill be

5. makingsome suggestionsonhowtoenhance theirstrategiesandpositionthe companyforlongterm
growth.
Firstand foremost,OtterBox hasinnovatedfasterthantheircompetition.WhenIstartedinthe
wirelessindustrybackin2003, a cell phone case was nothingmore thana piece of syntheticleatherwith
a flimsyplasticclip.The leatherwouldripafterawhile andthe cheaplymade plasticclipswere
constantlybreaking.Today,OtterBox'stopof the line case,The ArmorSeries,iswaterproof,dust proof,
shockproof,and dropproof.It offersseveral layersof protectionproducedfromveryhighquality
materials.Quite simply,OtterBox hasearnedareputationforhavingthe bestcasesinthe world.Thisis
due to hiringcreative employeesthatembodythe innovative spirit.Theircompanyculture encourages
collaborationandteamwork.Hence the reasonthere isan espressoloungeinthe lobbyof theirHQin
Fort Collins,Colorado. The companyculture surroundinginnovationhaspaidhuge dividends.OtterBox
alwaysbeatstheircompetitiontomarketwiththe mostindemandproducts.
A few of the awards that OtterBox has won for
innovation and quality products.

6. OtterBox putsan emphasisonprovidingworldclasscustomerservice. JuiliannaGunter,
OtterBox'sGlobal SalesOperationsAnalyststates:
"We have service andsalesstaff dedicatedtounderstandingourcustomersandare always
identifyingwaystoexceedtheirexpectations.We thinkthatgreatservice iswhatsetsus apart
and givesourcurrentcustomersthe desire toworkwithus againand referusto theirfriends.
Thisteam isthe internal-facingdriversof Voice of Customerwhichhelpsthe businessquickly
alignto customerexpectations.”
As part of my researchforthisproject,I put outmy ownOtterBox customersatisfactionsurvey
viaSurveyMonkeyto myfollowersonLinkedIn,Facebook,Twitter,andGoogle+. The question
regardingthe experience withOtterBox'scustomerservice yielded75% of the respondentsstatingtheir
experience wasexcellentandthe remaining25% saidit wasgood.None of the respondentsreportedan
average or poorexperience. More onthislater.
OtterBox doesa superbjobof utilizingdigital marketing. Theypostveryintriguingcontentthat
keepstheircustomersconstantlyengagedwiththeirbrand. The message theyputoutto theirfollowers
on social mediaistotake yourtechnologyoutintothe worldwithyouwhereverlife takesyou. Don'tbe
afraidto breakit. Withan OtterBox youcan take your devicesanywhere.Theypostbeautifulpictures
withtheircustomersdoingamazingthingswiththeirmobiletechnologyin tote.Inadditiontoputting
out engagingcontent,OtterBox usessocial mediaasa customerservice tool sothat theircustomerscan
expresstheirwantsinregardstonewproducts,askquestions,getupdatesonorders,andreceive
support. The close engagementandresponsivenesstotheirfollowersonsocial mediagivestheir
customerbase the feelingthattheyare a part of the brandand helpsbuildrelationshipsthatfoster
repeatbusiness. Ipersonallylike theirYouTube channel. Itshowstheircases inaction.My favorite
videohasto be the one where a fewguystake theiriPhone kayaking. The iPhone isprotectedbyan

7. OtterBox ArmorSeriescase.The videoshowsthemrunningoveritwiththeirSUV as well astakingit
downa waterfall!
OtterBox identifiestheirtargetmarketas,"klutzytechuserseverywhere."Thisisbrilliant.They
have createda product that sellsverywellinbothB2B andB2C. In today'sworldeveryone ownsa
couple mobile devicesorinmy case four or five. OtterBox'sproducts appeal toaverywide range of
consumers. Beingable tosell tobothbusinessesandconsumersisahuge advantage. Many companies
have a narrow targetmarketor niche product,whichmakesitdifficulttosell enoughof themtobe
profitable.

8. Chapter 2: CRM Evaluation

9. OtterBox iscurrentlyusingSugaras theircompanyCRMapplication. Sugarprovidesthemwith
the abilitytomanage theirmanyvendorrelationshipsthroughoutthe worldincludingwirelesscarriers,
bigbox chains,and momand pop stores. Additionally,ithelpsthem keeptheirsalesteamsinsyncwith
supportand marketing. Withsomanyglobal and domestictravelerstheyutilizethe mobileversionof
Sugar so that recordscan be updatedwhile theiremployeesare traveling. OtterBox hasalarge
presence onsocial media,andtheyneedaCRMthat tiessales,marketing,support,andfeedback
together. The belowinfographicdescribessocial CRM,andisa good representationof how OtterBox
utilizestheirCRM.
(conversity.be,2013)
In myopinion,the biggestsingle strengthwithSugaristhatit isopensource. It is the most
flexible andcustomizableCRMinthe marketplace. Thisprovidesthe abilityforcompaniestocustomize
the applicationfortheirspecificuse andneeds. Sugarusersare able to create dashboards that serve a
specificfunctionfortheirworkflow needs. Everycompanyhasa slightlydifferentworkflow process.The

10. abilitytostreamline theirCRMwiththeirprocessesmakesitaseamlessapplicationthatintegrateswell
withthe othermissioncritical applicationsthatthe companyutilizestomaintainproductivityand
efficiencywithintheirorganization. Opensource givesthe opportunityformore developerstobe able
to contribute,andgreaterlevelsof innovation.(crmsearch.com, 2014)
Additionally,Sugarworkswell withvariouscloudplatforms. WhenacompanyswitchestoSugar
froma competitorCRMsystemtheyhave the flexibilitytocontinue usingthe cloudservicetheyused
previouslywithoutthe hassleof havingtochange theirdatabase systems. Thismakesforamuch
smootherlessexpensivetransition. Italsogivesthemthe choice tomake an upgrade to a superior
cloudservice whenone becomesavailable. OtherCRM’sare limitedintheirchoice of compatible cloud
services. Systemintegrationisanattractive feature formanycompaniesthatchoose Sugaras their
CRM. (crmsearch.com,2014)
One weaknessIidentifiedforSugaristhat itrequiresaminimumof 5 users. Thiscan price them
out of the marketplace formanysmall businesses. Additionally,Sugar’sservice level agreement(SLA) is
seenasinferiorwhencomparedtothe competition. Businesseswantservicesthatare reliable and
bulletproof. Withoutanaggressive SLA Sugarisperceivedtobe notas reliableasitscompetitors. Thisis
especiallyaproblemwhencourtingthe large enterprisecustomersastheycannotaffordtohave
problemswiththeirCRMsystemasthe lossesinrevenuecouldbe verysignificantif itwere togodown.
(crmsearch.com,2014)
Anotherone of Sugar’sperceivedweaknessesisthattheyare not as well knowninthe
marketplace outsideof the opensource community. Thisisaproblemwhentheyare pursuingnew
customers. Many timestheyhave toovercome the obstacle of beingthe unknown. Whichsometimes
preventsthemfromevenbeinginvitedtothe conversation.(crmsearch.com,2014) (sugar.com, 2014)

11. Nextupinmy evaluationisSalesForce.com. Unlike Sugarone of theirstrengthsisbrand
recognition. Theyhave aggressivelypositionedthemselvesinthe marketplace asaninnovative CRM
that iswell knownandwidelyadopted. Theirgrowthrate hasbeenremarkable astheycontinue totake
marketshare from competitorsatan astoundingrate. Thisgraphillustratesthe trendof their
tremendousgrowthrate.
(manojranaweera.me,2014)
Salesforce promoteswithintheirusercommunity,andhastakento social mediatotell their
story. Theirsocial mediastrategyhasexponentiallygrowntheirmarketshare,andbrandawareness.
Salesforce’sintegrationapplication withsocial mediaallowscompaniestomonitortheironline
footprint,engage customers,andanalyze the impact. Thispiece of software wouldalignitselfnicely
withOtterBox’slarge presence onsocial media,andcustomerengagementstrategies. (salesforce.com,
2014)
SalesForce.comchampionsitssoftware asbeinguserfriendly. Theircustomersseethisasa
huge plusas theydon’thave to investlarge amountsof time andresourcesintrainingemployeesonit.

12. Theyalsosee it as a wayto reduce input errorsby userswhichcan save theircustomerstime,money,
and hassle. Additionally,itsstreamlineduserinterfacesanddashboardsmeanlesstimeiswastedby
employeesnotbeingable tofigure howtouse the applicationswithinthe system. (crmsearch.com,
2014)
AlthoughSalesforce haspositioneditself asaninnovatorinthe marketplace,itscompetitors
have quietlysurpassedthemin the numberof featuresoffered andoverall functionality. Unlike other
platformsSalesforcedoesnotofferachoice incloudplatformvendors. Thiscanmake integration
cumbersome astheircustomershave touse Salesforce’sproprietarycloudservice. (crmsearch.com,
2014)
Anotherweaknessisintheirmarketingsoftware. Unliketheircompetitors,Salesforce requiresa
thirdparty applicationtoachieve manyof the advancedmarketingcapabilities andtrackingtoolsthat
manybusinessesare seekingintoday’smarketplace. Thismeanstheyhave twopiecesof software they
mustuse;and, there isa higherrate of failure withtwosystemsthanwithone. Thiscanalsoincrease
the costs of integrationandmanagementfromthe ITside. Forcustomersthat are seekingarobust
feature set,Saleforce’smulti-vendorapproachdoesnotsitwell. The marketinglimitationsfor
Salesforce wouldbe ahardone to overcome towinOtterBox’sbusiness. Idon’tthinktheywouldbe
able to provide asrobustof a marketingplatformastheirincumbentCRM,Sugar. OtterBox utilizes
Sugar’sadvancedmarketinganalytical toolstohelpthemtrackcampaignresultsinreal time and
determine theireffectivenesswhichisusedtoshape future efforts. (crmsearch.com, 2014)
ZohoCRM isa lowcost andeasyto implementsolutionthatisbestsuitedforsmall business
(SMB). Theyhave founda good niche marketwithSMB as it seemstobe an area that isoverlooked and
underservedbyotherCRMsolutions. Iputout an inquirythisweektomynetworkonLinkedIninan
attemptto findoutwhat CRM’s people are usingattheirrespectivecompanies andwhetherornot they

13. are pleasedwiththem. Igot a response from MilesThompson, asmall businessowner. He statedthe
following,“IpersonallylikeZohoforthe integrationof CRM,accounting,docs,andemail campaigns. It
isa wonderful systemata greatprice.”(crmsearch.com, 2014)
Zoho’sCRMintegrateswith20 otherof theircustomizedbusinessapplications. Inadditionto
CRM, accounting,docs,and email campaigns,Zohointegrateswithacompany’ssalesorderprocessing,
inventorymanagement,andthe abilitytoconverta quote intoan orderwithone click. Zoho’s
streamlinedapplicationsgiveitaunique competitive advantageoverotherCRM’s. The picture below
illustratesZoho’smanyapplications.(crmsearch.com, 2014)
(zoho.com,2014)
Zoho’s weaknessesinclude alackof directioninsocial CRM and analytics. Thisisa huge miss
and an area thattheywill needtoimprove inordertoremainrelevant. Companieshave movedintoa
verysocial sellingenvironmentastheycontinue toembrace social mediaasa marketingandsales
strategy. In regardsto analytics,thisisa keypiece thatmostorganizationsutilize totrackresults.
Withouta solidframeworkforanalyticsinplace,companieswill have togoto a thirdparty for thispiece
of theirCRM. Withouta strongsocial strategyand analytics,theywouldnotbe agood fitfor OtterBox.
(crmsearch.com,2014)

14. While Zohoisstrongin the SMB marketplace,theydonotplayaswell inthe mid-marketand
enterprise level businessesdue toa lackof configurationflexibility. Theytendtohave a one size fitsall
model whichisunappealingtothe complex customizationneedsof largercompanies. Zohowill needto
workon thispiece of theirbusinessmodel inordertogainlargeraccounts,and remain competitive.
Lastly,I will examine Oracle’sstrengthsandweaknesses. Oracle hasbeenaroundformany
years,has a strongglobal brandpresence,andwasthe firstSaaS CRM to bringto marketadvanced
marketingsolutions. Theyenabletheirusersto trackthe resultsof theirmarketingcampaignsdigitally.
Theyalsohave advancedleadmanagementsoftwarewhichallowsasmoothdistributionof leadstoa
company’ssalesteam.(crmsearch.com,2014)
Oracle offersa keydifferentiatorwithitsCRMon Demandfeature. Thisunique feature creates
configurable dashboardswhichallow userstomake customizedreportsthatcanbe pulleduponrequest
by the enduser. Massive amountsof data can be reviewedin real time andthenputintocustomized
reportsto share withotherdivisionswithinacompany. The snapshotbelow givesalookintoone of
Oracle’sdashboards,andisa representationof theirrobustanalyticstools.

15. (ewek.com, 2014)
A fewlimitationswithOracle systeminclude aninterface thatisefficient;but,itisnotengaging
like Salesforce.com. While the CRMon demandfeature offersgoodworkflow managementtools,it
lacksthe social integrationof manycompetitors. Additionally,theirmobilesolutionsare limited and
onlyworkon certaindevices. Thiswouldbe aproblemforOtterBox giventhe mobile nature of their
workforce. Anotherweaknessincludesalackof thirdparty applications. Thislimitstheirfunctionality
comparedto competitorsthathave a hostof thirdparty appsthat can be pluggedintooffera more
robustsolution.(crmsearch.com,2014) (oracle.com, 2014)

16. AfterresearchingandanalyzingthesefourCRMsystems, Ihave come to the conclusionthatthe
bestfitfor OtterBox istheirexistingCRM,Sugar. Sugar is givingthem the functionality,integration,
analytics,social,andworkflow managementthataglobal companylike OtterBox needs. Additionally,
the robustmobile applicationthatSugaroffersisa great fitforOtterBox’sglobal workforce. While the
othersall offercompellingfeatures, Iwasnotable to finda strongenoughbusinessneedthatwould
justifymakingamove awayfromtheirincumbentCRMapplication.

17. Chapter3: B2B AcquisitionStrategies for the Gas and Oil Industry

18. OtterBox hasa strong global presence inbothB2Cand B2B. For thisreport,I will examine their
salesandacquisitionstrategyforthe oil andgas industry andoffermyownideasonways to further
penetrate thislucrative vertical. Like manyindustries, the trendinmobile connectivityinthe oil andgas
industryhasmovedawayfromvoice onlyflipphonesintosmartphones. Additionally,theyhave seen a
substantial increase inthe adoptionof tabletsoverthe lastseveral years andthe use of laptopsdecline.
Tabletsare more portable andfasterto startup. Thus,theyare easierandmore convenienttouse inthe
field.
(Johnson,2011)
The shifttosmartphonesandtabletsisdue largelytoadvancesmade inmobile computing
technologiessuchascloudcomputing andcustomizedmobilesoftwareandapplicationsthatare
specificallywrittenforthe gasand oil industry. Gasand oil companiesare usingsmartdevicestorelay
missioncritical datafromthe fieldbackto the office inreal time. Asadvancementscontinue tobe made
inthe mobile dataindustry,the rate of use of tabletsandsmartphones forthe gas and oil industrywill
continue torise forthe foreseeablefuture. Kari Johnsonspecial correspondentforthe AmericanGas
and Oil Reporterstates:
“With oil andgas professionalsalreadythoroughlyconnectedtocellularwirelessnetworks,and
microchipsfirmlyembeddedineveryimaginable upstreamoil andgasbusinessprocess,anew
generationof mobilehardware andsoftware solutionsispositionedtointroduce potentially
game-changingpossibilitiesthatreshape workflowsacrosscorporate disciplinarydomains–from
executivesandmanagers,togeologistsandgeophysicists,todrillingandproductionengineers.
The goal isto provide apervasive computingenvironmentwithalmost“ambient”
communicationsandintelligence forunobtrusive accesstoinformationatall times.”

19. The increase incost froma flipphone toa smartphone issubstantial. Thisiswhere OtterBox
comesintoplay. Oil companiesinvest large amountsof moneyintotheirmobile computingneeds.
Alongwiththiscomesa pertinent businessneedforprotectionof these costlydevices. The harsh
environmentsinwhichfieldworkersinthe oil andgas industryworkin andtake theirmobile devices
into, require themtobe equippedwitharuggedizedcase forprotection. Below isafeaturesadvantage
benefit(FAB) tablethatexaminesfourof OtterBox’smostpopularcases andhow theywouldbenefitan
oil and gas companythat isdeployingsmartdevicescompanywide.
(Johnson,2011)
Features and Benefits Analysis (FAB)
Product/Service Feature Advantage Benefit
Armor Series Protects against shock,
dust, water, scratches,
and drops. Can withstand
2 tons of crushingforce.
Survives 10 foot drops.
Toughest case ever built.
There is no other case on
the market that provides
the layers of protection
that the Armor Series
does.
-withstands any work
environment.
-extends the life of
devices
-reducesmoney spenton
replacement devices
Defender Series 3 layer protection that
withstands shock, bumps,
scratches, dirt, and dust.
Extremely ruggedized
case. Costis lower than
Armor Series.
-fewer broken devices
-saves company money
on replacements
Commuter Series 2 layer protection against
drops, dust, scratches.
Light weight case perfect
for businesstravelers and
executives.
-stylishand sleek
-provides protectionfrom
every day wear andtear
-easily slidesin and out of
pocket

20. Symmetry Series Protects against drops
and shock.
Sleek designand flashy
colors.
-offers protectionwhile
stylish
(OtterBox.com,2014)
While the benefitsof implementingsmartdevicesare manyforgas and oil companies,itcomes
at a greatexpense. The replacementcostforan iPhone orhighendAndroidcanrange $500-$650 per
unit. OtterBox casesprovide premiumprotectionforsmartdeviceseveninthe harshconditionsthat
employeesof anoil companyworkunder. OtterBox savescompaniesmoneybysubstantiallyreducing
the amountof replacementdevicesneededdue tobrokenphonesandtabletsthroughoutthe year.
Companiesdeployhighendsmartdeviceswithagoal of maximizingthe productivityof theirworkers
withhighqualityequipment thatprovide enhancedconnectivity. However,if the devicesare getting
brokentoooften or do notlast as longas theyare intendedto,the ROIonthisinvestmentcanquickly
turn upside down.
OtterBox helpscompaniessave money by protecting their investmentsintomobile technology by extending thelife oftheir devices and
reducing the money thatisspent on costly replacements. Keeping thecompany bottomlinemoving up and to theright!
I have developedthree salesgoalstoimprove marketpenetrationwithinthe gasandoil vertical.
Numberone will be toincrease sales15% overlastyear withinthe domesticgasand oil market.

21. Additionally, there will be agoal of a 10% increase insalesforthe international gasandoil market.
Lastly,there will be agoal of winningone enterprise account,2mid-marketaccounts,and5 SMB
accounts perquarter.
In orderto achieve these goals,astrategicsalesactivityplanwouldbe neededtodrive the
desiredresults. A wishlistof accounts wouldneedto be created. I recommendusingData.com tofind
keyplayerswithinboththe domesticandinternational oil andgasindustry. Data.com enablessales
professionalstosearchforspecificexecutiveswithinacompany andgaintheiremail anddirectdial
extensions. ITprofessionals shouldbe targetedastheyare typicallyincharge of managingthe smart
deviceswithinacompany. CFO’s wouldalsoneedto be marketedtoas theyare incharge of managing
the company’sfinancials. They playa majorrole inmost purchasingdecisions. Itisimperative to
convince themthata ROI ininvestinginruggedizedcaseswouldbe achievedby protectingtheirsmart
devicesandreducingthe company’sspendonreplacements. Email marketing,telemarketing,andsocial
salesviaLinkedInwouldbe usedtotargetthese keyindividuals.
LinkedIninanessential tool fordevelopingleads. BusinessDevelopmentExecutiveswouldbe
encouragedtobe activelyengagedwithLinkedInfornetworking anddevelopingrelationships. One
suggestionwouldbe tojoingroupsonLinkedInforthe gasand oil industry andpostmonthlyaboutthe
value thatOtterBox casescan provide totheirindustrybyprotectingtheircompanyinvestment into
smart devices. Additionally,I wouldencourage OtterBox’sBusinessDevelopmentExecutives topostto
LinkedInona regularbasistoinformtheirnetworkonthe value of OtterBox’sproducts. Show them
visual demonstratesof howtoughtheyare by creatingvideosandposting the linkstoYouTube. They
can thenshare the linktothe videoonLinkedIn. Additionally,thiscan provide case studiesforhowthey
have helpedcompanieswithinthe gasand oil protecttheirsmart devices andsave money. Ifindall too
oftenthatsalesexecutivesare notusing LinkedIn toitsfullestpotential.

22. The CRM systemwouldbe usedtomanage the leads anddevelopdetailedinformation
regardingeachpotential newaccount. Additionally,itwouldbe used developandmaintainlong-term
strategicrelationshipswithkeychannel partnerssuchascarriers,online retailers,andotherindustry
specificvendors. These partnershipswouldbe leveragedtoseekoutnew opportunities andstrengthen
relationshipswithinexistingaccounts. Irecommendattendingbothlarge andsmall scale trade shows
withinthe gasand oil industry tomeetwithpotential newaccounts,currentaccounts,andkeychannel
partners. Thiswill ensure customersatisfactionwithinexistingaccountsbyprovidingworldclass
customerservice withthe goal of growing revenue streams withineachaccount. The goal of
prospectingeffortsistosetmeetingswithdecisionmakerswhere the value offeringsof OtterBox would
be fully demonstrated.
OTTERBOX BOOTH AT CXCW IN AUSTIN, TX OTTERBOX BOOTH AT CES IN LAS VEGAS, NV
There are several competitorstoOtterBox inthe ruggedizedcase market;Targus,StanleyBlack
and Décor(Incipio),EcoPod,andBodyGlove. Targusisa staunchcompetitorwithastrong global
presence withinmajorretailers. Additionally,theyhave made majorinroadsintothe B2Bmarket.
StanleyBlackandDecor isa global giantinthe toolsmarketplace. Theirspinoff forthe mobile case
industryiscalledIncipio. Theyutilizetheirbrandrecognitiontomake astrong playwithinthe
constructionindustry andotherindustrial verticals. Griffinisawell-knownaccessorymanufacturerin

23. the mobile industrythatmakescases andmanyotherproductsfor smart devices. BodyGlove hasbeen
aroundfor a longtime and has strongglobal brandrecognition. Theircasesare soldunderthe name
BodyGlove Mobile. Theymake a verystylishandhiplookingproductwithcatchycolorsand designs. In
the proceedingparagraphs,Iwill discussinmore detail eachcompetitorsstrengthsandweaknesses.
Targus has a verystrong andwell-madeproduct. Theyofferawide productsetforsmartphones
and tablets. Theyare inthe laptopmarketas well,whichcouldgivethemalegupin the B2B space in
that theywouldhave anotherproductoffering whichOtterBox doesnothave. Theircasesare
ruggedized butdonotinclude all of the protectionthatOtterBox offers. Eventheirmostruggedized
case onlyoffersprotectionfromdrops. Theydonotstate whetheritprotectsfromdust,water,and
scratches. In my opinion,theirproductsare notas sharp lookingasOtterBox andappearverybland
whencomparedtoOtterBox’sstylishofferings. (Targus.com, 2014)
Stanley(Incipio) has the brandrecognitionof anentrenchedbrandthatiswell knownwithinthe
constructionindustry. Thisisclearlytheirtargetmarket,andtheyplayverywell inthisvertical. They
have a global presence oneverycontinentinthe world,andhave usedthe deeppocketsof Blackand
Decor to expandtheirreach. While theircasesappeartobe rugged,andtheyhave the Stanleybrand
name on themitis unknownwhattheyprotectagainst. Unlike OtterBox theydonotlistwhattheyare
designedtoprotectagainst. So,the consumerdoesnotknow whattheycan expectintermsof
protection. Froma designperspective theyare clearlymarketedtowardsmales. OtterBox hasamuch
more diverse productofferingthatincludesdesigns,colors,andstyle pointsthatwouldappealto
femalesaswell. Anotherweaknessistheydonotcurrentlyoffercasesfortablets. (Stanley.com, 2014)
Griffinhasa verywide productsetfor mobile devicesthatincludesruggedizedcases. In
additiontocasestheymake headphones,dockingstations,and Bluetooth speakersystems. Their
expandedproductsetoverwhatOtterBox offerscanbe a threatin thatconsumerscan use themas one

24. stopshop forall of theiraccessoriesformobile devices. Theyhave awide productline inthe typesof
casestheyofferandtheirprotectioncapabilities. Theircasesare stylish,functional,andrugged.
However,theirtopof the line casesdonot offerquite the level of protectionthatOtterBox doesasthey
are notwater proof. Of all the brandsI have researcheditwouldseemtome thatGriffinwouldoffer
the greatestlevel of competitiontoOtterBox. (Griffin.com,2014)
BodyGlove has beenaroundthe longestinthe mobile case industry. Theyhave avery
recognizable brandname anda strongglobal presence. Theircasesare verysharplooking andstylish.
Theyhave several linesof casesranginginlevelsof protection,colors,anddesign. Theirtopof the line
case offersprotectionfromdrops andscrapes. However,itlacksthe full ruggedizedprotectionagainst
water,dust,and scratchesthat OtterBox’stopof the line case offers. (Bodyglovemobile.com, 2014)
Belowisa picture of each brand’stopof the line case. A chart is providedthatcomparesthe
level of protectionprovided andthe ruggedizedfeatures. The informationwaspulledfromeach
company’swebsite.

25. Feature: Griffin Body Glove OtterBox Stanley Targus
Drop Yes Yes Yes ? Yes
Water
Proof
No No Yes ? No
Dust Yes No Yes ? No
Scratch Yes Yes Yes ? Yes
Pressure No No Yes ? No
(Griffin.com, bodyglovemobile.com, targus.com,Stanleyincipio.com, OtterBox.com, 2014)
In orderto leverage competitive advantagesitisimperative todemonstrateOtterBox’svalue
offeringsintermsof the numberof ruggedizedfeaturesofferedcomparedtothe competition. Itisclear
that OtterBox hasthe most ruggedcase in the marketplace. Withthe extreme andharshconditionsthat
workersinthe gas and oil industryworkunder,thiswill be akeyvalue propositionthat OtterBox can
offer. When ina meetingwithkeydecisionmakers,visual demonstrationsare alwaysaverypowerful
tool to buildvalue. A demonstrationwouldtoshow the durabilityof the product, wouldbe totake an
iPhone withanArmorSeriescase onit tossit across the room, put it intoa glassof water,throw ita bag
of sand,andthenstand on topof it. Once the demonstrationiscomplete,thenitcanbe shownthatall
of the featuresof the phone are still intact andfullyfunctional. The oldsayingthatseeingisbelievingis
still veryrelevantinB2B. Thissimple demonstrationinameetingwouldgive the wow factoronthe
durabilitylevel of OtterBoxcases andhelpconvince keydecisionmakersthatthe productcan stand up
to the extreme workconditionsof the gasand oil industry. (Otterbox,2014)

26. Anotherkeydifferentiatorthatwouldbe demonstratedisthe manyformfactors,styles,levels
of durability,sizes,andcolorsthatOtterBox casescome in. Many of the competitorsdon’thave the
varietythatOtterBox has. ConsumersinbothB2B and B2C like choices; and,OtterBox candeliveron
that ina bigway. OtterBox hasthe variety intheirofferingstobe able to provide acase foreveryone in
the company, fromfieldworkersthatworkunderharshconditionsthatneedthe mostruggedizedcase
available toexecutivesthatworkinan office environmentthatneedasleekerlookingcase thatstill
providesprotectionfromeverydaynormal wearandtear. It will be importanttoleverage this
competitiveadvantage inall marketingcampaigns tothe gas andoil industry. (Lynn,2014)
OtterBox has BusinessDevelopmentExecutivesthatare taskedwithwinningnew B2B accounts,
and growing the relationships with existing accounts. They will be the primary sales force used to
penetrate thisvertical. The potential revenueforthe companyistremendous. A sale toalarge enterprise
account with10,000 employeesata costof $60 per case wouldnetthe company$600,000 in revenue on
smartphonesalone. Then, assumingtheyhave approximately2000 tabletsata cost of $80 per case,they
would net an additional $160,000 in revenue. A sale to a large enterprise account in the gas and oil
industry could very easily generate the company close to a million dollars or more.
The sales team utilizes SugarCRM to obtain and document as much information as possible on
potential customers. As I mentioned previously, I recommend using Data.com as a supplement to the
CRM system to obtain contact information of key decision makers. This information can be used reach
out to them via telemarketing, email,and LinkedIn. SugarCRMallows classifying leads as “prospecting,
sales qualified, or proposal stage.” Prospecting leads need to be contacted yearly or bi-yearly,qualified
leadsmonthlyorquarterly,andproposal stage weeklyormonthly. Of course,thiscouldvarya bit based
off the business needs of the client or at their request. (sugarcrm.com 2014)

27. Interestlevelwouldbe gaugedbasedoffthe responsesfrompotentialcustomers andthe answers
theyprovide toqualifyingquestions. If acompanyjust investedalarge amountof moneyincaseswithin
the last month or so, they would be categorized as prospecting. A qualifiedlead would be a company
that is nearing the end of their lifecycle with their current cases or one that has expressed interest in a
meeting in the future. A lead in the proposal state is one that a company is in the market for a new
solution to protect their smart devices or that has no unified strategy in device protection i.e. theyjust
sendtheiremployeesintoa store to buywhatevercase theythinktheymightlike. Thiscustomerwould
be one that has been met with, their business needs qualified, and a discussion has taken place about
moving forward. In terms of managing customers where OtterBox is not a good fit, they would be put
intoa yearlyfollowupplantocheckinwiththemtosee if theirbusinessneedshave changed. SugarCRM
can be used to prompt a reminder for the sales executive to follow up.
In termsof identifyingatargetprospectlist,Irecommendpursuingamix of large enterprise
companies,mid-market,andsmall business. Bothdomesticandglobal companiesshouldbe targeted. I
define enterprise accountsascompanieswith10,000+ employees. Mid-marketaccountshave 100-9999
employees andsmall businessfrom1-100 employees. Ihave providedexamplesbelow of companies
that fitthisdescription andthatcouldbe put on targetlist:
Enterprise Mid-Market Small Business

28. Before contacting a prospect, it is imperative to do research on the company and develop a
strategy for gaining the business. LinkedIn is a fabulous tool to use to leverage when developing
informationforpre-call research. BusinessDevelopmentExecutivescanuse their existingnetworktofind
someone whomighthave an in to the companythat couldgive an introductiontoa decisionmaker.The
first contact becomes a warm lead instead of a complete cold call. This simple tactic is one that I have
usedmanytimesinmyownsalescareerthathasmeasurablyimprovedmycloseratio.Itisalsoimperative
to use Google and the company’swebsite tofindout informationregardingthe company. Thisway the
salespersoncomesacross as a well-informedpartnertothe companyand not just somebodycallingout
of the blue to try to sell something. This strategy is one of a consultative sales professional. Finding
informationabouthowacompanyusessmartdevices,whichdevicestheyuse,andwhichwirelesscarrier
they are on would be valuable pre-call information to obtain. Additionally, any information regarding
their current strategy to protect their devices would also be invaluable information.
In order to get a foot in the door at an oil company an engaging opening script must be usedin
the initial communication. Below is an example of a script that could be used:

29. “Hello,myname isJohnWhite,BusinessDevelopmentExecutive atOtterBox,makersof the most
ruggedizedcasesforsmart devicesonthe planet. Do you have a minute to spendwithme over
the phone to discussyour company’sstrategyto protectyour smartphonesand tablets? Great!
What type of smart devicesisyour companycurrentlyusing? Do you have a strategyinplace to
protect this costly investment? Last year we were able to save another global oil company
$100,000 by significantly reducing the number of broken devices and extended the life of their
devices. We realize that many of your employees work under very harsh conditions and need
strong cases to withstand those conditions. Could we take this conversation to the next level
whenyouhave some availabilitytomeetatyouroffice? Iwouldlike tocome into show you how
amazinglydurable ourcasesare and demonstrate the exceptional valuewe canoffercompanies
within the gas and oil industry.”
Once the meeting is set, it is time to educate the customer on the key differentiators from the
competition andinformthemof the manycompetitive advantagesOtterBoxhas. Duringthisprocessthe
customer will certainly have several objections. Confidently overcoming these objections and showing
the customerwhyOtterBox isthe bestchoice for theirbusinesswill make orbreakthe sale. Here isa list
of objections, I would expect the customer to have and underneath each one is how I would respond.
 Your product is too expensive. We can get cases for half that price.
Yes, we realize that our cases are more expensive. However,we offerthe most
protection of any case on the market. They are resistant to water, dust, dirt,
dropsandcrushingforce. There isnoothermanufacturerthatcanofferthe levels
of protectionthatwe can. Our Armor Seriescase is the toughestcase everbuilt,
hands down. The materials we use are of the highest quality available. Given
the amount of money you told us that your company spent on replacement
phones last year using your current cases, the increased protection our Armor

30. Series cases would provide will yield a significant, and measurable savings on
replacement devices that will far outweigh the additional cost of our cases.
 Our fieldworkers workaround a lot of liquid,specificallywaterinjectiontanks. How do
we know for sure that your cases are water proof?
We are glad you asked that. We brought in a water jug to the meeting to
demonstrate this for you. As you can see all of the ports on the phone are
completelysealed andthe device isfullyenclosedtopreventwaterfromgetting
in. (Drop iPhone intowater jug shake it up. Take it out and thenshow that the
all of the featuresof the phone are still fullyfunctional) asyoucan see the phone
still works, no problem!
 We work under some very harsh conditions. How do we know that your cases are as
tough as you say they are?
We put our cases through rigorous testing before they are brought to market.
Additionally,we have beenworkingwithotheroil andgascompaniesforthe last
10 years who have tested our products, and put them through the ringer over
and overagain. We have a tremendouslevelof repeatbusinessfromouroil and
gas customers. That lets us know that our products are performing the way we
designedthemtointhe field. See thisbag of sand. I’d like youto go ahead and
drop itin there andshake it up. Ok,nextI’mgoingto toss thisiPhone acrossthe
room. Lastly,“Bob”I’dlike youtojumpupanddownonitto tryand breakit. It’s
importantthatyoudo it to know that I’mnot goinglightonit. There yousee;no
dust inside, it bounced off the ground,and “Bob” was not able to crush despite
his valiant effort.

31.  Our current case manufacturer provides us with outstanding customer service.
Whenever there is a problem with one of their products, they take care of us.
Providingworldclasscustomerservice isthe backbone of our company and one
of our key initiatives company-wide that has enabled us to grow from a small
startup to a global organization that serves many fortune 500 companies. You
will you have a dedicated Business Development Executive assigned to your
account. We have a fully trained support staff that is available over the phone,
viaemail,orsocial mediareadytoassistyoushouldanyaccountneedsarise. Our
productscome witha one yearwarranty. If there are any issues,justletusknow
andwe will take care of youwithareplacementatnocost. Additionally,we have
broughtinfive lettersof recommendationfromotherlarge oilcompaniesthatwe
workwith. Youwill findthatnotonlyhave ourproductssavedthemmoney; but,
they speak very highly of the level of customer service we provide.
 There are so manylayerson yourcase. Are ourworkersgoingto have to take itapart to
use certain features on it? We don’t have time for them to have to take it apart just to
reply to an email or use the camera.
No, that is one of the beauties of our product. All of the features on the phone
are fullyfunctional wheninthe case. There isnoneedtotake it apart. Theycan
continue to work on it the same way as if there were no case on it at all. No
interruptions! No hassles!
Afterovercomingobjections,demonstratingthe value of the product and showinganROI to the
customerthe nextstep,isto ask for the businessandclose the deal. I recommendusinga script similar
to this one:

32. “We have demonstratedtoyouhowincrediblydurable ourcasesare,shownyouaveryachievable
ROIalongwiththe potentialforsubstantialsavings,anddiscussedinlengthouramazingcustomer
service policies. We would like to take the next step in becoming a lifetime partner with your
company. Can we go ahead and place the initial order that we discussed?”
DEAL CLOSED!
Once the sale is closed the post-sale support process becomes critical. It is important to make
sure the customer knows who to contact for their needs. The proper expectations need to be set with
the customer so they know when to expect a response. Then it becomes imperative that these
expectationsare adheredto.Following upwithinaweekof the closedate isveryimportant. Donotleave
it up to the customer to make contact. A follow upcall shouldbe setwith the customer withinthe first
month of deploying the new equipment. Any needs or concerns that a customer brings up must be
addressed immediately. The initial post sale support sets the stage for the rest of the relationship with
the customer. If theygetabadfirstimpression,itisnearlyimpossibletoovercome. Thatiswhyfollowing
the aforementioned post sale process is so important in building a long lasting and profitable business
relationship.

33. It will also be important that the customer becomes engaged with OtterBox on social media.
Business Development Executives should be tasked with sending an invitation to connect with the
customer to his/her LinkedIn page. Additionally, the customer should be invitedto follow OtterBox on
the companyLinkedInsite,Facebook, Twitter,Instagram, etc. Thisstepiscrucial tokeepingthe customer
engagedwiththe OtterBoxbrand. Socialmediagivesthe customeranoutlettocontactsupport,provides
them an opportunity to express their wants and desires for future products, and keeps them informed
with all that is OtterBox like new product launches, company news, and mobile industry happenings.
Studiesshowthatcompaniesthatengage theircustomersinsocial mediagetmore repeatbusiness,have
happier customers, and are more likely to gain referrals.
In order to gauge the success rate of prospecting efforts, the CRMsystem should be relied on
heavily. Reps should be coached to keep detailed records on each customer touch. Additionally, they
shouldbe taskedwithprovidingnotesof the outcome of each customerinteraction andproperlyrecord
any information gained that could be used toward future sales efforts.
Reports should be pulled bi-monthly and analyzed by management to see where the successes
and failuresare occurring. The activityrate of the repswouldbe includedinthese reportssothata solid
model could be developed for the number of touches that is needed to gain traction and create leads.
The strategy should be adjusted accordingly and feedback provided to reps so that their prospecting
effortsare continuallyevolvingandimproving. The goal istomaximizethe productivity of the salesteam
and produce record breaking results.
The techniques and strategies discussed in this essayhave proven successful for me in my own
salescareer intargetingthe oil and gas industry. There is no doubt that OtterBox will continue tomake
significant inroadsinto this highly profitable vertical. There is a lot to be gained from selling to the gas
and oil industry for a company like OtterBox. Oil and gas companieshave pain points in the number of

34. smart devicesthatget brokeneveryyear. Asthe needformobilecomputingcontinuestogrow inthe gas
and oil industryOtterBox willbe there as an ideal businesspartner. Theirnearlyindestructible casescan
help an oil company to protect their substantial investments into mobile technology like no other case
manufacturer in the world.

35. Chapter 4: Social Strategies
John and Rachel White

36. OtterBox hasa tremendouspresenceonsocial media. Theydoanexceptional job of engaging
theircustomerbase andbrandingthemselvesasahip companyto dobusinesswith. Afterspendingthe
lastweek thoroughlyperusingtheirmanysocial platforms,Ihave come awayveryimpressedwiththe
contenttheyputout. It isboth visuallyappealing,engaging,andinterestingtoread. The quality of their
productshinesthrough andthe beautyof theircarefullycraftedcasesisabundantlyevidentonall their
social landingpages. Ifoundmyself wantingtoclickaroundand see more. Theyhave clearlyembraced
the social CRM strategy andare out infrontin termsof how ithas beenimplemented. Below isa
snapshotof theirfollowingonafewof the mostpopularsocial mediasitesasof March 25th
, 2014.
A social CRMis the integrationbetweenacompany’ssocial mediastrategy,andtheirCRM
systemwitha goal of takingtheircustomerengagementtothe highestlevelpossible. The social media
contentisrecorded,tracked,andanalyzedbythe traditional CRMsystem. Whenthe bestof the bestis
put forward,optimal engagementwithacompany’stargetmarketisachieved. Thishappensfrom
careful analysis andstrategicplanning. A social CRM createsoperational andcustomerservice
OtterBox Social Media Snapshot
11,837 Followers
20,423 Followers
42,300 Followers
414,317 Likes

37. processestodrive keyperformance indicator improvements acrosssales,customerservice,and
marketing. The belowinfographicillustrateshow workflow managementhasevolved fromthe
traditional CRMsystemintosocial CRM. (sugar.com, 2014)
To gather data pointsthatcan be analyzedacrosssuch a massive social mediapresence,a
cuttingedge andpowerful CRMsystemisneeded. OtterBox hasthatinSugarCRM. The open source
formatof Sugar enablesOtterBoxtocustomize theirsocial feedsinsidetheirCRMsystemtomeettheir
exactbusinessneeds. Thisiscontrastto manyotherCRM platformsthatforce the customerintousing
stock outof the box programs thatlock the customerintotheirproprietarysystem. Withsomuch
contentto monitor,Sugarisable to monitorall of OtterBox’ssocial activity andseamlesslyfunnel itinto
theircustomerrecords. The data gatheredregardingcustomerpreferencesonsocial mediacanbe
analyzed andthenputintospecificreportsthatare aimedatimprovingthe customerexperience.
(Sugar.com,2014)

38. For thisproject,Iwill analyze LinkedIn,Twitter,andInstagramtodetermine how theyare used
todayby OtterBox toengage theircustomers. Additionally,Iwill attempttomake a few suggestionson
howto maximize eachsiteseffectiveness. Notice Iusedthe caveat“attempt.” Findingholesin
OtterBox’ssocial mediastrategycouldprove challenging.
LinkedInisregardedasthe leadingsocial mediasite forbusiness. Withsucha large customer
base withinB2B,OtterBox has a tremendousopportunitytoutilize LinkedIntogrow theirbusiness
relationships,expandtheirbrandpresence withinthe globalB2Bmarketplace,andgainnew customers.
LinkedInisthe largestsocial mediasite forbusinesswithawhopping300 millionbusinessmindedusers
world-wide. Peoplecome toLinkedInformanyreasons: networking,jobsearch,businessnews,
productinformation,blogparticipation,andengagementwiththeirfavorite B2Bbrands. Currently,on
OtterBox’sLinkedInlandingpage there are jobposts,articlesontheirproducts,mobileindustrytrends,
and a tab that takespeople totheirproductpage. A beautifulpicture of theirgorgeouslobbyattheir
headquartersinFortCollins,CO,greetsvisitorsuponvisitingtheirLinkedInlandingpage. (LinkedIn, 2014)
In orderto maximize theirengagementwiththeirB2Bcustomerbase,there are a few
applications andbehaviorsthatI wouldencourage theirB2B salesandmarketingteamstoengage in.
 Encourage employeestoshare at leastone postperweek onone of OtterBox'sproducts,
companynews,ormobile industrynews. Wordof mouthmarketing ishuge and the resultscan

39. be staggering. A company’semployeesare theirbiggestbrandadvocatesandthere isa
tremendous audience attheirdisposal onLinkedIn.
 Utilize the advancedsearchtool tofindkeyexecutives withincompaniesthe salesteamis
targeted. Thistool can be usedto search by location,companysize, industryandmuchmore.
Thistool is verypowerful foraB2B salesteam. Itenablessalesprofessionalstoidentifykey
people withinacompanythat they are targetingand begintoengage themviaLinkedIn.
 Joingroupswithinthe mobile andtechnology sectors. Postmonthlyandrespondtoother
posts.
 Utilize the TeamLinkapplication. TeamLink allowsemployeestosee anypersonin the company
that has a firstor seconddegree connectionto apotential desired client. Thisapplication
enables anemployee toleverage anotheremployees’network toobtain awarm lead or to
gaininsightbefore theirnextcontactattempt.
 Use Newsle tostayupwiththeir network. The Newsleapplicationsendsauseran alertanytime
one of theirconnectionsismentionedin the newsoronline. The usercan thenmake contact
acknowledgingtheysawthe article andcongratulatingtheircontactontheirnewsworthy
accomplishment. Thisisa greatway to buildrapport withkeyindividualswithinabusiness
network.
 Slideshare.netenablessalesprofessionalsandmarketerstobeautifullyshare theirmarketing
materialsacrossnotonlyLinkedInbutto all theirsocial channels. Withapaidaccount, theyare
analyticsthatuserscan pull downto see whoviewedtheircontent. Thisisagreat wayto gather
warm leads.
(Allen,2014)
Twitterhasmass appeal,alarge global following,andcanbe usedto target bothB2C andB2B.
OtterBox’slandingpage onTwitterisinvitingandiscomplete withTweetsfromOtterBox,retweetsfrom

40. otherbrand partners,tweetsfromtheircustomerbase,andpicturesof boththeirproductsand
customersusingtheirproducts. The followingisthe cleverbranddescriptiontheyuse ontheirTwitter
landingpage,“we designandmanufacture protective casesforsmartphones,tablets,andmobile
technology. Dedicatedtoklutzytechuserseverywhere.” Asatech userwhohas brokenmyfair share
of devices,Icandefinitelyrelate tothis. Twitterallowsfollowerstobe inthe know and offerfeedback.
OtterBox usesthisasa customerservice tool tolisten tothe needsof theircustomers andrespond
appropriately. The participationwiththeiraudience buildsasense of community andallowstheir
customerstofeel like theyare anactive participantinthe brandingof the company. OtterBox doesan
excellentjobof postingengagingcontentontheirTwitterpage thatkeepstheircustomersinformedon
trendswithinthe wirelessworldaswell asnew productlaunches. Additionally,theircustomerservice
teamis veryresponsivetocustomersthatexpressaneedviaTwitter.
Twitterenablesmarketerstoshare content,converse withtheirtarget market,grow theirnetwork,
expandtheirreach,andretweetvaluable contentfromothersites. Studieshave shownthatTwitter
followersof a companypage are exponentiallymore likelytopurchase theirproducts,recommendthe
brand to theirfriends,andremainaloyal longtermcustomer. One reasonI choose to analyze Twitter
inthisessayis that itplayssuch a large presence inthe overall marketing makeupof social media. The
belowchartshowsthe immense adoptionrate of Twitteramongstmarketers.
(v3IM, 2014)

41. KimGreenlee spent3years at OtterBox,mostrecentlyasthe Digital SolutionsManageruntil June of
2013. Kimhelpedshape OtterBox’sbrilliantsocial mediastrategy. Twitterhasbeenasignificant
contributorto OtterBox’soverall gainsviasocial media. Ireachedoutto KimoverLinkedIntogether
perspectives andinputonOtterBox’ssocial mediastrategies. (DidImentionthat LinkedInisagood tool
for business?) Kimwasverygracioustotake time out of her busyschedule toprovide me withsome
detailedresponsestomyquestions. She describesOtterBox’sstrategicutilizationof Twitterbelow:
“We didanalysisof ourcustomerbase to determine besttimesfordifferenttypesof contentto
optimize eitherviewsorclick-throughs(dependinguponwhatourdesiredbehaviorwas).OtterBox
was alsoall aboutengagement,sowe regularlyusedsearchwithinHootSuite todetermine who was
talkingaboutusor topicsrelatedtothe companyso we couldjoininon the conversations:this
oftenresultedinalotof whatwe likedtocall 'surprise anddelight' - that personal engagementthat
istrulymeaningful toconsumers.Inmylaterdays, we usedsocial,andTwitterinparticular,todrive
a lot of co-campaignswhere we were joininginwithsome of ourkeyaccountsinconsumerfacing
promotions.”
It isclear that OtterBox hasstrategicallyusedTwittertoengage andpersonalize the relationships
withtheircustomers. Theirutilizationof HootSuite isagreatway to provide the personal engagement
that takesthe customerexperience fromgoodtogreat. To drive trafficto theirTwittersite,OtterBox
usesTwitterBadgesonall theirwebsites. (Weebly,2014)
In additiontotheiralready splendidutilizationof Twitter, Ihave listedsome appsbelow thatI
recommendtheyconsiderformaximizingtheirproductivityonTwitter,anddrivingtheirlevelsof
customerengagementevenhigher:

42.  The Bufferapp allowsbusinessestoscheduletheirTweets andtime themsothattheydon’t
all come out at once. Thisgivesthemthe opportunitytomove ontoothertasks. Thenthey
do nothave to remembertogo back intoTwittertopost if theyare busyelsewhere.
 Twileshare isanappthat allowsmarketerstoexpand whattheycanshare on Twitter,while
sharingtweets,photos,orlinksisseamlessonTwitter. Twileshareenablesthe sharingPDFs,
PPT,or Excel documents. Thisisa great app forsharingcollateral andmarketingmaterials.
 Tweetchartisa great tool for analytics. Thisappwill chartand graph retweets,mentions,
and replies. The datapointscan thenbe usedtosee whichfollowers are mostengagedwith
the brand and converselythosewhoare notengaged. (V3IM.com, 2014)
OtterBox’sproductsare veryvisuallyappealingwiththe manystyles,colors,anddesignsof
casestheyoffer. Instagramisthe perfectfitfora visual productsmarketingstrategy. Instagramenables
usersto distribute beautiful picturesthatare enhancedusingtheirproprietarysoftware. The visual
functionalitythatInstagramprovidesisverypowerful anddrawsintheiraudience. Inadditionto
pictures, OtterBox putsoutvideosonthe durabilityof theircasesontheirInstagramfeed. The videos
showtheircasesbeingputthroughthe ringer,water,drops,andevenrun overbya truck. Thisformof
visual advertisingisbrilliantforacompanysuch as OtterBox. One of OtterBox’skeyelementstotheir
marketingstrategyisthattheyshowtheircustomersactive lifestyles andwhere people gowiththeir
cases. Instagram allowsOtterBox tobeautifullyshowcase theircustomersusingtheirOtterBox case to
protecttheirsmart deviceswhile remainingactive.
KimGreenlee hadasignificanthandin developingOtterBox’sstrategyonInstagram. She
describesOtterBox’sstrategicutilizationof Instagramhere:
“The strategyhere wastwo-fold:togive consumerspeeksintonew productsthatwere coming,
insiderinformationif youwillandtoexplore the lifestylesthathavinganOtterBox actually

43. allowed(i.e.all of the cool placesyoucan take yourtech because youhave an OtterBox
protectingit).”
OtterBox’slandingpage onInstagramisfull of engagingphotosandvideosof people usingtheir
OtterBox casesinvariousenvironments. The page isveryinviting andmade me wantto clickaround.
One of the brandingmessagesthatisconveyedtotheircustomersviaInstagramisthattheycan take
theirtechnologyanywhere withanOtterBox. There isnoneedto leave itbehindforfearof itgetting
broken. AnotherengagementstrategythatOtterBox usesistheyencourage theirfollowerstopost
picturestheyhave takentotheirInstagrampage. This drawsin theiraudience andinvolvestheminthe
livelihoodof the page. Here isa snapshotof some of the beautifullycraftedpicturesthatOtterBox has
on theirInstagramlandingpage. The picturespromote lifestyle,productexposure,andbrand
awareness. (Instagram.com/otterbox,2014)

44. As youcan see OtterBox usesInstagramtopost inspirational pictures. AsIperusedtheirsite,I
foundmyself wantingtogetoutside withmytechnologyandgodosomethingfun. Theircasesare as
colorful astheyare durable andtheirInstagramfeedshowsthatoff beautifully. Instagramisthe site
theyuse to bringtheirbrandto life! As I scouredovercompetitorsites andreadcountlessarticleson
howto use Instagramfor business,Ifoundmyselfwithnothing more toofferonhow to enhance their
usage of Instagram. Inhumble myopinion,OtterBox’sInstagramsite isperfect!
OtterBox’ssocial mediaandsocial CRMtactics are intertwinedwiththeiroverallcustomer
satisfactionstrategy. There isfarmore to itwhichI will coverlater.However,hopefullyIhave givenmy
readersa glimpse intotheiradvancedsocial tactics andprovidedsomegoodtakeawaysthatotherscan
implementintotheirownsocial strategies. AsIclickedaroundon competitorsitesinthe protective
case market,itbecame abundantlyclearthatOtterBox isleapsandboundsaheadof theircompetition
inthisarena. Theirengagementstrategiesare farsuperiortoanyof the otherbrandsI lookedat,and I
lookedatall theirlargestcompetitors. Itisno wonderthattheyhave sucha greatreputationfor
customerservice. Theircustomeroutreachprogramsare far more thanjust havingan 800 numberand
a website. Additionally,theirCRMstrategyis verysocial andexponentiallymore thanjustadata dump
for customercontactinformationlike the traditional CRMsystemsof the past.

45. Chapter 5: Customer Satisfaction and Survey

46. OtterBox hasrisento the top of the smart device case manufacturingindustrywiththree
fundamentallysolidbusinessideas: constructthe highestqualitycasesinthe world,innovatefaster
than the competition,andprovideanexceptional customerexperience. Ihave touchedonall three of
these inprevioussectionsof thisproject. However,forthis sectionIwill focusexclusivelyonOtterBox’s
customersatisfactionlevels,howtheyare measured,andhow the dataisusedto improve performance.
I alsowill take a lookat the existingdatathatisavailable fromcustomersatisfactionsurveys,andother
sources. Lastly,I will create myownOtterBox customersatisfactionsurvey,distribute it,discussthe
results,anddeterminebestpracticesfortrackingthe datathat my surveyproduces.
CustomersatisfactionisalwaysflyinghighonOtterBox’sradar. Theygo to greatlengthsto
make sure theircustomersare happy. OtterBox has veryprofessional andresponsivecustomerservice
teamsbothvia traditional methodssuchasphone and email,butalsoviasocial media. Iputtheirsocial
mediaresponse time tothe testforthisprojectwhenIthrew out a questiontothemontheirFacebook
site askingwhere Icouldgo to reviewtheircustomersatisfactionlevels. Iputthe questionoutthere at
11pm at night. I receivedaprofessional andcourteousresponse by7:30AMthe nextmorning! I was
amazedby the promptresponse. Manytimes,Idon’tget a response atall froma companywhenthe
questionisnotdirectlysalesrelated. If I doget a response,the responsetime ismuchlongerthanthe
quickreply Igot from OtterBox.
WhensearchingforcustomersatisfactionsurveysforOtterBox,the firstthingthatpoppedupin
Google searchresultswasa surveythat OtterBox createdusingSurveyMonkey. Since Iam an OtterBox
customermyself,Iwentaheadand tookthe survey. The surveyisinregards to the customerexperience
whencontactingcustomerservice. Theyaskquestionsaboutthe interactionwiththe service
departmenttoinquire whetherornotthe experience waspositive. Theywanttoknow how the
customercontactedthe service department,whetheritwasviaphone oremail. Theyaskeda few
demographicsquestionsregardingage andgender. The demographicquestionsare usedsothat they

47. can drill downevenfurtherontheiranalysisof the customer experiencetomake sure thatall customers
are satisfied.
SurveyMonkeyintegratesverynicelywiththeirCRMsystem, Sugar,to track the resultsof the
survey. Once the data issynchronizedwith Sugar, there are manyreportsthatcan be run basedoff the
responsestheygetfromtheirtargetmarket. Fromthere,the data can be analyzedby variouschannels
of the company. Thisprocesshelpsthemtodetermine areasthattheyare doingwell aswell as areas
where improvementisneeded. Funnelingthe datafromsurveysthroughtheirCRMgivesOtterBox the
necessaryinfrastructure togettheirchange agentsinvolved. Strategiesare thenimplemented to
improve theirKPI'sbasedoff the areasof opportunityidentified. Withoutasatisfactionsurvey anda
solidplatformtoanalyze the data,itwouldbe much harderto determine how toimprove their
processes. IapplaudOtterBox fortakingthisproactive approachintheircustomerexperience strategy.
Many companiesdonot take the time to surveytheircustomers. Byfailingtodoso,theyare missing
out onvaluable feedback. (Survey monkey,2014)
The customersatisfactionsurveyIfoundforOtterBox addressedqualityof service fromtheir
customerservice channel. Additionally,theyhave areview sectionontheirwebsiteforeachof their
productlinesforcustomerstoweighinwitha ratingand feedback. There are alsoplethoraof third
party data regardingproductreviewstheycanpull fromsuchas YouTube,Amazon,andBestBuy. I
chose to take a closerlookatthe ratingson BestBuy’swebsite. Theyare amongstOtterBox’slargest
retailers. OtterBox hasaverylongstandingrelationshipwithBestBuy. BestBuyhas enormousglobal
reach that providesOtterBox withahuge distributionchannel fortheir products. BestBuycarries
OtterBox’sproductsintheirstoresandonline estore. Below isasnapshotof a few of the reviewsof
OtterBox’sbest-sellingcasestakenfromBestBuy’swebsite. The ratingsystemusedisona scale from1
to 5 with1 beingthe lowestscore and5 beingthe bestpossiblescore. Ialsotooka few commentsfrom
usersand postedthem. (BestBuy,2014)

48. MANY COMPANIES SHY AWAY FROM CUSTOMER FEEDBACK AS
THEY ARE APPREHENSIVE ABOUT GETTING NEGATIVE
RESPONSES. OTTERBOX, ON THE OTHER HAND, EMBRACES
CUSTOMER FEEDBACK. THEY TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO
ALLOW THEIR CUSTOMERS TO VOICE THEIR OPINIONS.
I distributedmyownOtterBox customersatisfactionsurveytomynetworksonLinkedIn,
Facebook,andTwitter. My surveyaddressesabroaderrange of KPI’sthan the surveyItook directly
fromOtterBox. My surveyincludedquestionsregardingcustomerexperience whendealingwith
customerservice,products,price,social media,preferences,andanopenendedessayquestionwhere
customerscouldcommentontheirneedsandwants. Additionally,Iaskedcustomershow likelythey
are to continue purchasingOtterBox’sproductsinthe future. Ifeel thisisaveryimportantindicatorto
helpforecastfuture business. Ireceived16 responsesovera2 day periodfrom3-31-14 to 4-1-14. The
resultsIreceivedwere the anticipatedresponseIwasexpecting. OtterBox’scustomersare very
satisfiedwiththeircasesaswell asthe level of customerservice theyreceive. The resultsof mysurvey
confirmedthatOtterBox isdeliveringaworldclasscustomerexperience onall measurable KPI’s. Here is
Defender
SeriesiPhone
5S
• Rating: 4.6 out of5
• "Durable and protects my iPhonewhen my phonedrops
on hard concreteat work."
Defender
SeriesiPad
Mini
• Rating: 4.7 out of5
• "A good solid case for the mini. Been through several drops
already and still seemssolid. Definitely recommend."
Commuter
Series Galaxy
S IV
• Rating: 4.6 out of5
• "Looksgood and protectsthephone for agood price."
Commutter
SeriesHTC
ONE
• Rating: 4.7 out of5
• "Safety ofmy HTC One isguaranteed."

49. a linkto mysurveyquestionsandresults: https://www.surveymonkey.com/results/SM-K52WW57/.
Additionally,Ihave summarizedsome of the pertinentresultsbelow:
73
20
7
Customer Satisfaction Level
Very Satisfied Satisfied Dissatisfied
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
Excellent Good Average Poor
Customer ServiceSatisfaction Level
Customer Service Satisfaction Level

50. In termsof tracking the resultsfrommysurvey,Iwouldrecommendimplementingthe same
methodthatOtterBox iscurrentlyusing. AsI mentionedpreviously,SurveyMonkeyintegratesnicely
withSugarCRM; and,the reportingfeature canbe usedacrossthe companyto examine the dataderived
fromthe survey. The reportsgeneratedfrommysurveycouldbe usedbymanydepartmentstoensure
customersatisfaction. Forexample,the questiononhow theircustomersview the costsof their
productsis one I feel thatOtterBox shouldkeepaclose eye on. While OtterBox isthe goldstandardfor
casesprotectingtechnology,alongwiththatcomesahigherprice pointthanthe competition. Most
people realize thatyougetwhatyou payfor. However,there canbe a pointreachedwhere a
company’sproductpricesthemoutof the market. The data pointsgeneratedfrommysurveycouldbe
analyzedbytheirpricinganalyststoensure thattheirpricingstructuresare stayinginline withthe
marketdemand.
The questionregardingcustomersatisfactionwiththeirexperience indealingwithOtterBox’s
customerservice wouldgenerate datathatwouldneedtobe analyzedbymanagersin theircustomer
care department. The datawoulddeterminewhatdirectionneedstobe takenwithtrainingof the staff.
Thiswouldensure thattheirreputationasa companythat providesexcellentcustomerservice is
maintainedandenhanced. The dataand subsequentreportsgeneratedfromthe social mediaquestion
wouldneedtobe analyzedbytheirmarketinggroup. OtterBox hasengagingsocial mediasites;and,
feedbackfromtheircustomerswillallow themtostayat the forefrontof thiscritical piece of their
marketingstrategy. The datapointsfromthe productsatisfactionquestionswouldneedtobe lookedat
by several departmentsincludingtheirengineers,productdevelopment,sales,andmarketinggroups.
Lastly,itis imperative thatuppermanagementkeepaneye onthe data and reportsderived
fromthese typesof surveys. Whenthere isdisconnectbetweenuppermanagementandthe needsof
customers,the resultsare disastrous. Fromall indications,itappearsthatOtterBox’smanagement

51. teamshave a good pulse onwhattheircustomersneedandwant. In orderto maintainonthe blazing
path of successtheyare currentlyon,thisbehaviorbyuppermanagementwill needtocontinue.
Happy Otters
EveryindicatorI lookedat,includingmyownsurvey results,pointedtohappycustomersfor
OtterBox. Itis clearthat theirbusinessmodel of highqualityproducts,cuttingedge innovation,andtop
notch customerservice hasall the rightingredientstodrive anamazingcustomerexperience.
OtterBox’scustomersatisfactionmodelisone thateverystartuporganizationshouldstudybefore
openingtheirdoorsforbusiness.
I love my OtterBox!
I can take it anywhere! Kids Approve!

52. Chapter 6: Marketing Metrics and Analytical Tracking
John and Rachel White [Date] [Course title]

53. There are manykeymarketingmetricsthatcome intoplayindeterminingbothOtterBox’sshort
termand longterm growthas well astheirprofitability. Iwill examine severalmarketingmetricsthat
pertaintoOtterBox’sbusinessmodel includingtraditional marketingmetrics,online metrics,andsocial
metrics. Additionally,Iwill explore the optimal waystomeasure andtrack these resultssothattheycan
be usedto define bestpracticesintheirmarketingcampaigns.
Return on Marketing Investment (ROMI)
ROMI is definedasthe netamountspentonmarketingdividedbythe marketinginvested.
There are certainrisksassociatedwithmarketingasa returnon investmentisnotguaranteed.
Marketingspendingistypicallyallocatedunderoperational expenditure(OPEX). ROMIattemptsto
measure the riskinvolvedwithacampaignpriorto implementingit. OtterBox’smarketingteam most
certainlyutilizesaROMItool todetermine if acampaignwill yieldprofitableresults. Marketing
departmentsare allocatedabudget. So,usingtheirbudgetona campaignthat doesnotproduce
measurable resultscanbe damagingto the overall strategyandhinderthe progressmade fromother
campaigns. (Shuteyev,2014)
Customer Acquisition Cost (CAC)
CACis definedasthe total costof acquisitionandmarketingdollarsspentinagiventime period,
dividedbythe numberof newcustomersadded. Mostmid-sizedcompanieslookatthismetricona
quarterlybasisandmanysmall businesseslookatitmonthly. CACiscritical to OtterBox’sbottomline.
If this metricfallsbelow alevelinwhichprofitabilitybecomesanissue,thentheywillneedtoreevaluate
theirmarketingstrategies,manufacturingcosts,salaries,andmanyotherratiostomake sure that they
returnto profitability. (Shuteyev,2014)

54. Marketing % of Customer Acquisition Cost (M%-CAC)
The marketingportionof CACis called MCAC.Thismetriciscalculatedcompute asa % of CAC
that isspenton marketing.OtterBox investsheavilyintheirmarketingstrategy. So,thismetricshould
be closelywatchedtodeterminewhichstrategiesare yieldingthe most ROI. The MCAC shouldbe
measured quarterlyandstrategiesadjustedbasedoff the findings. A highMCAC ratiomeansthat either
too muchis beingspentonmarketingorthe campaignsare simplynoteffectiveinachievingthe desired
results. (Shuteyev,2013)
Marketing Originated Customer %
The marketingoriginatedcustomerpercentage illustratesthe percentage of new businessthatis
generatedasa resultof the company’smarketingcampaigns. Thisratioisfoundbycalculatingthe total
numberof newcustomersina givenperiodandthendeterminingthe numberof new customersthat
were broughtonby a leadthat was generateddirectlyfrommarketing. Thisisa verygoodmetricthat
can be usedtomeasure the effectivenessof the marketingeffortsof the company. While marketingis
taskedwithspreadingbrandawareness,ultimatelyitsmostvaluablefunctionistoattract new business.
OtterBox can use thisratioas measuringstickforitsmarketingeffectivenessandadjusttheirstrategy
basedoff the data generated. (Shuteyev,2013)
Online Conversion Rate and Goal Completion
OtterBox derivesalarge portionof theirbusinessfromonlinepurchases. Thisgoesforboththeir
domesticbusinessandanevenlargerportionof the global business. The goal of increasing revenue
generatedbyanestore mustinclude amethodfortrackingthe orderrate. Thisisdone by trackingthe

55. numberof visitorstothe website vsthe numberthatactuallyplace orders. Google analyticsisa
valuable tool inmeasuringconversionrate. (Donlon,2013)
Online Visitor Engagement
OtterBox isknownforputtingoutveryengagingcontentontheirwebsite andsocial media
sites. Theirwebsite isdynamicandsleek. Thus,visitorengagement isametricin whichtheyscore very
high. Visitorengagementlooksatseveral keyelementswhichare usedtodeterminethe effectiveness
of a company'swebpages. Firstoff,the time spentonthe page ismeasured. Obviously,the longera
customerspendsona company’swebsite the more likelythey are tobuysomethingorbecome engaged
withthe brand. If theyonlystopby for a minute ortwo,thenthe website didnotproduce enough
engagingcontenttopeakthe customer’sinterest.
Bounce rate isalsoan importantmetricto consider. Bounce rate isdeterminedbythe number
of people thatgoto the site anddo not go any furtherthanthe landingpage. If the bounce rate ishigh,
thenthe website isnoteffective ingettingpotential customerstobuyor be engagedwith the
brand. GivenOtterBox's large presence onsocial media, theywill wanttopayclose attentiontothe
numberof social sharesthe website isgenerating. Social sharesare like referrals. Itisa knownfact in
the businessworldthatpotential customersthatare referralsfromexistingcustomersare the easiestto
close. Social sharesisa goldmine fora companysuchas OtterBox. (Dolon,2013)

56. Social Media Marketing Metrics
OtterBox hasa very effective strategyinengagingtheircustomersviasocial media. Theyare
fullycommittedtodigital marketingandhave implementedabroadsocial strategy. It thenbecomes
veryimportantto track the resultsgeneratedfromtheseefforts. There are several social marketing
metricsthat are relevant toOtterBox’sstrategythatthey shouldevaluate. Below isa chart that
illustratessome of the topsocial mediamarketingmetrics. (Donlon,2013)
(Shuyetev,2013)
Trafficto the website isaveryimportantmetricforOtterBox to measure. The goal of their
overall marketingstrategyis togetsalesfromtheircustomers. Consumerscanpurchase productsfrom
the website notfromsocial sites. So,redirectingthemtothe website fromsocial sitesisacrucial
functionof theirsocial mediastrategy.

57. Repeatvisitstosocial sitesisalsoa vital metric. OtterBox’scustomerretentionstrategyisone
that surroundscreatinglifetimerelationships. Theyare notlookingfora one time purchase. So,
measuringrepeatvisitstotheirsocial sitesiscritical. Inorderto keeptheircustomersengagedwith
theirbrandand aware of newproducts,itis essentialthattheykeepcomingbacktotheirsocial sites.
(Donlon,2013)
Data Collection and Tracking Strategy
A reliable solutionfortrackingmetricsisessential fordeterminingthe successof campaignsand
for aligningstrategiesforthe future. IwouldrecommendOtterBox considerGoogle AdWords,asit
integratesverynicelywiththeirCRMsystem, SugarCRM. As I discussedinthe CRMreview sectionfor
thisproject,one of the beautiesof SugarCRMis itsopensource format. This makesforan easy
integrationwiththirdpartyapplicationssuchasGoogle AdWords. Opensource providescustomization
to fiteach company’sunique setof businessneeds. Thisisatremendousvalue addforSugarCRMand
one that OtterBox shouldtake advantage if theyaren’talready. (Sugar,2014)
Google AdWordshasemergedasa go to solutionforenterprisestotrackthe effectivenessof
campaigns. AdWordsenablesmarketerstodetermine whichcampaignstranslate toclicks. Additionally,
it hasa feature tomeasure conversionratestoactual sales. AdWordshasa feature calledConversion
Importthat enablestheiranalyticstobe importeddirectlyintoSugarCRM. Thisenablestrackingof the
salesprocessfroma generatedleadall the waytoa sale thatis closedwon. The flow chartbelow
illustratesthe progression insidethe CRMsystem. (Sugar, 2014)

58. In termsof tracking social mediametrics,Sugarisa greatsolutionforthisas well. Theirsocial
CRM platformwaslaunchedwiththe releaseof Sugar6. This enablesorganizationstomonitorand
track social mediaactivitiesdirectlyinside theirCRMdatabase. The opensource capabilitiesallowthis
feature tobe customizedtothe exactspecificationsof each company’ssocial strategy, unlike otherCRM
platformsthatprovide astock interface forall of theircustomers. With Sugar 6, organizations can
better leverage social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook, and LinkedIn to make sure they are
engaging each account and addressing their unique business needs. Sugar 6 allows end users to
measure traffic of their social sites and link the activity to their customer records in real time.
Once the data is in the CRM, customized reports can be pulled at the account level to measure
traffic and engagement with the brand via social media. This tool is a huge value add for
OtterBox as they are so heavily vested in digital media. Being able to track the results of their

59. campaigns at the account level gives OtterBox the ability to closely monitor relationships and
provide their customers the personal touch that they are so famous for. (Sugar, 2014)
Without a doubt there are many more metrics that OtterBox’s marketing team and
analysts look at. However, I feel the ones I have discussed in this essay are some of the most
relevant given the type of business they are in. As far as analyzing the data generated from the
metrics, it is obvious that the choice to use Sugar’s open source platform was a very strategic
decision as it is an ideal fit for their business needs.

60. Chapter 7: Customer
Loyalty and Retention
Strategies

61. In mycareer,I have workedfora few of the largestmobile communicationcompanies. Iwas
alwaysamazedthatthere was sucha largeremphasisputonacquiringnew customersoverretaining
currentcustomers. Firstoff,they all paidtheirsalesexecutivesexponentiallymore fornew activations
than renewals. One mobile companyIworkedfordidnotpay anythingatall for retainingacustomer.
Compensationdrivesbehavior;so,itisno wonderthanmobile companiesgenerallyhave apoor
reputationforcustomerservice. Anotherwaytheyfavornew customeroverexistingisthat theyoffer
newcustomersmuchbetterpromotions. While IcannotspeaktoOtterBox’scompensationplans,Ido
knowthat that there isan intense focus aroundgettingrepeatbusiness. Loyaltyandcustomerretention
are a keypiece inOtterBox’sbusinessplanforlongtermgrowth andbrandsustainability.
Customerloyaltystrategiesare centered oninspiringcustomersandbuildingrelationships.
OtterBox doesanimpeccable jobwithboth. Itisclear that creatinga companyculture thatpromotes
repeatbusiness andrelationshipbuilding startsatthe topwithOtterBox. Ina recentinterview inthe
DenverBusinessJournal,OtterBox’sCEOBrianThomasstatesthe followingonthe type of relationships
OtterBox attemptstocultivate withtheircustomerbase:
“We try and fosterlong-termbusinessrelationshipsthatare win-winforeverybody. We ask
ourselves,howdowe increase valueforthe customerwhere theycan’tlive withoutus?
Everybodyinthe worldcan buildproducts,buttobuildthatbrand that people wanttoengage
with—that’swhatlastsovertime.”(Hendee,2013)
I put thisto the test withthe customersatisfactionsurveyIsentoutto mynetworkoversocial
media. One of the questionsIaskedwas,“How likelyare youto continue tobuyOtterBox casesinthe
future?” The resultswere impressive;65% saidthey were verylikely tocontinuebuyingOtterBoxcases,
21% sayingsomewhatlikely,andonly14% sayingtheywere unlikely.

62. AnotherwayOtterBox inspiresitscustomersand buildsbrandloyaltyisthroughtheir
communityoutreachfoundation,OtterCares. Thisisthe charitable armof the company whose purpose
isto give back to the communitiesthathave supportedOtterBox andenableditssuccess. Byhavinga
communityoutreachprogram,OtterBox isable tobuildrelationshipswiththeircustomersoutinthe
fieldandhelpthemwithcharitable programsthattheyare verypassionate about. Thisprogram isa win
for everyone involved.
I have a fewretentionstrategiesof myownthatI thinkOtterBox shouldconsider. The firstone
wouldbe to create a quarterlycontestforthe bestpicture submittedtoInstagram bycustomers using
theirOtterBox coveredtechnology. The winnerof the contestwould receive afree iPadoutfittedwith
an OtterBox case. Thiswoulddrive trafficandcreate excitement andengagementviaInstagram. AsI
mentionedpreviously, OtterBoxalreadydoesatremendousjobwiththeirInstagramsite. However,I
feel thatthiscontestwouldhelptake ittothe nextlevel. Theycoulduse theirothersocial mediasites
to create awarenesssurroundingthe contestanddirectfollowerstotheirInstagrampage. The winner’s
picture wouldbe publicizedall overOtterBox’sothersocial mediachannelscreditingthemfortheir
amazingphoto.
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70
Very Likely
Somewhat Likely
Unlikely
Repeat Business Likelihood
Repeat Business Likelihood

63. A CONTEST WOULD BOOST OTTERBOX’S PRESENCE ON INSTAGRAM AND CREATE EXCITEMENT. THEY WOULD ALSO END UP WITH
SOME REALLY COOL PICTURES OF CUSTOMERS USING THEIR PRODUCTS THAT THEY MIGHT BE ABLE TO USE IN SUBSEQUENT
CAMPAIGNS.
Additionally,I wouldpropose athankyou letterbe includedintheirpackaging. The thankyou
wouldthankthe customerfortheirbusinessand containuseful information suchascontact information
for customercare,and warrantyinformation. ItwouldalsocontainaninvitationtofollowOtterBox on
all theirsocial mediachannels.
I was recently grantedpublishingprivileges onLinkedIn. Idecidedtopublish anarticle on
summarizingseveral of myfindingsfromthisproject. Inthe commentsection,Igot a replyfroman
OtterBox detractor. She statedthat hercase broke aftera drop only a few monthsafterbuyingit. She
thenbecame disenchantedwithOtterBoxand boughta competitor’scase. Irepliedtohersayingthat
she shouldhave contactedOtterBox’scustomercare and that hercase wasunderwarranty. She replied
to me and said she was unaware of the warranty. My guessisthat had thiscustomerreceivedathank
youletterwiththe warrantyinformationshe wouldbe anOtterBox promoternotadetractor.

64. Lastly,I wouldcreate the OtterGreenTeamto encourage people torecycle theiroldcase.
Those that submita picture of themrecyclingtheiroldcase viaemail wouldreceive anadditional 5%
discountoff theirpurchase. OtterBox hasa lotof outdoorsycustomers. Thisgrouphas an infinityfor
protectingthe environmentandarewardsprogram thatis builtonbeinggreenwouldgoa longtowards
earningbrandloyalty.
Measuringcustomerloyaltyandretentionwouldbe basedoff repeatpurchases. AsImentioned
above,the CRMsystemwouldbe usedtotrack purchase history. Thiswouldonlybe effective for
trackingcustomersthat purchase directlyfromOtterBox’swebsite. Currently,OtterBox isunableto
track purchasesmade fromoutside distributionchannelsintheirCRM. Thisisan upgrade that I would
recommendtheymake tobettermanage theircustomerrelationships andtracksalespatterns. Onlya
small percentage of OtterBox’ssalescome fromtheirwebsite. Mostconsumersprefertopurchase the
accessoriesfortheirphone ortabletat the same time. Theydo soat a retailerorviaan online channel
where theycanpurchase both the phone andan OtterBox case.

65. Anotherindicatorforbrandloyaltyandengagementwouldbe measuredviasocial media
channels. Asthe numberof followersgrow sowouldOtterBox’sbrandloyalty. The dataregardingsocial
mediagrowthwouldalsobe recordingandanalyzedusingthe CRMsystem.
I have includedabudgetbelowonthe estimatedcoststoimplementmycustomerretention
strategies.
CUSTOMER LOYALTY & RETENTION MARKETING
BUDGET OUTLINE
$ Amount
DIRECT MARKETING COSTS
Marketing Materials and translation costs $5000
Thank You Letters Printing Cost $50,000
Sub-total Direct Marketing Costs $60,000
INTERACTIVE/INTERNET MARKETING
Social Media/Viral Marketing costs $1000
Web-Site Design/Revisions $10,000
Instagram Quarterly Photo Contest $2800
Web-site Maintenance/Updates $5000
CRM Improvements $30,000
Sub-total Interactive/Internet Marketing Costs $48,800

66. PERSONAL SELLING/SALES PROMOTION COSTS
Employee Training Costs $10,000
Green Team Sales Promotion $1,000,000
Sub-total Personal Selling/SalesPromotion Costs $1,000,010
TOTAL CUSTOMER LOYALTY & RETENTION
MARKETING COSTS
$1,108,810

67. Chapter 8: Sales Forecast and Long Term Growth Predictions

68. Withthe tremendousbrandloyaltyOtterBox hascurrently;and,takingintoeffectthe retention
plansI have suggested,Ihave developedanestimate forcustomerlifetimevalue. According tothe
reportI foundon Forbes from2010 to 2012, OtterBox experienceda238% increase inYOY revenue. In
2012, theyreported$539.8 millioninrevenue. Withthe adoptionrate of tabletsincreasingworldwide;
and, withthe continuedexpansionof OtterBox’sbrandintoglobal markets,Iwouldexpectthistrendto
continue andthe estimatednumbersbelow reflectthat. (ncbr.com, 2013)
AVERAGE CUSTOMER INFORMATION ANALYSIS
Average profit per purchase/order $25 Customer lifetime value $1,115
Average number of orders per year 1 Customer retention rate 80%
Average customer lifetime (years) 45
Overall customer lifetime
value $55,750,000,000
Average costto acquisition $5 Overall annual profit $575,000,000
Average costto retention $5
COMPANY INFORMATION
# of customers 50,000,000
# of new customersper year 30,000,000
# of lost customers per year 6,000,000
If OtterBox’sscorchingrevenue growthrate holdslikeIexpectitto,thentheywill doover1.5
billiondollarsinsalesin2014. Havingspentovera decade invarioussalescapacitiesinthe wireless
industry forthree of the largestcarriersin the world,Ihave a lotexperience makingsalesforecasts. I
wouldexpectOtterBox’sbiggestmonthbyfarinrevenue tobe Decemberasmany people buynew

69. smartphones andtabletsasChristmasgifts. The wirelessaccessoryindustryalsohasabigincrease in
revenue duringthistime of year. Myforecastwouldbe for 400 million dollarsinsalesforDecemberand
thenan average of 100 millionforthe other11 monthsof the year. I wouldexpectthatthislevel of
growthcouldnot be sustainedandwill eventuallylevel off. Ithinkthat OtterBox will remainin a
substantial growthpatternforthe next3-5 years. Theymay continue togrow after thatjust notat the
blazingrate theyhave beenexperiencing overthe next. Thiswill be due tomarketsaturationnot
because of any dropin the qualityof theirproducts.
If you are attemptingtogrowyour companyintosomethingamazing,follow OtterBox'sleadby
implementingaculture thatencouragesinnovation,provideworldclass customerservice,embrace
digital marketing,andcreate ahighqualityproduct thatappealsto a wide range of consumers. Iknow,
easiersaidthandone!
Superb Innovation +ExcellentCustomerService + EngagingDigital Marketing + HighQualityProducts = OTTERBOX

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