In the run-run to its 2018 Cool and Hot Vendor Forum on October 18 in Orlando, Florida, the Gartner Observatory is developing case studies to spotlight the most impactful, innovating and intriguing firms we have spoken to, out of hundreds of Cool Vendor designation holders who have taken part in our research. In this case study, our communications director Suwen Chen outline the process for winning the designation, and what the outcomes were.

1. COOL VENDOR IN HUMAN
CAPITAL MANAGEMENT,
2017
Phoned by analysts, they got to know that
they may be a Cool Vendor, which became
true. But the analysts gave no background
information, leaving Arctic Shore with a lot of
questions, like:
Arctic Shores provides innovative Game-Bases
Assessments, which gives valuable insights about
people so that the diversity and quality of hires
improves, as well as the Return on Investment.
"Our mission is to help companies make better people
choices and help people to make better career
choices."
"Is it good to be a Cool Vendor?"
"Who are the other companies being called Cool Vendors?"
"What are they doing to promote the Cool Vendors?"
"I have absolutely no idea how [Gartner] came across us."
"It came and went like a sort of firework that you think is going
to be really exciting and then it's just a little firework from the
big grand one."
They have won a couple of other awards, for example the HR
Tech most disruptive startup, which they used for marketing.
They put it on their e-mail banners, presentations and website.
Arctic Shore hasn't done anything like this with the Cool
Vendor because they didn't know how impactful it can be.
Now as they had realised which opportunities it opens they
wonder if they could still use the CV for marketing, even
though they've been named a Cool Vendor back in April 2017.
Another reason why they did not promote it yet, is that Gartner
has a very strict policy about how you can use it.
WINNING
THE CV
USING
THE CV
After winning the CV, they got a lot calls
from Venture Capital, which knew about
Arctic Shore only because they've been
named a Cool Vendor. This was when they
realised it is a bigger deal than they believed
in the beginning.

2. "The only people who've really got analysts
budgets are the big companies."
Arctic Shores approaches analysts mainly by
going to events like HR Tech, where they talk
to analysts.
MORE DETAILS ON COOL VENDOR FORUM 2018:
HTTP://WWW.GARTNEROBSERVATORY.ORG/
GARTNER OBSERVATORY, A UEBS RESEARCH
PROJECT
Gartner should have a programme to
support start-ups, like a bundle,
consisting of documents like
employment contract and privacy
documents.
Gartner should offer a less expensive service for start-ups,
which for example could include a CV support, two of their
reports of the year and a webinar, which both Gartner and
the start-ups are able to use on their websites. Arctic Shore
would subscribe such a service right away.
The CV should be seen as a marketing tool by Gartner
because it is really prestigious.
There really was a need for something like the CV forum so
that analysts and interesting vendors can meet up and
exchange experiences to learn from one another.
They're reaching out to the analysts proactively because
analysts focus on the big companies - Analysts don't reach
out to start-ups, even though they need those smaller
companies to expand their pool.
That's one reason for the company's need to grow. They
need to be big enough to be able to be recognized by
analysts.
ANALYST
RELATION-
SHIP
ROOM
FOR
IMPROVE-
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