Case Study: Establishing a strategic consulting offer

The Challenge

Tessella has delivered data science services to R&D-driven organisations for decades. As data and AI become board-level issues, Tessella’s expertise is being sought for digital transformation of R&D.

Whilst the skillsets and offer components existed, articulating this as a single complex strategic offer was a challenge. This has required them to elevate their message from one around delivery, to one around strategy.

Developing Strategic Content

It was recognised that Tessella needed to demonstrate credibility, not just messages. It was also recognised that this was a new area for many customers where they desperately needed good guidance.

We embarked on a piece of thought leadership that would help senior decision makers understand how to digitise their R&D – focussing initially on R&D in consumer goods. 

Memetic interviewed Tessella’s strategic consulting team, reviewed internal materials on data science frameworks and sucessful projects, and evaluated other offers in this space. We drew on our experience of strategic challenges in this space to ask tough questions, and identify and draw out the insight business decision makers needed.

This led to a report A roadmap for data driven transformation of R&D in Consumer Packaged Goods which articulated what Digital R&D is, the challenges of delivering it, and actionable insights into how to overcome them.

Results

The report has also been used in digital lead gen campaigns to reach strategic business audiences and has generated 12 quality leads from multinational FMCG organisations. 

But the main value has been in helping Tessella to clarify and solidify its offer and agree how to articulate it, helping sales teams and consultants to sell the offer to clients.

The narrative has received positive responses when delivered to potential clients and there are signs of early successes. Tessella won a significant piece of work, in a competitive pitch against one of the world’s largest management consultancies for Strategic Digital R&D Consulting. The new customer said they made the decision because ‘Tessella clearly understand this space’.

The report and content derived from it will form the basis of ongoing marketing over the coming year.

Dr John Godfree, Head of Consulting at Tessella, says

“We’ve brought together disparate parts of our organisation and offers to deliver strategic consulting for Digital R&D. We can now articulate this extremely high value offer in a clear and coherent way.”

“The thought leadership report has been a valuable lead gen and marketing tool in itself. But the process of developing this collaboratively with Memetic – and the resulting narrative Memetic guided us towards – have probably been even more valuable, as they have helped us elevate our entire communication and sales message to senior audiences.”