AVer Information Co., Ltd.
AVer Information Co., Ltd.
Ask Co., Ltd.
Business: Design, manufacture and sale of presentation equipment such as document cameras,mobile device charge carts, video conference systems and security recorders
Business: Design, manufacture, sale and import / export of electronic devices and parts, etc. Sales agent of AVer Information Co., Ltd.
Business: Design, manufacture, sale and import / export of electronic devices and parts, etc. Sales agent of AVer Information Co., Ltd.
As products and services become more uniform, the importance of gaining recognition is increasing, even for corporate products.
Coming from a absence of marketing staff, AVer Information achieved an astonishing result of ""700% increase in sales"" with the implementation of
article marketing for acquiring brand awareness as part of a media utilization strategy.
For more information on advertorial article this page
| Introduction of background and issues | Their products are aimed at corporate clients, and sales and strategy depended on distributors There was no way to communicate the benefits of Web conferencing to potential customers. |
|---|---|
| Implementation details | Placed 3 advertorial contents on business oriented media site "ITmedia Business Online". |
| Effect of use |
"Usage of article marketing covering topics which interest potential adopters such as, ""The merits of web conferencing",
"Introduction of the company's web conferencing products", and "product review after usage" attracted a large amount of search traffic.
Increase in the number of trial inquiries by providing leads from advertorial contents to sales agents
Increase in inquiries from areas without sales bases as well. As a result, a sales growth of 700% compared to the previous year was achieved. |
記事公開日：2021年01月22日
In recent years, even for corporate (B2B) products, it has become difficult to differentiate by product alone. Manufacturers tend to think that they can understand it by picking it up and using it, but as products and services become more uniform, it is becoming more important to gain awareness of products and company names. ..
AVer Information, which manufactures and sells presentation equipment such as document cameras for corporations and the "Premium Web Camera" series of high-quality Web conference USB cameras, was one of the companies that had such problems.
AVer Information is a global company that provides products to more than 100 countries around the world, and one of its main products, the premium webcam series, realizes immersive webcams with extremely high image quality. However, since this product is for corporations, it could not be said that it is generally well known in Japan. In addition, the Japanese branch office, which started in 2009, mainly engages in activities through sales agents. Their main problems were circulating information brand recognition directly to consumers.
However, as a result of working on circulating information using the media and building a sales strategy, we achieved an astonishing result of not only gaining recognition but also “700% increase in sales” from the previous year. We asked them how the company succeeded in its media-based sales strategy, saying, "A year ago, there was no marketer and a sales representative was also in charge."
AVer Information, which manufactures and sells presentation equipment such as document cameras for corporations and the "Premium Web Camera" series of high-quality Web conference USB cameras, was one of the companies that had such problems.
AVer Information is a global company that provides products to more than 100 countries around the world, and one of its main products, the premium webcam series, realizes immersive webcams with extremely high image quality. However, since this product is for corporations, it could not be said that it is generally well known in Japan. In addition, the Japanese branch office, which started in 2009, mainly engages in activities through sales agents. Their main problems were circulating information brand recognition directly to consumers.
However, as a result of working on circulating information using the media and building a sales strategy, we achieved an astonishing result of not only gaining recognition but also “700% increase in sales” from the previous year. We asked them how the company succeeded in its media-based sales strategy, saying, "A year ago, there was no marketer and a sales representative was also in charge."
I heard the story at a web conference.
It is clear from this screen that the attending AVer Information participants are using a premium webcam to create a realistic environment with clear images.
We spoke with Mr. Shinichi Usui (upper photo right), Deputy Section Manager Hiroshi Miyazaki (upper photo left), Mr. Takahiro Machida (upper photo), and sales agent. I'm Yoshihiro Maeda (lower middle), General Manager, Sales Support Office, Media & Enterprise Division, Ask Media & Enterprise Division, who is in charge of premium webcams at a certain ask.
● Shifting the idea to “appealing use cases, not products”
――Three advertorial tie up articles were posted from January 2019 on the web media "ITmedia Business Online" operated by ITmedia. Before all else, amongst various advertising methods, what is the reason for placing advertorial articles on Web media?
■ advertorial article posted on ITmedia Business Online from January 2019
Should I use a dedicated camera for web conferencing? Explanation of the reason and recommended models by usage scene https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/1912/19/news004.html
Easily build a rich teleconferencing system! I tried using a camera dedicated to web conferencing in the editorial department https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/2003/02/news008.html
It looks like you're in the conference room even though you're outside !? I tried using a web conferencing camera in the editorial department https://www.itmedia.co.jp/business/articles/2003/09/news004.html
Mr. Miyazaki: From the perspective of preventing the spread of the new coronavirus infection, the words and merits of remote work and telecommuting are widely known, and I think that our company, our products, and the "AVer" brand are becoming more widely known.
Mr. Machida: AVer Information was established in December 2009, but premium webcams and other products have been sold in Japan through distributors even before the establishment. However, in Japan, many people recognize that it is a video conference system that costs millions of yen for remote conferences, and the system itself, which is a web conference that can be used cheaply and easily with a PC and a USB camera without specialized staff, is compared to other countries. It wasn't very popular.
Therefore, in Japan as well, we considered advertising as a means to spread the word about the merits of web conferencing and, by extension, to increase awareness that "AVer brand products are useful for web conferencing."
Mr. Miyazaki: We have adopted a model that asks the sales agent to sell to customers, but there was also a reflection that we depended on the sales agent before considering the placement. As a manufacturer, I also wanted to raise awareness of products and brands by placing advertisements that introduce the benefits of introduction to customers in an easy-to-understand manner, and to carry out sales activities together with sales agents.
However, at that time, there was no marketer and a sales representative was also in charge, and since I was mainly selling to distributors, it was my first time to place an advertisement in-house. After consulting with V-cube, we asked him to share the effects and numerical values of advertising on the web media, and decided to advertise on the web media.
Mr. Machida: AVer Information was established in December 2009, but premium webcams and other products have been sold in Japan through distributors even before the establishment. However, in Japan, many people recognize that it is a video conference system that costs millions of yen for remote conferences, and the system itself, which is a web conference that can be used cheaply and easily with a PC and a USB camera without specialized staff, is compared to other countries. It wasn't very popular.
Therefore, in Japan as well, we considered advertising as a means to spread the word about the merits of web conferencing and, by extension, to increase awareness that "AVer brand products are useful for web conferencing."
Mr. Miyazaki: We have adopted a model that asks the sales agent to sell to customers, but there was also a reflection that we depended on the sales agent before considering the placement. As a manufacturer, I also wanted to raise awareness of products and brands by placing advertisements that introduce the benefits of introduction to customers in an easy-to-understand manner, and to carry out sales activities together with sales agents.
However, at that time, there was no marketer and a sales representative was also in charge, and since I was mainly selling to distributors, it was my first time to place an advertisement in-house. After consulting with V-cube, we asked him to share the effects and numerical values of advertising on the web media, and decided to advertise on the web media.
――However, there are many web media. Why did you choose ITmedia Business Online?
Mr. Miyazaki: After comparing the performance of various media, I chose ITmedia Business Online, which seems to be cost-effective. In addition, the editorial department is developing a project to support work style reform, "Web conference, OK!", And I sympathized with that message.
Mr. Miyazaki: After comparing the performance of various media, I chose ITmedia Business Online, which seems to be cost-effective. In addition, the editorial department is developing a project to support work style reform, "Web conference, OK!", And I sympathized with that message.
● Increased inquiries from new customers, sales increased 7 times
――Three advertorial tie up articles have been posted on ITmedia Business Online. How was the response?
Mr. Miyazaki: In addition to gaining recognition for this advertorial article, there is also the aim of conducting sales activities together with sales agents, so all three tie-up articles posted are sales agents. We have added a mechanism to guide readers to the Ask web store, a sales distributor of Aver.
Mr. Miyazaki: In addition to gaining recognition for this advertorial article, there is also the aim of conducting sales activities together with sales agents, so all three tie-up articles posted are sales agents. We have added a mechanism to guide readers to the Ask web store, a sales distributor of Aver.
Posted advertorial article. Clicking "Product Lending Request" or "Material Request" (red frame) on the right side of the screen will take you to the page of Ask, the distributor.
Mr. Maeda: Although Ask sells premium webcams, we were able to receive many contact from new customers who requested verification through the posting of advertorials, which led to actual sales. I was able to reconfirm how important it is to appeal to people who do not know the product or brand.
When I decided to place an advertisement with AVer Information, I never imagined a situation like the COVID-19 pandemic, but at the same time as increasing the market share of premium webcams with advertorials, "introduction of various uses" It was really good to be able to do it. At first glance, it is a product with limited uses, but it is also a big harvest to find that there are various uses depending on the customer.
--Did the increase in inquiries affect actual sales?
Mr. Maeda: Not all of this is the effect of this measure, but we achieved sales in the first quarter of 2020 from the previous year.
Mr. Miyazaki:By being able to “keep up with the times" and "receive the full support of Ask, our sales distributor", AVer Information achieved sales of 7 times that of last year.
When I decided to place an advertisement with AVer Information, I never imagined a situation like the COVID-19 pandemic, but at the same time as increasing the market share of premium webcams with advertorials, "introduction of various uses" It was really good to be able to do it. At first glance, it is a product with limited uses, but it is also a big harvest to find that there are various uses depending on the customer.
--Did the increase in inquiries affect actual sales?
Mr. Maeda: Not all of this is the effect of this measure, but we achieved sales in the first quarter of 2020 from the previous year.
Mr. Miyazaki:By being able to “keep up with the times" and "receive the full support of Ask, our sales distributor", AVer Information achieved sales of 7 times that of last year.
● With professional assistance, the "user's perspective" made sense in planning.
――It's an amazing result, 700% increase in sales from the previous year. The three advertorial articles posted are structured to trigger interest for those considering introduction, such as "Should a camera be used for web conferencing," "Introduction of typical products," and "Introduction of actual usability." How was the plan composition plan made?
Mr. Miyazaki: In the fall of 2019, when we decided to place the advertorial articles, we believe that web conferencing was not recognized on a public level. Therefore, in thinking about the story development of "how to spread awareness and stimulate demand for products", the editorial department who knows the readers who are potential purchasers has helped us in various ways. ..Thanks to the editors and ideas, I think the three articles have also improved.
A web conference that connects the AVer Information staff and the editorial department with a premium webcam, which was actually held in the advertorial article advertorial.
You can clearly see from the photos that the conference is realistic due to the use of premium webcams.
You can clearly see from the photos that the conference is realistic due to the use of premium webcams.
The manufacturer will inevitably think about the appeal of the product, but since we were able to compose an article that included the user's perspective and the perspective of the user candidate who is considering introducing it, the content was completed as a content suitable for sales activities. I think it was.
As with this advertorial article ITmedia Inc., I have the impression that the content created by ITmedia is not limited to product introductions, but that it is good at grasping the merits of using it. The users who actually use it pay attention to "what can be done with it", so I'm grateful that they offer such a perspective.
――I think that tasks such as recognition acquisition and media placement are quite heavy tasks for sales staff. You said, "A year ago, there was no marketer, and a sales representative was also in charge." Did you strengthen your system through this advertorial article advertorial placement?
Mr. Miyazaki: In January 2020, when the first of these measures was published, Mr. Usui was appointed as a full-time marketer.
As with this advertorial article ITmedia Inc., I have the impression that the content created by ITmedia is not limited to product introductions, but that it is good at grasping the merits of using it. The users who actually use it pay attention to "what can be done with it", so I'm grateful that they offer such a perspective.
――I think that tasks such as recognition acquisition and media placement are quite heavy tasks for sales staff. You said, "A year ago, there was no marketer, and a sales representative was also in charge." Did you strengthen your system through this advertorial article advertorial placement?
Mr. Miyazaki: In January 2020, when the first of these measures was published, Mr. Usui was appointed as a full-time marketer.
Mr. Usui: I have been in charge of overall marketing since January 2020. At the start of this measure, I wasn't really aware of target reach,
When I received the publication report, I found that I was able to reach various companies, corporations, and schools. It was difficult to reach such a wide range with conventional sales methods, so I think we have achieved great results. Inquiries from customers in areas where there are no sales offices are increasing, so this is also a big achievement.
From the marketing perspective of the manufacturer, there are various options for advertising to gain recognition, such as newspapers and magazines, and transportation, but it is difficult to judge whether the cost-effectiveness was achieved according to the purpose. However, if it is deployed on Web media, the results will be quantified, so I think it was good that this measure made it easier to make this decision.
● "Easy to sell" situation created by advertorial article
--There was a talk about the marketing perspective of reaching the target. Did you become aware of your target from a sales perspective when you started the awareness-raising measure of advertorial article advertorials?
Mr. Maeda: Premium webcams are products that can be used in a variety of occupations, so we did not narrow down the target strongly. As a measure, it has the character of reaching a wide range of people, and in fact, we received a lot of feedback.
From this response, it was confirmed that the awareness of "environmental sharing" that shares the environment as if it were nearby even in a remote place is spreading, and by providing a high-quality premium webcam, that need You also got the response that you can respond to.
Mr. Miyazaki: To be honest, I didn't have the capacity to think so much before the measures, so I had to give up on the car (laughs), but I was able to collaborate well with the sales agent Ask, through the posting of advertorials. Our company, AVer Information, is not a business model that sells directly to end users, so we believe it is important to create a situation where it is easy for partners such as sales agents to sell.
Due to low name recognition, there had been no purchases by customers who specifically named “AVer” until the advertorial articles but I would like to continue to make the name of "AVer" known through measures like this time and create a situation where partners can easily sell. ..
Mr. Maeda: Premium webcams are products that can be used in a variety of occupations, so we did not narrow down the target strongly. As a measure, it has the character of reaching a wide range of people, and in fact, we received a lot of feedback.
From this response, it was confirmed that the awareness of "environmental sharing" that shares the environment as if it were nearby even in a remote place is spreading, and by providing a high-quality premium webcam, that need You also got the response that you can respond to.
Mr. Miyazaki: To be honest, I didn't have the capacity to think so much before the measures, so I had to give up on the car (laughs), but I was able to collaborate well with the sales agent Ask, through the posting of advertorials. Our company, AVer Information, is not a business model that sells directly to end users, so we believe it is important to create a situation where it is easy for partners such as sales agents to sell.
Due to low name recognition, there had been no purchases by customers who specifically named “AVer” until the advertorial articles but I would like to continue to make the name of "AVer" known through measures like this time and create a situation where partners can easily sell. ..
* The information provided is as of January 2021.
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