Dynamic Marketing Handouts: Interactive content replacing static PDFs and PPTs
The Challenge
Our clients are sector analyst teams within the sell-side division of a global bulge bracket bank. All teams had to update marketing handouts on a monthly basis. Since each handout included over 100 charts, and tables linked to multiple source files, the update process would take anywhere from two or three days, depending on the amount of content involved. Also, although teams had a valuable inflow of research reports, they weren’t making best use of them – particularly if they included largescale data across extended time series. On top of that, each client meeting demanded a presentation featuring specific themes and charts. So teams were creating multiple versions of their handouts, which they updated and shared with clients as hard copies. The client needed a solution that would not only streamline the update process, but convert the marketing handout into a digital format, with interactive and engaging charts
Our Solution
We developed a responsive, web-based data repository of research content, allowing it to be quickly and easily accessed across multiple devices such as tablets and mobile phones. First, our team of publishing managers, visualizers and designers sat down with the analyst teams to understand the key themes and chart types that they needed to create for their sectors. Then, our visualization experts developed unique designs, illustrations and infographics that enhanced data representation. Each visual includes reference links back to research reports. We created templates (called ‘placemats’) for each section of the presentation. Each section featured the specific charts, structure and storyline for the sector. Development was streamlined through rapid iterations and all layouts were pre-approved with analyst teams.
Business Impact
We helped the client transform their static marketing handouts into an interactive digital format. Our solution largely automated the process of updating marketing handouts, delivering a 50% time saving for the client. With the new system, updates that were previously handled manually can be carried out in real time, bringing the team’s insights to clients more quickly than ever before. The new solution also enabled web analytics, so that analyst teams can track data points like readership, average time spent per page, charts downloaded etc. Previously, teams were printing and binding stacks of presentations to share with clients. Now, they simply share a link, saving more time as well as printing costs. Since the platform is bundled in a Content Management System (CMS), it will be scalable in response to future needs, with quicker and easier updates and improvements. The CMS also supports multiple security layers, improving information security.