ABM Heroes

How GoodShape shaped up workplace wellbeing

Every success story has its chapters, each marked by unique challenges and triumphs. And at the heart of every story, there's a hero, who battles against the villains to save the day.

In our tale, there are no dragons or princesses; this is the remarkable account of GoodShape's ABM journey, and Terry Osborne stands as our ABM Hero.

Without delay, let's delve into how Terry achieved her remarkable success story through the power of Account-based Marketing (ABM)...

At a glance:

Challenge: Reposition GoodShape brand, generate sales conversations, and build qualified pipeline into key target accounts
Solution: A blended ABM program
Results: £1m+ pipeline opportunities generated

Terry Osborne, previous Director of Marketing at employee wellbeing firm GoodShape, had set herself a tough ask. To deliver a rebrand of the company, build awareness of the company’s full offering, and engage target accounts in a new way.

Terry was overseeing the business shifting its market positioning – from a single-point solution for absence management to a comprehensive employee health and wellbeing management solutions provider.

The Marketing team overseen by Terry was small, and predominantly focused on events and PR. These strategies alone would not move the dial and create the account relationships that were needed to power the growth of GoodShape.

Terry had been reviewing Account-based strategies for some time, and Goodshape was the perfect opportunity to enact them.

A leader in the field of employee health and wellbeing management, GoodShape was founded almost 20 years ago as one of the UK’s first providers of absence management technology.

Today, its progressive approach and service delivery are trusted by major organizations, including the UK National Health Service (NHS) and Philips.

Combining multidisciplinary clinical expertise in-house with the latest Employee Health Management Software Platform (EHMP), employee app and in-depth data insights, GoodShape’s impactful programs help public and private sector employers to transform their workplace wellbeing and, in turn, the organizations’ operational performance – achieving, on average:

20-40% reduction in lost working time
Recovery of one working week per employee per year
Quicker and healthier return to work

GoodShape’s value proposition was perfectly aligned with the growing realization among organizations of the need to build working cultures of holistic wellbeing, with issues such as mental health, recruitment, talent retention and physical health now at the forefront.

While companies recognize the need to improve employee wellbeing, they do not necessarily have the data to benchmark the current health of their workforce. Consequently, they are unable to measure their wellbeing initiatives, understand their success, or know where to make the right investment decisions.

Terry’s initial challenge was to raise awareness and drive sales conversations with key target account decision-makers of how GoodShape’s offer would help them meet these wellbeing challenges.

Terry partnered with specialist ABM agency, strategicabm, and together they set to work on designing an Account-based strategy.

Every ABM strategy starts with alignment with the organization’s business objectives.

This was certainly the case with GoodShape, with the Executive team forming part of the selection process and ABM strategy workshops with strategicabm.

Terry and her Marketing team shared data on current customers, key target accounts, and historical win/loss sales data. Input from Sales was key at this stage.

The two teams worked together to confirm the Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), talked extensively with Sales to understand what makes a good GoodShape customer, and aligned on a target account list based on both quantitative and qualitative data.

Sectors:

Retail, Manufacturing, Transport & Logistics, Utilities, Healthcare and Local Government

Audience:

Chief HR Directors (CHRD), Chief Executive Officers (CEO), Chief Financial Officers (CFO), Chief Operations Officers (COO), as well as specific employee wellbeing leads

Every ABM strategy starts with alignment with the organization’s business objectives.

This was certainly the case with GoodShape, with the Executive team forming part of the selection process and ABM strategy workshops with strategicabm.

Terry and her Marketing team shared data on current customers, key target accounts, and historical win/loss sales data. Input from Sales was key at this stage.

GoodShape’s shift in proposition and market positioning had necessitated a new insights-based value proposition to be deployed as part of the ABM strategy.

Precisely aligned with the wellbeing needs of employees, and the resolution of clearly defined employer challenges, this North Star would form the core for all campaign messaging and creative.

Out of it was developed Terry’s always-on ABM engagement campaign, and proactive outreach that not only targeted Chief People/HR leaders, but also CEOs and CFOs on this journey, with the message that wellbeing is both good for your company and good for your employees.

Terry’s investment in ABM was rewarded with over 80% of target accounts engaged with the campaign.

The news was even better when it came to those all-important relationships.

Connections and conversations were generated with the UK Government’s Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and Transport for London (TfL), insurer Legal & General, half of the ‘Big Four’ professional services companies, Ernst & Young and PwC, retailers Tesco and Burberry, and consultancy firms including Capgemini.

Most impressively, the ABM program contributed to and influenced pipeline opportunities worth more than £1m, with major rail and FM companies.

Most impressively, the ABM program contributed to and influenced pipeline opportunities worth more than £1m, with major rail and FM companies.

Strategicabm’s Josh Weale, who worked closely with Terry on this campaign, summed up her ABM vision as follows:

GoodShape goes from strength to strength, now firmly positioned as a major player and thought leader in the world of workplace wellbeing.

Not only has the Account-based strategy created a new way of engaging key target accounts and winning new business, but it has also spawned a new way of working, driving closer synergies between Sales and Marketing.

The GoodShape Marketing team have led major initiatives that have changed the way many companies think about wellbeing. The online absence-impact calculator is now used by clients and prospects to improve their understanding of the cost implications of poor wellbeing within their organization, while at the same time generating high-value opportunities for GoodShape.

GoodShape Sales and Marketing teams are now in ‘great shape’, with the brand firmly positioned as the UK’s foremost wellbeing leader, the right MarTech to enable its ABM strategy, and a solid opportunity pipeline to power its future growth.