| |
Overview
Client List
Case Studies
- NetApp
- Ramco Systems
- Neoforma
- Reactivity
- NetScreen
- Resonate
Testimonials |
|
NetScreen Case Study
Category:
Network Security Appliances
About:
Located in Sunnyvale, CA, NetScreen was a startup company founded in 1997 by three engineers from Cisco, Intel, and Healtheon. It took just nine months for the team to come up with the first in a line of ASIC-based hardware solutions, integrating firewall and VPN traffic shaping functionality into a single box.
Challenge:
By the spring of 1999, NetScreen was successfully selling its low end, high performance firewall products through a small dealer network. The CEO wanted to take the company to the next level by positioning it effectively in the security industry, expanding the product line, improving the company image, and more aggressively capturing market share. NetScreen looked to trusted advisors for a strategic marketing consultant and based on her reputation and experience Barbara Saxby was selected as interim VP of Marketing to drive these initiatives.
Assignment:
Full-time, charter interim VP of Marketing and member of the executive management team from April through December of 1999. Key responsibilities included; rebranding, repositioning and launching the company, developing the marketing and channel strategies and executing the plan, new product development, and management of the marketing team.
Process:
The first step in the rebranding process was to hire a design firm to create a new corporate identity. This award winning logo remained the anchor of the brand through the life of the company. A new Website was created with powerful new messaging and product content information. Analysts were pre-briefed to test the new positioning around high performance and the low cost of the new firewall appliance. The core branding and awareness programs included widespread print advertising and public relations campaigns, along with a coming out party at a major industry security event. During this time, we also worked with the executive team on new product plans as well as the OEM product strategy.
We also had a direct impact on revenue generation during this six month assignment. As one of the corporate strategies was to expand the dealer channel, we defined a new partner marketing strategy and hired a partner marketing manager to create sales tools, including presentations, collateral, and training materials. Working with the CEO and the sales team, we successfully increased the number and size of the partners, and the associated revenue generated through this channel by initiating a variety of dealer incentive promotions and programs.
Outcome:
All of these results were achieved in six months, and we transitioned work to the next VP of Marketing who saw the company through a successful IPO. NetScreen Technologies went public in 2001 and was acquired by Juniper Networks (NASDAQ: JNPR) in April 2004 in an all stock deal worth approximately $4 billion. |
 |
“Barbara joined Netscreen as interim VP of Marketing to accelerate our early stage growth. She helped take the company to the next level and position it effectively in the security industry as a provider of high-performance low cost firewalls. Barbara did a great job to develop a new corporate image and launched the company through branding and marketing programs and contributed to our strategic product direction.”
— Robert Thomas, CEO, NetScreen
|
 |
