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Network9

Gold Stevie Award Winner 2013, Click to Enter The 2014 Steve Awards for Women in Business

Company: Network9, New York, NY
Entry Submitted By: Melissa Sones Consulting
Company Description: Network9 is a fast-growing, New York- based Web design firm at the cutting- edge intersection of online communication and technological innovation. Founded in 2005 by Carmen Yazejian, its customer-centric approach brings clients of all sizes a highly talented team with individual expertise in branding, design, SEO, copywriting - and, most of all, technological innovation.
Nomination Category: Communications & Marketing Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Online Marketing Campaign of the Year

Nomination Title: Network9, Marketing Campaign, Telehouse

Tell the story of this nominated marketing campaign for the judges (up to 525 words). Describe the genesis, planning, execution, and results to date of your campaign. If applicable, remember to describe what's unique or innovative about your campaign:

Title: Network9

To borrow a phrase, there’s no “I” in Network9.

Make no mistake: This trend-setting, New York-based design agency—is all about the brand, and the team that builds it. The website design visionaries. The writers. The SEO gurus. The programming "princes" whose tech savvy underpins just about everything N9 does.

Each handpicked by Network9’s CEO Carmen Yazejian because where work’s concerned, it’s never run-of-the-mill: Network9 is and always has been about its team and how the team builds the client’s brand.

For Network9 that means being approached in this Awards year by U.S. tech giant - Telehouse – to rebrand itself. Carmen knew this long-time client needed an entirely new marketing approach.

Network9 began by asking “How can we engage the people of Telehouse?” rather than “How can we help sell the company’s products?” in this case, data centers. And, “How do we change the customer’s perception of this 25-year old company?” an age considered “ancient” in tech?

Then another question: “What is Telehouse all about” – asked by the 9er team of themselves and the people of Telehouse. The answer? Telehouse was indeed people-based; moreover, its work is at the cutting-edge of technology.

The result? A new brand statement: “Think Next”. The 9ers surmised those two words would get Telehouse’s people thinking about the future, not the past; it would take the company from “old” to cool, modern, edgy; and it would inspire employees, executives, customers/potential customers to think about next steps. The client approved the rebranding concept in two weeks - unheard of in marketing.

Then came brand concept #2 – For the website redesign, 9ers had an idea: What if the focus was on visitors to the site instead of going on and on about the company itself? Why not show these customers that Telehouse is interested in their needs? Visit this site now and you will immediately be drawn in by two questions: “Who are you?” “What do you need?” Then you will be drawn in yet again by a third: “Where are you?” The first two bring customers into the menu organically; the third lets them know – subliminally, gently – that the company is global. The home page also features Telehouse staff portraits, thereby letting customers/potential customers know there are human beings ready to take care of them - an approach nearly 100% missing from tech campaigns. It also lets customers know Telehouse has “excellent” customer service – subliminally - without “hitting them over the head with it.”

The 9ers worked 24/7, delivering six visual presentations featuring the brand concepts/statements. The final was quickly chosen; the design developed; the site went up in just over a month, a marketing miracle.

Within days, new clients barraged the Telehouse Contact Us page with much friendlier queries: “How’s it going?” and ideas about “What’s Next?” — sparking a 40% increase in service requests. Page views doubled.

The brochure and trade show banners followed; so did a Power Point sales presentation; the SEO campaign (a 9er specialty) continues. “The key to a good campaign is the concept,” says Yazejian. “Once that’s in place, it’s easy to hit all the other touch points.”

Provide a brief biography of the leader of the team that planned and executed this marketing campaign (up to 125 words):

Carmen Yazejian started Network9 with one mission: bring brilliant design and a family-oriented team-building focus to the design business. Network9's reputation for technological innovation has resulted in a rapidly expanding client base; clients that include global Fortune 100 companies; and the American Business Award for Marketing/Advertising Agency of the Year.