Cooperate Marketing

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

I was the retail and experiential marketing manager for Kawasaki Motors Corp. Kawasaki is a subsidiary of KHI (Kawasaki Heavy Industries) producing motorcycles, personal watercraft, side by sides, and ATVs.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cooperate Marketing?

We hired Cooperate to build and maintain a dealer-facing co-op management platform.

What were your goals for this project?

The system needed to seamlessly replace our antiquated system that was being maintained by a third party. We needed to save revenue and increase functionality and usability for our non-tech savvy clients.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We first retained Cooperate to handle the day-to-day customer service that the third-party platform provider did not provide. Cooperate then offered to combine the two separate entities under one roof to eliminate some of the overcharging and lack or attention from the third party.

Describe the project and the services they provided in detail.

They designed, developed, and configured our new co-op management platform. Now, they handle day-to-day maintenance. Launching the new platform involved integrating our legacy data into the new platform, uploading all new and ongoing assets in-queue for approval, and taking over the advertising asset review for approval process.

What was the team composition?

They had a small and agile team consisting of three project managers, a developer, and a senior-level functional consultant.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any information that demonstrates the impact that this project has had on your business?

Our system launched seamlessly, so much so that no one even noticed we’d switched to a whole new system. All the end user saw was a cleaner and more user-friendly platform. They had no idea of all the time and energy it took to flip the switch. Everything transferred over perfectly (co-op balances, dealer ID numbers, pre-populated data, projects in que).

How was project management arranged and how effective was it?

Communication was frequent and became more frequent as we neared the launch date. Project timelines and milestones were communicated regularly, and any unforeseen technical issues were quickly identified and remedied. 

What did you find most impressive about this company?

Their accessibility, attention to every detail, and ability to relay complex information in layman's terms set them apart. Plus, they took the time to fully understand our business needs before going into development.

Are there any areas for improvement?

There’s very little for them to improve on, except for a few technical glitches that were resolved within 24 hours.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and your position there.

We are an internet advertising website for multiple vehicle manufacturers. I am the co-op advertising manager.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

For what projects/services did your company hire Cooperate Marketing?

Cooperate Marketing is processing all of our co-op advertising claims submitted to a major vehicle manufacturer.

What were your goals for this project?

Our goal was to have the claims processed accurately and quickly so that the advertising reimbursements can be distributed to the dealer network in a timely manner.

SOLUTION

How did you select this vendor?

We found them through a recommendation from the manufacturer.

Describe the project in detail.

We compile all of the supporting co-op advertising paperwork on behalf of the manufacturer's dealer network. We submit these supporting documents along with master spreadsheets every month. Cooperate Marketing reviews all of these claims, alerts us to any discrepancies, and fixes what they can without requesting resubmissions. Then, they report all results to the corporate manufacturer.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

Can you share any outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

This is an ongoing project that is processed every month. Each month has gone very well. Cooperate Marketing acts as a partner and offers support and recommendations to maintain the speed and accuracy required to complete the monthly process.

How effective was the workflow between your team and theirs?

As stated before, this is very effective. It feels like we are working as one entity.

What did you find most impressive about this company?

I’m impressed with their positive attitude when it comes to solving problems and the effectiveness of implementing procedures for the processing of new products.

Are there any areas for improvement?

Not at this moment.