Neo4j
From 100 Splintered Messages to a Single, Confident Message
“We now have confidence in what matters, and a forcing function for the company to align behind a single message.”
Reason to Reposition
Speak the Language of Customers and Prospects, across Personas
As the new CMO at Neo4j, Chandra Rangan recognized the need to fine-tune its messaging to effectively reach both current customers and potential prospects. Messaging that resonated with customers familiar with their value didn’t necessarily resonate with prospects with limited knowledge.
Opinions about the company’s position were fractured internally as Neo4J serves a broad audience composed of various, distinct personas--from IT professionals to data scientists.
He collaborated closely with CEO Emil Eifrem, who wholeheartedly championed the positioning exercise as a company-wide endeavor. Chandra recognized this as the key to aligning the entire team.
A Hunt for the Truth
Through extensive research, we found the sweet spot hill, or market category, that would resonate with everyone. We struck gold with "Graph Database & Analytics." In our final survey, 85% agreed it’s a great balance, grounded in the known category of graph database while extending into what organizations can do with graph technology. This compelling category blends the familiarity of graph databases with the allure of analytics, making it attractive to a wide range of prospects interested in everything from data science to prescriptive and predictive analytics.
The Phrase that Pays
A powerful category alone is not enough; we needed a captivating Point That Matters to communicate Neo4j’s unique value. Through meticulous testing, we discovered our winner: "find all the hidden relationships and patterns." This simple yet impactful message highlights Neo4j's unmatched capability to explore billions of data connections deeply, easily and quickly.
Confidence in a Single Message
The results were remarkable. The team gained confidence, and we found surprising insights that appealed deeply to prospects.
Neo4j brings home the power of relationships in every part of its business.
ZOOM’s data-driven positioning results:
CEO champion for positioning
Company alignment around a single message
A story that resonates everywhere
The team was convinced by the richness of the detail. “We found things that resonated deeply with prospects I wouldn’t have guessed going in. Through customer and prospect interviews, we could tease out what the market would give us permission to be, in a crisp, value message.”
“We could tease out what the market would give us permission to be, in a crisp, value message.”
Market Insights
A broader category for a broader market
Data-Driven Win
Graph Database & Analytics
85% of customers & prospects really liked or liked
“Being a graph database isn’t the reason to use Neo4j. It would be the tools and analysis that can be done with it.” - Prospect
Comparative Concept
The Graph Database Company
30% of prospects really liked or liked'
“It’s too narrow and missing the fact that you can do analytics and data science.” - Prospect
Why Broader Positioning Matters
It’s grounded in the known category of graph database while extending into what organizations can do with graph technology
To prospects, the word “analytics” provides context for what they can achieve
A more narrow category misses a big part of Neo4j’s value
Data-Driven Positioning Wins
“Let’s face it, tech companies have a lot of passion and opinions about what they do. But those who are willing to consider market evidence that challenges these strongly held opinions will win.”
Chandra would absolutely hire ZOOM again, given the consultative curiosity and rigor of the team. Chandra believes that any company with a culture of open mindedness (like their own) would benefit from working with ZOOM on their positioning.