Launching People First for MHR

Challenge

MHR is a UK-based, privately-owned HR & payroll provider, with a 35-year track record of innovation. Their success has been largely built on their market-leading product, iTrent, which has been hugely popular with large public sector and enterprise organisations with complex needs.

OneGTM helped MHR launch a new flagship product – People First HR & payroll platform – enabling it to address new markets with a disruptive offering reflecting the way the world of work is changing.

Situation

MHR had built their success on iTrent, but were looking to diversify their portfolio and disrupt the HR market with People First, a transformational product that was employee-centric and mobile-first: designed to reflect the way the world of work is changing. The cutting edge technology was developed to enable this workforce transformation, and in so doing accelerate MHR’s growth.

To ensure success in a crowded market, MHR needed a distinctive story that would challenge perceptions about the role of an HR platform, and a go-to-market (GTM) approach that would reach new customer segments and buyer personas.

A limited version of the product was previously available, however a new version was to be launched in 2021 with significantly expanded functionality, including a payroll module. A number of challenges needed to be overcome, including increasing market awareness for MHR, re-positioning People First, and improving internal focus about the People First proposition.

Action

In November 2020, OneGTM worked closely with the MHR team to research the market landscape, develop a robust GTM strategy and execute a comprehensive launch plan. The plan had multiple streams, beginning by engaging senior executives with a research-led thought leadership programme focused on the issue of workforce resilience. OneGTM then created market buzz through a creative product launch campaign.

Simultaneously, we drove demand through content-led, vertical campaigns focusing on the mobile workforce and generated excitement and buy-in through an engaging internal communications programme. Finally, we equipped sales teams with the tools and training to convert interest to sales.

The product launched externally in May 2021. After two months the launch had exceeded expectations, generating new engagements, heightened customer interest, positive PR coverage, significant excitement internally and a rapidly growing sales pipeline.

Impact

In the first 6 weeks after launch the campaign has:  increased awareness, with press coverage in 8 publications with reach of 147,000+, as well as 962,000 ad impressions resulting in over 4,100 click throughs.

Our campaign also built engagement, with an over 100% increase in website visitors in the first month, as well as 231 asset downloads. Finally, we also generating significant pipeline, including 190 leads from social media and 23 inbound sales enquiries. 

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