Balihoo's Local Marketing Automation Using Twilio

Technology Category

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms

Applicable Industries

Telecommunications

Applicable Functions

Sales & Marketing

Use Cases

Leasing Finance Automation
Material Handling Automation

The Challenge

Balihoo, a cloud-based marketing platform, was faced with the challenge of helping companies measure marketing ROI in global campaigns more effectively. The failure to connect with local markets was costing American businesses as much as $50 billion a year. National brands were struggling to make an impact with local advertising, with only 7% of nearly 300 brand marketing executives stating they offered effective campaigns to activate local consumers. Balihoo's mission was to make brand advertising more effective by automating local marketing campaigns. A key part of this was to offer brands local phone numbers in any geography, along with the ability to do call tracking, which would make it possible to determine if calls to those numbers turned into sales.

About The Customer

Balihoo is a cloud-based marketing platform founded in 2004 and headquartered in Boise, ID. The company's mission is to help national brands connect more effectively with local markets. Balihoo offers a solution to the problem of ineffective local advertising by national brands, which according to a survey, only 7% of brand marketing executives felt they were offering effective campaigns to activate local consumers. Balihoo's solution includes offering brands local phone numbers in any geography and the ability to do call tracking, which makes it possible to determine if calls to those numbers turned into sales.

The Solution

To provide reliable call tracking on a national scale, Balihoo turned to the Twilio communications API platform. The Twilio platform provided the reliability, scalability, and flexibility Balihoo needed to incorporate call tracking into local marketing automation. By integrating with Twilio, Balihoo expanded the capabilities of its platform without making any additional investments in hardware or software. Customers can now create targeted local websites with unique call tracking numbers and lead forms that automatically push both phone and web leads to sales agents. For example, when a leading national insurer wanted to connect with potential customers on a more personal, local level, Balihoo helped the insurer deploy 3,400 geo-targeted websites complete with on-demand call tracking numbers. The numbers could be provisioned as needed to keep costs down.

Operational Impact

The integration of Twilio into Balihoo's platform has resulted in a significant improvement in the effectiveness of local marketing campaigns. The ability to provide local phone numbers and track calls has made it easier for local shoppers to buy what they need, when they need it. This has also allowed national brands to connect with potential customers on a more personal, local level, ensuring a consistent brand experience. For instance, a leading national insurer was able to deploy 3,400 geo-targeted websites complete with on-demand call tracking numbers, thanks to Balihoo's solution. This has resulted in a preference for calls over clicks by a ratio of 3:1 among a brand's local affiliates and channel partners.

Quantitative Benefit