While the world frets over the possible consequences of the Y2K computer problem, Marlene Rosati is using it as a marketing advantage.
Rosati, marketing communications manager at CenterForce Technologies, has created a marketing campaign touting the company’s Y2K compliant software.
“We are marketing a ‘Y2K OK’ logo to promote our Y2K compliance,” says Rosati, who finalized the logo design in late January. “We have it on our Web site, and clicking on it leads to our compliance statement.”
The logo is also displayed at the company’s trade show booth.
“We get a lot of impressions from that, and it also serves as a reminder to the sales folks to talk about our Y2K compliance,” says Rosati. “One of the first questions we’re always asked is whether the software is Y2K compliant. Our potential customers couldn’t even consider a product that wasn’t compliant.”
Rosati is also planning on expanding the information on the company’s Web site. Instead of the Y2K OK logo simply linking to the company’s compliance statement, it would lead to useable content.
“What I envision is information showing businesses what to look for, things to look for in a vendor, and a list of issue that could come up if they put their tech purchases on hold,” says Rosati. “By doing that, it gives people something to take away from the Web site. The other thing it does is establish our firm as an expert in what we do. It gives us credibility as a technology company and a provider of software, and helps with our overall corporate image.”
CenterForce Technologies is a small software company that makes applications for call centers. Competing against much larger companies means CenterForce has to use every advantage.
“I don’t think bigger companies have to be as scrappy,” says Rosati, noting that the bigger firms haven’t been as aggressive marketing compliance. “The beauty of a Y2K compliance marketing campaign is it has a shelf life. We’ll use it as a short-term marketing campaign that fits in with our corporate brand building. It will max out at the end of the year, and we’ll say goodbye and move on.”
For more information, go to www.cforcetech.com.
Todd Shryock ([email protected]) is SBN’s special reports editor.
Y2K pregame?
While some people may be stocking up on food in preparation for a possible Y2K computer meltdown at the end of this year, a new report says glitches associated with the date change will occur before then.
GartnerGroup, a technology research firm, is predicting about 25 percent of all glitches related to Y2K will show up this year, particularly in the second half of the year. Companies starting fiscal years in July or October, and those that forecast one or two quarters ahead, are the leading candidates to see the glitches first. Only 8 to 10 percent of all Y2K glitches are expected to occur during the first two weeks of 2000.
Despite predictions of mass power outages and mayhem, the GartnerGroup reports the power industry, pharmaceutical firms and food processing companies have come a long way in recent months toward addressing the Y2K problem.