Communications Objective To position Raytheon Systems Company (and key allies such as ESRI) as a proven, low-risk, high-quality source for scalable hydrographic data management systems.

Case Study

Know The Oceans

Marketing Communications & Media Relations Plan for the Raytheon/ ESRI Hydrographic Knowledge Alliance

New product introduction in an adjacent market to Raytheon E-Systems' spatial imagery core competency.

The following represents a snapshot in time of the 5-phase plan I presented to senior management at Raytheon E-Systems. The campaign included product and partnership branding, trade shows in Asia, Europe and North America, multimedia presentations, collateral consistent with the award-winning “Decision Knowledge” series I previously created (click here to view more about the series), media releases, targeted magazine feature articles, and advertising.

THE OPPORTUNITY

Leveraging experience on major programs for the U.S. Government, Raytheon Systems Company, IIAIS, Imagery & Geospatial Systems Division, Garland TX, in collaboration with key domain expertise and in-country partners, has identified several potential international and commercial business opportunities.

Customer Opportunities
The volume and complexity of data being collected about the world's oceans, coastlines, harbors, and other waterways is growing tremendously. New digital collection techniques, including satellite remote sensing, are generating streams of information. Legacy information such as paper maps is often outdated and inaccurate. The various data sources are in conflict with each other, and can have substantial gaps. Therefore, hydrographic users lack confidence in the data, which raises issues of navigational safety, environmental jeopardy, and economic waste.

Primary users of hydrographic information who are interested in using more comprehensive, more accurate, more accessible datasets include:

• Government and commercial hydrographers and cartographers
• Military commanders
• Commercial shippers
• Oil, gas, and mineral exploration companies
• Government and commercial developers/ planners of coastlines and waterways

Raytheon Systems Core Competency
Hydrographic Information Management — assembling collected data about oceans, coastlines, harbors, and other waterways; filtering the data through standards-based, repeatable algorithms to yield deconflicted, authoritative, high-quality data sets; fusing the data into a multi-layered database; providing distributed access with security features to multiple authorized users; designing user-friendly interfaces and visualization tools; and generating database-derived products.

Relevant Customer/Program/Product Experience

Market Perceptions
The Raytheon name is probably best known in hydrographic markets for the Electronic Chart Display Information System (ECDIS), commercial "fish finders" from Raytheon Marine, and sonar equipment. The ECDIS system is an excellent market entree in that it accepts data from the Navigation Safety System (NSS) developed for NIMA by RSC.

Otherwise, Raytheon is generally better known for missile and aircraft programs. In some markets — such as Australia — we will need to "bridge" from this aerospace perception to the desired hydrographic perception.

Communications Objective
To position Raytheon Systems Company (and key allies such as ESRI) as a proven, low-risk, high-quality source for scalable hydrographic data management systems.

Theme. Icon. Message

THEME: Consistent with Garland's overall brand positioning approach of the past 15 months — which emphasizes Knowledge Management as the underlying theme for all core markets — the tagline for hydrographic is, "Know The Oceans."

Themes for other markets include:

The Hydro Data Beast The visual branding of each Raytheon E-Systems core market involves a graphic symbol or icon featured on collateral, exhibit graphics, multimedia presentations, etc. The icon for hydrographic is an octopus — representing the "data beast" of growing, elusive oceanographic data.

ICON: The "visual branding" of each core market involves a graphic symbol or icon featured on collateral, exhibit graphics, multimedia presentations, etc. The icon for hydrographic is an octopus — representing the "data beast" of growing, elusive oceanographic data.

MESSAGE: Proven, world-class solutions for developing and implementing comprehensive, integrated, standards-based, reliably accurate, easy-to-access hydrographic information systems. (Symbolically: "We're Taming the Data Beast.")

PHASE ONE - Singapore

The initial market entry was low-key, intended to establish a presence, gauge potential interest in hydro data management services, and to learn more about the type of customers, competitors, media, and messages in this new marketplace.

This initial presence was at the Oceanology International Asia-Pacific conference in Singapore. Attending were Jim Henry and Rick Adams.

Note: no demo system for HYSAS was available at the time.

The conference generated a lead from Royal Dutch Shell in Brunei (the speaker just before NIMA's Penny Dunn) and other introductory contacts. We also established good relations with Spearhead Exhibitions, organizers of the Singapore show and the major biennial Oceanology International conference in Brighton, UK.

At the time, there was preliminary discussion by the hydro program office of assembling a "dream team" to address the market, i.e., the top companies in each of the disciplines needed to develop a successful system. One of the key partners mentioned was ESRI. Therefore, at Singapore, Adams reserved exhibit space for the Oceanology International conference scheduled for March in Brighton. The show had been booking for a year, and was largely sold out. However, we were fortunate to secure a booth which backed up to ESRI's identified space.

Taming the Hydro Data Beast Click here to watch the "Know The Oceans" video

PHASE TWO - Brighton

In late January, Raytheon Systems and ESRI agreed to jointly market capabilities addressing the hydro data management market. The agreement was not a formal joint venture, partnership nor teaming. Therefore, we needed to identify the team with a term that did not carry legal connotations.

The term selected was, "The Hydrographic Knowledge Alliance." We agreed, and secured Spearhead permission, to open the wall between the ESRI and Raytheon Systems booths at the show in Brighton. Working with ESRI business development, exhibits, and public relations, we designed a walkway between the booths to reinforce the message that we were together. A portion of ESRI's exhibit structure intruded into the Raytheon booth, and rented furniture for the Raytheon booth was selected for visual compatibility with ESRI booth materials.

Raytheon Systems (Marketing Communications, Garland, assisted by our Virtual Agency team and ESRI) designed and produced:

• Several new exhibit graphics, all of which included both the Raytheon and ESRI logos and the Hydrographic Knowledge Alliance term. (Some of the graphics were designed and produced to fit ESRI's exhibit structure with the intent of re-using them at future European shows at which we share space.)
• A "Know The Oceans" video.
• A "Know The Oceans" multimedia presentation to provide greater technical detail for interested prospects.
• An updated "Know The Oceans" brochure, reflecting the alliance with ESRI.
• A tote bag as a gift to selected exhibit visitors.
• A (blue) post-it-note pad as a gift for any exhibit visitor.
• Invitations to the exhibit, announcing the Alliance.
• A joint Raytheon/ ESRI press release announcing the Hydrographic Knowledge Alliance for initial distribution at the conference.

We also discussed (and passed on) the idea of a reception-style announcement of the Alliance and/ or dinners with targeted customers. (Not enough yet known about customers, nor who would be attending.)

We approached Raytheon Marine (Germany) about having an ECDIS demo in the Raytheon Systems booth; however, they had already committed to being in another partner's booth.

The conference generated two excellent leads: the UK government and a commercial company, Racal, both of which expressed interest in visiting Garland for a demonstration. (The Racal demonstration took place the week of May 4.)

Following the conference, the press release and a hydro photo with caption were sent to several key trade publications in the hydrographic community.

Global Events The Hydrographic Knowledge Alliance campaign included exhibits and correlated advertising and media in Asia, Europe, and North America.

PHASE THREE - Australia

The Australian SEA proposal is currently in the evaluation and source selection phase. We are confident that technical evaluators will view our proposal favorably. However, when the process shifts to the high-level decision-makers this summer, they likely do not regard us as a known player in maritime business.

A decision on SEA is currently expected within 2-3 months (July/August). We need to reach these top-level decision-makers between now and July/August with key messages, including:

• Local Australian involvement, including technology transfer through this program (we are perceived as a US bidder versus bidders with Australian primes)
• World-class hydrographic capabilities (we are perceived in Australia as an aircraft company because of P-3, Wedgetail, etc.)
• Low-risk solution (based on delivery of working system to NIMA)

The recommended media, according to Ron Fisher and John Allcock of RH Australia, are Australian Defence Business Review (ADBR) and Australian Defence Magazine (ADM). These journals are well read and respected. Competitors such as the Vision Abell team (CelsiusTech Australia, Universal Systems Ltd/ CARIS, Scientific Management Associates, LADS Corp.) have placed feature articles in Australian publications.

Proposed Approach

Feature Article #1, focusing on the Raytheon team and emphasizing local Australian content issues, intended for ADBR. (Note: this feature will not include any material which would trigger a NIMA approval requirement.)