Steve Susina, Director, Demand Generation Services, Crain's Business Insurance

SuperNova Award Category

Digital Marketing Transformation

The Company 

Business Insurance is a trade publication that is the authoritative news and information source for executives concerned about risk and the impact on their business. Business Insurance delivers in-depth analysis on new and emerging risks, case studies of successful programs, market intelligence on trends, and guidance on how to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges. Business Insurance also covers core risk management and insurance areas such as property/casualty insurance, health insurance, captive insurance and other alternative risk transfer vehicles, and enterprise risk management.

The Problem

In the past 5 years, over 400 US print publications have gone out of business with a number transitioning to website only publications - needless to say, the publication industry is struggling. Business Insurance needed to circumvent this industry trend and drive revenue growth.

The Solution

Steve implemented marketing automation into the 50-year-old company to completely revamp marketing tactics.

The Results

Made Business Insurance relevant to its advertising and marketing customers again by demonstrating how his company used marketing automation to track and grow their readership and provide a better targeted audience for advertisers.

The Technology

Marketo marketing automation software

Metrics

-Nearly $550,000 in brand-new advertising revenue for Demand Generation Services
-Most successful campaign resulted in 1180 top of funnel leads, 102 Marketing Qualified Leads, 25 Sales Accepted leads, and 1 sale (so far) valued at $2M  (customer investment was $50,000 to Business Insurance to execute this program)
-43% increase in registered online newsletter subscribers
-2% increase in paid print subscribers
-Conversion of anonymous website visitors (over 3,900/day), yielded a conversion rate of 2.6%

Disruptive Factor

Long-established publications such as Newsweek have been unable to adapt to the new reality, and have ceased their print publications. Additionally, trade publications such as PC, Telephony, Editor & Publisher, Training and many others have disappeared over the past several years. We have broken away from the pack to not only survive, but grow revenue as well.

Shining Moment

Of Marketo's 2,000+ customers, Crain's Business Insurance received the Marketo Revvie Award for Most Dramatic Business Impact.

About Business Insurance

Business Insurance is the authoritative news and information source for executives concerned about risk and the impact on their business. With information for risk managers, benefits managers, insurers, brokers and other providers of insurance products and services, Business Insurance delivers in-depth analysis on new and emerging risks, case studies of successful programs, market intelligence on trends, and guidance on how to capitalize on opportunities and overcome challenges.

Business Insurance provides in-depth coverage of specific industries such as health care, construction, transportation and energy. You will also read about the latest trends in specialty risks such as cyber liability, political risk, reputational risk and emerging risks such as green energy and fracking. Business Insurance covers the operational and strategic concerns of brokers, insurers, reinsurers and consultants for the industry.

Delivered in a multi-media mix, including a bi-weekly print magazine, tablet apps, digital replica, and daily online and mobile news, Business Insurance helps readers do their jobs better.