When I joined a high-tech company, a leading designer and manufacturer of advanced imaging products, the company faced a classic commercial bottleneck: a technically strong offering with limited market visibility. Sales were driven predominantly through traditional push tactics — cold outreach, trade shows, and one-on-one sales engagements — yielding just one inbound enquiry per week on average. The company had a solid product portfolio but lacked an integrated marketing strategy to match its growth ambitions. The challenge was clear: transform the commercial strategy to generate demand organically, broaden market reach, and establish a sustainable growth engine.
Case: Commercial Turnaround at a High-Tech Company
From Push to Pull Marketing in a Niche High-Tech Industry
The Challenge
The approach
The transformation began by laying a strong strategic and operational foundation. I spearheaded a complete overhaul of the marketing function — repositioning it as a central growth driver rather than a support activity.
Step one
Building the Infrastructure
We implemented a data-driven marketing framework, starting with a segmented prospect and partner database, categorized by niche markets and applications. This enabled highly targeted campaigns and better resource allocation.
Step two
Digital Modernisation
We launched a new corporate website optimized for SEO and designed for lead generation. Complementing this were structured SEA campaigns, regular content publishing (including technical articles, success stories, and use cases), and the rollout of a professional email newsletter. Social media became an active communication channel, not just a presence.
Step three
Event and Media Strategy
We intensified collaboration with trade media, initiated a structured PR plan, and launched event marketing, like e.g. roadshows. This helped to elevate the brand presence in multiple verticals.
Step four
Portfolio Diversification
We expanded the product range to include cameras suitable for new application areas beyond our traditional verticals. This opened up access to faster-moving and less saturated markets, further fuelling the inbound interest.
Throughout the process, I worked closely with sales, engineering, and executive leadership to ensure alignment and consistent messaging. Importantly, the marketing team evolved into a proactive, empowered unit capable of driving strategic initiatives independently.
The result
The results were transformative. Within a few years, inbound enquiries grew from ~1 per week to 2–5 per day, a clear sign of increased brand recognition and market engagement. The pull marketing strategy turned a high-tech company into a sought-after player rather than a persistent pursuer.
This shift from push to pull enabled smarter sales — the team could focus on high-quality leads instead of cold prospects.
It also supported more predictable forecasting, improved scalability, and allowed us to remain profitable even during crises like COVID-19 and the global component shortage.
This commercial turnaround helped a high-tech company consistently outperform market growth, setting a benchmark for how industrial B2B companies can modernize their go-to-market approach and achieve sustainable commercial success.