One of the core principles of The Retail Hive has always been to create a positive environment for retailers and recommended partners to be open and to share. We want to ensure they have specific dialogue and tailored discussion as they seek the information and solutions needed personally, and for their businesses.
Now more than ever these conversations need to happen for both retailers and partners alike. That is why we have created a series of interactive digital options aimed at promoting necessary conversation and discussion around the key issues and topics retailers have told us they require across the coming months.
Whilst we cannot bring our members and partners together in a physical capacity, the need to come together, be connected and have those important conversations certainly remains strong within our retail network.
Great session today and loved all the insights! It’s the best engagement we’ve had in years.
Director at UNBXD, following a recent Digital Boardroom
5000
Introductions made during lockdown
We connect retail members and our recommended partners digitally through:
Digital Boardrooms
Digital will continue to play a vital role for our partners to engage with our network and build the insights, conversations and pipeline required next year, particularly in Q1 when so many retailers will be planning the technology roadmap for the year ahead.
Central to our partners plans should be interactive Digital Boardrooms. Designed for high level dialogue for 6-8 senior individuals to come together across 90 minutes, this intimate forum enables individuals to benchmark, exchange and brainstorm around a specific topic to a far deeper level delivering invaluable content and insights for the Partner involved. This in turn helps deliver a more informed and valuable follow up for all parties. In addition, we use the insights and takeaways from the group to create a report which we send across our entire network which delivers further data and follow up opportunities for our partners.
The Details
- 90-minute discussion around a tightly defined topic.
- Use of RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER client or member retailers as Chief Storyteller to highlight the theme of the topic (optional).
- 6-8 additional senior participants who have expressed interest in the topic.
- Topic linked to a significant business challenge or opportunity
RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER is positioned in the discussion as the expert (the Partner is not selling but being a thought leader, listening to the challenges prospects face, giving advice, and sharing experience). - X2 representatives permitted from RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER in the discussion.
- The Retail Hive will provide key insights and questions on participants prior to the event.
- The Retail Hive will provide transcript of recording after the Boardroom (great insights for targeted follow up and easier discussion).
- The Retail Hive will provide feedback and make specific introductions as part of the follow up after the Boardroom.
- The Retail Hive will write a summary report after the Boardroom that will be sent across the wider Hive Network with opens and clicks shared with RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER for follow up by them.
- Hosted on a video conferencing platform, no need for expensive and time-consuming travel.
- Participants qualified on decision making power, budget, need for the solution providers’ solutions
- Primary Market enjoy the time efficiency and relevance of this format
3-4-week lead time is minimum for this initiative.
Options for a Boardroom
- Fully Bespoke – Essentially, we operate off a retailer target Wishlist guaranteeing you a focus upon the key prospects the RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER is most interested in meeting.
- Hybrid – We operate off your Wishlist, but we will also invite some senior Hive members who have indicated they are keen to join the session.
Enhanced Boardroom Report
- Client Interview – We can interview a key client of the RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER who go “On the record” to share their thoughts on the central topic (NB they could also be a storyteller at the live Boardroom session) and we use the information and findings as part of the report.
- Polls / Research – We can ask some key questions (4-5) around the topic of the Boardroom participants as a poll in advance of the session to capture key information that can help shape the conversation points for group dialogue within the Boardroom and be used to shape the report.
- Links – We can enhance the Boardroom report into a larger more meaningful report on the topic through incorporating links and comments from the RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER adding greater weight to the finalised report to be sent out.
Digital Weeks
The format for our Digital Weeks is like the Digital Boardroom format above, but the session is one of several taking place simultaneously as part of a wider event spanning multiple days. Retailers choose a session each day to participate across, and partners host those retailers selecting their session as an interactive online round table discussion.
Features of RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER involvement at any of our planned Digital Week Events:
Online Round Table Hosting
- We will stream RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER into a specific roundtable discussion to host retailers on an exclusive topic aligned to their area of expertise. This in turn will enable the partner to provide key advice, insights and knowledge supporting retailers around their areas of challenge building credibility and profile to facilitate strong business development conversations for the partner.
- Partner will provide excellent thought leadership across the topic.
- Partner will conclude findings at the end of the online round table session to the full group. This will involve a five-minute wrap up of discussion findings – profile raising and powerful leadership role.
- Partner will be connected to the group post event supporting follow up.
- Full recorded transcript of the online round table session hosted by the partner will be provided meaning all insights developed through the discussion with participants can be used to develop meaningful next step conversations as part of the RECOMMENDED SOLUTION PARTNER follow up.
- Branding across any online assets we use to support and market the online Digital Week event, including social media, email, the agenda, and the landing page of our website supporting the event.
- Provision of personalised social assets to be used in your own social channels promoting your attendance and support of the Digital Week event and the topic you will be hosting.
- Listing of your senior expert as a co-host on full Digital Week agenda sent to attendees and full membership.
- Specific targeting of top prospects – we can work with you to involve companies or prospects who are typically extremely hard to get in front of.
- Inclusion and branding on the Digital Week event write up summary sent to all members of the network.
Solution Spotlights
The Concept
With such a plethora of MARTECH and other technology solutions available to support retailers in their quest to be digital first, finding the right solution fit for their business can be both a minefield and extremely time challenging. Our Digital Solution Spotlights offer members the opportunity to save time and demystify the solution search process through attending relevant Hive Partner Demonstrations to better understand specific solutions, their functionality and how they can support5 their specific needs.
Types of Solution Spotlights:
Option 1 – Partner Exclusive
Created for up to 10 retailers keen to learn more about a specific solution, we will create a bespoke event with one Hive Recommended Partner enabling them to showcase all the merits of their solution, and specifically how it can help retailers solve key issues as they transform their digital offering.
- 45-minute-deep dive Partner Demonstration.
- 15-minute Interactive Q&A session.
- Further 30-minute retailer only discussion on solution – outputs to be shared with the partner post session.
- 90-minute event.
- Group Connected with partner information, slides, collateral afterwards.
- Feedback to partner on retailer only discussion.
- 1:1 introduction made where relevant for direct follow up.
- Opportunity for free demos for all participants (optional).
Option 2 – Multiple Partners
Retailers will be invited to attend a series of short demonstrations from multiple partners representing solutions across a specific competitive set to enable them to compare and benchmark key functionality, benefits and differences as they seek to shortlist the right providers to support their technology roadmap.
- Up to 10 retailers invited to participate.
- 20-minute demonstration of key functionality, benefits of solution.
- 10-minute interactive Q&A session.
- Feedback to partner from debrief calls.
- 1:1 introduction where relevant for direct follow up.
Option 3 – Digital Week Solution Spotlights
At each Digital Week event through 2021, Partners can have a dedicated solution spotlight as part of the overall agenda hosting retailers keen to learn more about their specific solution and the core benefits.
- 20-30-minute slot focused upon short presentation and Q&A.
- 1-2 sessions dependent upon package.
- Connected to group post session.
Digital Workshops
Product – Targeted online event focused on a specific topic or theme hosted on a digital platform.
- 60-minute co-hosted event by PARTNER alongside one of their customers around a tightly defined topic which resonates with the Retail Hive members – subject/theme/target audience all to be defined with PARTNER.
- 10-30 participants, all decision makers who are prioritising the topic in question.
- topic linked to a significant business challenge or opportunity.
- 1 PARTNER positioned in the discussion as an expert (the PARTNER is not selling but being a thought leader and highlighting a demo/case study of success with the audience in terms of how to solve the specific theme/issue that has been tabled. The customer will be the chief storyteller with PARTNER and the webinar/workshop is a tool to educate the Hive members who are faced with similar challenges into how this can be solved by giving advice and sharing experience).
- 35-40-minute product demo and case study and 20-25-minute Q&A or a practical work through using real time info or problems to brainstorm as a group.
- Feedback, introductions, and appointment setting for follow ups after the workshop where applicable.
- hosted on a video conferencing platform, no need for expensive and time-consuming travel.
- participants qualified through email campaign to the Hive database. Copy/topic and themes to be agreed with PARTNER and the Hive. The Hive to send 3 emails to market the webinar to the Hive database.
- All the campaign data – invites, opens, clicks, no’s, yes’ (registered) attendees to be sent to PARTNER.
- Primary Market enjoy the time efficiency and relevance of this format.
- Written summary and report of the findings and overview of the workshop created by The Retail Hive which will be shared with the group and to the wider Retail Hive community. 3 x email marketing campaigns to the Retail Hive community sharing all campaign data with the partner.
- Opportunity for free demos for all participants (optional).
Benefits for Sponsor:
- Pinpoints genuinely qualified opportunities.
- Saves wasting time with non-decision makers.
- Non-intrusive method of engagement.
- Wider reach in terms of acquisition.
- Privy to open discussion among prospects about challenges.
- Fostering relationship with existing customer.
- Credibility build and thought leadership to a senior captive audience.
- Easy to measure ROI: leads into the sales pipeline.