Introducing a European Product into the U.S. Market
Siemens AG Austria

Siemens Austria wanted to ensure that the U.S. introduction to its award-winning handheld digital scanner, the Pocket Reader, went like clockwork, so it turned to Sequent Consulting for market research, advertising and media strategy, and a product distribution plan. The Pocket Reader had been launched previously in Germany and was very well received by both the press and consumers.

As a first step, Sequent conducted extensive research into the needs of the U.S. market, to determine how it differed from the Pocket Reader’s European buyers. This key research, which included designing and directing focus groups and user tests, resulted in significant changes to the packaging, presentation, and after-sales support of the Pocket Reader.

Changes to the packaging and presentation included:
• Developing a new user’s guide
• Producing a new CD-based audio/visual tutorial
• Preparing new artwork and revised graphical presentation

Changes to after-sales support included:
• Creating a dedicated, e-commerce website, including customer support and free software download sections
• Preparing new promotional literature and press kits
• Hiring and training a CRM contractor to provide toll-free technical support

For each of these changes, Sequent Consulting identified the best-in-class contractors and specialists, defined their scope of work, negotiated their compensation contracts, and managed their on-time delivery of results.

In addition, Sequent developed a new print-based advertising campaign and press strategy that resulted in numerous positive articles about the Pocket Reader in the national and regional U.S. press. Sequent founder Thomas Tesluk served as the North American spokesman for the Pocket Reader and took part in more than two dozen press interviews.

Sequent also devised and executed the distribution strategy for the Pocket Reader. As part of this process, the firm hired and managed a warehouse distribution services company that provided the client with all necessary logistics support.

The Pocket Reader was successfully repositioned and launched in the United States on schedule. Positive press reviews in more than a dozen major and regional publications including The New York Times, The San Francisco Chronicle, The Financial Times, Newsweek, Business 2.0 and Fast Company helped to establish the credibility of the Pocket Reader and place it ahead of its competition.