Craig McGuire has served as Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications, for The Henson Group, Inc. (www.HensonGroup.com) since 2002. Founded by former Microsoft engineers, The Henson Group,
is an award-winning Microsoft Gold Certified Partner specializing in
deploying Microsoft products, providing official technical training,
and offering strategic consulting for overcoming today's business
challenges.
Leveraging his experience as a professional finance and technology journalist, Craig McGuire joined The Henson Group in October 2002. To develop marketing and communications programs that effectively reach The Henson Group's diverse audiences, Mr. McGuire draws on a comprehensive understanding of Microsoft's technologies and The Henson Group's unique role in applying these products to achieve business objectives.
Under Mr. McGuire's direction, The Henson Group has developed an approach to communications that places a premium on knowledge sharing, leveraging the unique relationships of a consultancy founded by former Microsoft engineers.
As a result, The Henson Group Marketing and Communications operation today produces a steady stream of valuable information for clients, from informative Case Studies, Press Releases, and White Papers to a complex Web Site that is a repository of resources and information for all Microsoft users. the purpose of this page is to provide links and examples of that work.
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Microsoft Partner Case Studies
Craig McGuire developed a series of Case Studies profiling challenging projects performed by Microsoft Gold Certified Partner The Henson Group, Inc. (THG). These Case Studies are intended to provide qualitative research. Rather than using large samples and following a rigid protocol to examine a limited number of variables, the Case Study method involve an in-depth, longitudinal examination of a single instance or event: a case. They provide a systematic way of looking at the real-world application of Microsoft technologies amd aspire to provide a sharpened understanding of why certain products are deployed to address business challenges. (To Review these Case Studies, Please Click Here.)
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Press Release Development & Distribution
Craig McGuire developed dozens of press releases, posted on www.HensonGroup.com and distributed via leading news wire service PR Newswire. The subjects include release of Microsoft Client Case studies, new service debuts, event-related announcements, major Microsoft technology news, and more. (To review these Press Releases, please click this link.)
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Web Site Development & Content Management
As Senior Vice President, Marketing & Communications for The Henson Group, Mr. McGuire was responsible for developing all of the content for the consultancy’s web site, www.HensonGroup.com. This includes:
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The Microsoft “Top 10” Series
Whether it is targeting small businesses or large enterprises,
marketing technology services for the architecture and deployment of
Microsoft-based solutions is always a challenging undertaking.
To persuade current and prospective clients to consider
leveraging The Henson Group’s services (ranging from $175 to $275+ per hour),
Craig McGuire managed a team of professionals that produced a successful series
of campaigns – with each installment focused on breaking down the core
functionality of a particular Microsoft product.
By coordinating with multiple technical resources, Mr.
McGuire produced a “Top 10” list of reasons to deploy or upgrade to the latest
versions of various Microsoft products. Subsequently, Mr. McGuire managed a
team of graphics and marketing professionals to produce direct mailers, email
blasts, and launch pages for web marketing.
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"Holiday" Card Promotions
One particularly effective tactic Craig McGuire employs to promote a product or service is to develop novel holiday greeting cards – with a creative, tangible link to the day – and distribute them to key audiences. This includes President’s Day (targeting C-level executives), Valentine’s Day (promoting the intimate client-vendor relationship), December Holiday Season, and more. The card below was one such successful campaign that made use of the acronym for Microsoft Operations Manager 2005, also known as MOM, as the focus of a Mother’s Day card.
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Contests & Competitions
As Senior Vice President of Marketing for The Henson Group, Craig McGuire developed and submitted award entries in Microsoft’s New York Metro District that won consecutive awards in 2004, 2005, and 2006 (2007 award submission still pending). These awards – distinguishing The Henson Group for both its service programs and successful technology implementations – subsequently served as the basis for promotional campaigns, lending an air of authenticity as they represent independent validation of The Henson Group.
At the same time, Craig McGuire has been successful at developing and executing promotional campaigns that are driven by contests. Below you will find two such examples. The first, known as the “Pick-a-MOSS” contest was for the 2006 Microsoft IT Leadership Summit and took advantage of the fact that the latest iteration of Microsoft’s collaboration technology, Microsoft Office SharePoint Server, shares an acronym with super model Kate Moss. Visitors to The Henson Group’s exhibition booth needed only write corresponding number on their business card to be entered into a drawing for a Zune. The promotion successfully netted The Henson Group nearly 50% of all attendees’ business cards.
The second contest depicted below involved a scratch-off ticket distributed to clients and prospects, where recipients had the opportunity to win one of many prizes. Those who did not win those prizes still received an official Microsoft “Test Drive” (or business/technical product demonstration) at no cost (valued at nearly $2,000 in services) conveniently on-site at their facilities.
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Microsoft “Readiness Reviews" Campaign
The sales cycle for technology solutions is often prolonged. To help accelerate this process, Craig McGuire worked closely with technical resources to conceive and promote a series of “Readiness Reviews,” designed to provide prospective clients with clarity as to what deployment costs, risks, and results would be.
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Magnetized Marketing Collaterals
To increase awareness of The Henson Group’s services, Craig McGuire conceived a series of magnets with technical user information (such as links to key online resources) related to specific products that THG’s client base had deployed. The concept assumed that by providing a small, but relevant magnet that could be easily affixed to many surfaces, The Henson Group brand will be more accessible to clients.
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Training Services Program
Craig McGuire was responsible for orchestrating The Henson Group’s entrance into the Microsoft Certified Partners for Learning Solutions (CPLS) program, which distinguishes the only fully accredited Microsoft Certified Partners authorized to deliver Microsoft Official Curriculum training.
By adding this service, Craig McGuire developed yet another channel for marketing The Henson Group’s services, which he did so with such promotions as the mailer posted below.
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Technical Seminars
Craig McGuire provided Event Planning and other logistical support to a wide number of technical seminars, culminating ion the creation of the New York Metro Systems Management User Group.
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