Case Study

Engagement in the Heart of Silicon Valley:

Mobile Device Technology for a Large-Audience Event

  • Digital,Transformation,Conceptual,For,Next,Generation,Technology,Era

MobileIron, a world leader in mobile device management and enterprise mobility services, creates secure platforms for mobile device-based business applications.

They recognized the need for their annual customer event to be an experience that would accomplish two things: engage their customers in a unique way, and illustrate what it means to be “MobileFirst.”

“MobileFirst” is the concept of an individual optimizing their business/employee work flow with a mobile device as their primary access to business (and personal) software, processes, information, and more.

MobileIron partnered with BTS to develop the introductory session on the first day of the conference, to be co-facilitated with MobileIron’s Head of Strategy. This 90-minute opening session would be critical in introducing key business and technology challenges and best practices as well as effectively setting the stage for success throughout the duration of the offsite.

BTS designed an engaging, three-part digital-based experience for the audience of 400 that included crowd-sourcing activities and an individual assessment using the audience members’ own mobile devices, as well as an iPad-based team business simulation leveraging the BTS Pulse Platform*. This integration of BTS digital capabilities proved critical in the design of this major customer event, in order for MobileIron to both “walk the talk” by using mobile technology in their User’s Conference and to create a unique and engaging experience.

 

400 Attendees, 90 Minutes, 3 Key Learnings: How Digital Makes Big Feel Small

MobileIron and BTS worked to define critical drivers of value and engagement among customers, and ultimately landed on three key goals: Create Incentive, Drive Awareness, and Provide Tools and Best Practices.

  • Create Incentive: increase attendees’ buy-in and adoption of “MobileFirst” as a preferred business model
  • Drive Awareness: enable customers to better understand and compare their MobileFirst evolution and the opportunities ahead
  • Provide Tools and Best Practices: improve customers’ ability to accelerate “MobileFirst” throughout their organization through improved strategy, decision making, communication and infrastructure

In addition to the objectives above, MobileIron sought to better understand their customers’ goals, progression, and perspective towards MobileFirst. (This valuable information would later be leveraged in the design of their strategy, go-to-market and other key decision areas.)

Design

With the above goals in mind, the team developed a dynamic ‘digitally-enabled’ experience for all customers to experience. Using their smart phones and tablets, the experience consisted of three chapters:

  • Crowd-sourcing – to build awareness and alignment, share ideas, and set the stage for rich business discussions, creativity and impact
  • Reflection and Assessment – to enable customers to identify their transformation towards MobileFirst from through business alignment and technical maturity
  • ‘MobileFirst’ Simulation – to improve the knowledge and capabilities essential to an effective transformation, via a fun, competitive and customized team-based business simulation

Throughout all elements, the Pulse Platform was used for instantaneous collaboration and data collection, making the session a dynamically-facilitated program that engaged all 400 audience members. The following provides more detailed descriptions of each chapter:

Crowd-Sourcing

To begin the crowd-sourcing component, participants scanned QR codes and used downloaded apps on their own devices to submit ideas. Crowdsourcing drove conversation towards such questions as “What does it mean to be MobileFirst? How do we inspire and create value through MobileFirst? And what are some challenges associated with implementing MobileFirst?” The gathering of these ideas provided both participants and MobileIron with valuable insights and perspectives to leverage both during the event and in the future.

Reflection and Assessment

Next, participants used the apps on their devices to assess where they (and their organization) stood on the “MobileFirst” journey. Participants answered a series of questions, rated their organization on various factors, and then saw their responses reflected on a heatmap, with results plotted in a 2×2 matrix. The responses and results of all participants were aggregated and shown to the whole room from the stage, for presenter-facilitated discussion. This assessment illustrated to each customer where they were on their journey to become “MobileFirst” enterprises (getting started, transactional, aspirational or transformational), and gave them concrete data upon which they could reflect both during and after the program. This benchmarking also helped MobileIron identify where customers stood in the maturity of their mobile journey, based upon their business alignment and technical infrastructure.

MobileFirst Simulation

Finally, participants gathered in teams of two to three people to go through an iPad-based business simulation. This short simulation experience showed the customers the key challenges and best practices in their mobile journey, and opened up the door for further conversation throughout the duration of the three-day event.

“… we appreciate everything this team contributed to making our conference a bit more unique and setting the stage for our customers to have an amazing week at the Mobile First Conference.”
–Annie Yuzzi, Head of Event Marketing

Leveraging Learnings for Long-Term Results

The resulting data gathered at the event played a critical role in showing MobileIron its customer’s transformational ideas, perceived barriers, business alignment and infrastructure maturity. As discussed in a CIO Magazine article mentioning the event, this information offers key insights into future trends and areas for growth. MobileIron is now using this data in their own go-to-market strategy and execution, repurposing the assessment to be used by business development staff with their prospects. The company looks to take a similar approach leveraging BTS’ Digital Services at future offsite events.