Hubitat / Hubitat Elevation™
Chief MARKETING officer 2017-2018
Hubitat is advancing home automation with a unique solution: Hubitat Elevation isn't cloud-dependent, so it’s fast, reliable and secure … which any home automation enthusiast will tell you s/he's been craving.
Challenge
Hubitat Elevation takes a fundamentally different approach to home automation compared to most solutions on the market today. The positioning had to clearly differentiate the Hubitat value in a crowded market of home automation hubs. The Company was planning its consumer product introduction and needed strong, clear messaging to explain their unique value and tell their powerful story in a meaningful way. Til now, no one knew that local home automation was an option!
Solution
Theresa took the Hubitat startup team through a messaging exercise to communicate the wisdom of Hubitat’s unique local approach. She positioned the company and crafted an impactful story, then wove the new value proposition into all things Hubitat -- the web site, corporate video, packaging and all their collateral. All tactics reflected the new positioning, reinforced the new messaging, and promoted Hubitat Elevation as a powerful home automation platform ( ... not ‘just another hub’!).
Achievements & Work Samples:
Created all new web site for Hubitat from scratch.
Key components of the site include:Home automation section, that showcases Built in Applications, Supported Devices and Advanced Features
How We Compare section that shows off a competitive diagram and a competitive features matrix
And, a robust online media kit.
Packaging included a Quick Start Guide and a collector’s card for the first 250 people to buy Hubitat Elevation. (People were excited to get that!)
Podcasts:
Richard Gunther’s Digital Media Zone
Stacey Higginbotham’s IoT Podcast – Internet of Things
HomeTech.FM #208, Hubitat: Keeping Home Automation in the Home
Collateral: (check out this ‘show & tell’ carousel, below)
We started shipping product in late January 2018 to a small, self-selected group of experienced home automation enthusiasts so that we could expand user testing, get input on the product and get insight into their desired new feature priorities. Listening to our early customers over this 3-month period was extremely helpful in improving the product. We launched a ‘general availability’ product in May 2018 which is being sold through the Hubitat web site and on Amazon.com.
Early press coverage included this impressive article by Kevin Tofel & Stacy Higgenbotham on https://staceyoniot.com/ -- helpful in promoting Hubitat Elevation and building the brand.
We built awareness through PR, social media, content marketing ads on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn, and Google AdWords. Our target audience was made aware, as evidenced by great engagement numbers on every platform. Solid product reviews will help to ramp up sales volumes …
Parting Recommendations:
Hubitat must add social proof to spur consumer demand.
1. Product Itself. We discussed at length how the product must be easier to use, the user interface straightforward and clearer. The average DIY home automation enthusiast — who doesn’t program or code — must be able to quickly see how to set up and use the product.
2. Product Reviews. We decided as a team to wait until the mobile app was ready before submitting Hubitat Elevation for hands-on technical reviews by the leading product reviewers. At this writing, we have four industry-leading technical product reviewers lined up to test and review Hubitat Elevation but we did not want to risk poor reviews by sending hubs to reviewers without the web app.
3. Corporate PR. Technology announcements get limited press coverage … esp compared to great corporate stories. The media want to know the founders’ vision and the problem they set out to solve when forming the company. Although the cost of the Hubitat Elevation hub isn't high, the decision to buy is significant because the chosen hub represents many hours of time investment. Fortunately, this is a compelling story for Hubitat so when they’re ready to tell it, this story should get nice coverage.
Net net: As Hubitat’s CMO, Theresa prepared the company and the product for an effective and well-received market launch: she developed the competitive positioning and messaging, created all marketing materials, presented the company’s value proposition on the web site and through video, and created demand through a comprehensive mix of social media outreach and advertising, including SEO and Google ad words. When the recommended marketing next steps above are completed, the future of this needed product will be bright indeed!
“Today we are a different and more impactful company because of her contribution.”