case studies
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Adyen

How can deep curiosity drive sales acceleration?

Mahlab created an account-based marketing (ABM) strategy to align internal teams, accelerate Adyen's sales cycle and drive measurable ROI.
How can deep curiosity drive sales acceleration?

Challenge

Adyen, a leading fin-tech company, was looking to grow its presence in the fashion retail sector. Its brand awareness was strong, but it needed help with two key areas:

  1. Identifying and understanding key decision makers within target accounts.
  2. Moving prospects down the funnel and accelerating the long enterprise sales cycle.

Our approach

Adyen partnered with Mahlab to implement a pilot ABM strategy. As always, Mahlab's approach began with deep curiosity to understand the industry, businesses, and personas and what drove their decision-making process.

As a first step, Mahlab facilitated a deep-dive discovery session aimed at aligning Adyen’s sales and marketing teams on key goals: generating new pipeline and reducing the sales cycle by securing meetings with key decision makers faster.

Next steps:

Target account identification:

  • Focused on the Australian fashion retail sector
  • Developed a target list of 24 accounts with little engagement or stalled conversations
  • Sub-grouped target accounts to tailor messages based on organisational structures

Buyer journey mapping:

  • Detailed understanding of high-value account profiles, including goals, challenges, preferences, and motivations
  • Mapped the buyer journey to identify touchpoints, decision moments and influences

Messaging and content development:

  • Created nuanced messaging frameworks for account
sub-groups and personas
  • Developed an overarching campaign concept to shift perceptions of payments from a cost centre to a growth engine
  • Ensured consistent messaging and alignment between marketing and sales teams

Channel and asset strategy:

  • Devised a channel strategy for direct mail, events and digital channels
  • Created assets such as a fashion retail report, LinkedIn Thought Leader Ads and printed a direct mail magazine styled like a fashion publication titled Ambition

Campaign execution:

  • Planned and scheduled ongoing content across LinkedIn, Google Display Network ads, eDM blasts and direct outreach from Adyen leadership and sales
  • Targeted personalised content during peak shopping seasons to address specific business needs
"This was the first time I felt that marketing and sales were able to align in a very strategic way."

Aarti Suri, Head of Marketing, APAC, Adyen.

impact

The ABM campaign achieved significant success, engaging 83% of the target accounts. Adyen sales teams are progressing commercial conversations with more than half of these engaged accounts.

Exceeded ROI expectations
Re-engaged accounts that had been unresponsive for over two years
Set new benchmarks in LinkedIn campaign performance for Adyen

83%

of target accounts engaged.

50%

of engaged accounts in commercial conversations.

3+

accounts in product testing
(as of 15 Aug 2024).

No. 1

performing social assets for Adyen A/NZ.

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