Owning the gap between business objectives and marketing investment

Over the last 15 years, DUO, a niche tech PR and Digital marketing agency, has expanded its services offering, aiming at each point, to deliver value and exceptional results for its existing customers.

“It is this commitment to progress and a strong desire to prove the return on investment from marketing budgets that has led to the creation of our Advisory Services,” says Judith Middleton, founder and lead advisor at DUO.

Middleton, who has recently completed a course at Harvard Business School Executive Education on Scaling Entrepreneurial Businesses alongside 66 other global entrepreneurs believes that there is a critical role for a service of this nature.

“Tech entrepreneurs may spend years building a solution which isn't always tested before they push the button for PR and marketing go-to-market campaigns. It is here, that many feel disappointed with the results.”

The DUO Advisory Services team will pressure test aspects of the business, analysing the solution, the fundamental operations of the business strategy, leverage past experiences and determine how to successfully take products or services to market.

“Our Advisory Services pricing will be outcomes-based, much like our PR and digital marketing pricing model. The services will initially include product- market testing, roadmap conceptualisation, sales and marketing strategy development, and a go-to-market action plan creation for businesses. Other solutions include:

• What marketing elements to prioritise to support your business objectives effectively.
  
• What to prioritise on a small budget.
  
• How to measure the impact of your investment and who to hold accountable at critical milestones.
  
• What critical elements are required to elevate your brand effectively.
  
• What tools, platforms and messaging to use to truly differentiate from your competitors.
  
• Timing; when is the best time to launch a product or solution.
  
• Reporting to the board and shareholders such that they understand the value of your marketing investment.

“The founder of DUO has helped accelerate the growth of relevant technology companies for African people and markets. Judith’s professionalism, commercial pragmatism and measurable marketing strategies helps disciplined geeks and investors make money and measurable impact. Intelligent, resourceful and accessible counsel.”
Margaret O’Connor, Adventure Capitalist
The Centre for Disruptive Technologies

Judith Middleton will lead a team of advisors to provide commercially orientated consulting to tech companies wanting advice on best practice, tools and methodologies.

To find out about the DUO Advisory Services click here.

About Judith Middleton

Judith is the founder of DUO Marketing + Communications, a South African PR and digital agency servicing the B2B tech industry, which has expanded into Nigeria, Ghana and Kenya to support the growing tech boom into Africa. She has extensive experience in strategic marketing, media and business development.

Formerly the Marketing Director for the Cape Information Technology Initiative (CITI) and member of the founding team that conceptualised and built Cape Town’s first tech incubator, Bandwidth Barn, she subsequently became a Director of CITI and Calling the Cape (now BPeSA), as well as a member of the Board of Advisors to the Cape Manufacturing Advisory Committee.

In 2017 she attended a course at Harvard Business School on Scaling Entrepreneurial Ventures alongside 66 other global entrepreneurs. Judith is also a proud mentor to the Global Endeavor Community in South Africa; an advisor to Wyzetalk and an investor in a few budding rockstars.