170 enterprise customers use a custom-built version of Make

Summary

Bas Kommunikasjon wanted a user-friendly tool for email marketing and SMS that they could integrate into their own, larger system and resell to their clients. Together with Make, they developed a unique solution that has retained many of Bas Kommunikasjon's clients for years.

Background

Bas Kommunikasjon is a digital communication and marketing agency offering a full portfolio of services, from branding to development and strategy. They serve 400 different clients, ranging from single petrol stations to major banks.

The Challenge

When Bas Kommunikasjon shifted to offering hours and advisory services as their primary delivery, managing several different complex systems began consuming a significant amount of their developers' time. They needed a third-party solution specifically designed for sending newsletters and SMS to resell to their clients.

Partnered with Make to build a customized solution for resale

Bas Kommunikasjon wanted a third-party newsletter and SMS solution to integrate into the system they offer their clients. As mentioned, such tasks took an excessive amount of time to execute in their existing tools, and Bas realized they needed a dedicated tool built specifically for the job.

Bård Øien Madsen, Team Lead at Bas Kommunikasjon, says they never doubted who to choose:

– We could have approached anyone in the market, but we already knew the players and felt Make was the best fit. We were looking for a good cultural match with a strong focus on usability, and Make shared that vision. We have strict requirements for integrity and security, being owned by Posten, which was another point in Make's favour.

Madsen explains that since they are also a competitor of sorts to Make, it was important to find a win-win solution. He found Make to be highly collaborative from the start. Together, they used Make's standard email marketing and SMS tool as a starting point and made adjustments to tailor it even closer to the needs of Bas Kommunikasjon's clients. Madsen describes it as a car with the same engine but a slightly different body.

The final product is resold as part of a package solution to 120 of Bas Kommunikasjon's clients, with all but 15 managing the tool on their own. The partnership has proven to be highly cost-effective for both parties.

Satisfied clients

The average customer lifespan for a Bas Kommunikasjon client using the Make system is four years, Madsen says, adding that this is impressive for a relatively straightforward system. From their own experience with the tool, it is night and day compared to how things used to be:

– In the large all-in-one systems we used before, the simple tasks are the heaviest. If you want to send an SMS to everyone who attended an event, it takes three hours of work loading data, building target audiences, and so on. With Make, the same job takes ten minutes, says Madsen.

While emails are mainly used for newsletters, Bas Kommunikasjon's clients use Make's SMS tool for tasks ranging from leasing cars via keywords to reporting meter readings to Hafslund.

Madsen notes that Bas supports their clients directly, but Make plays a key role in more technical support. We are in touch weekly and highly appreciate being taken seriously immediately.

– You are never passed around or told "that is not my job". Instead, it is "That is not my job, but I will get the person responsible on it right away." They understand service and make it as easy as possible for you. In these cases, it is mostly about bugs or requests for further development, but Madsen emphasizes that it is a collaborative effort.

– It is not something we pressure them on. Usually, Make has already thought of the same things and is already developing them. Make's business is selling licenses, so you have to focus 100 percent on building a great system. I feel Make does exactly that.