Archives

Headline: A technology giant refreshes its strategy and goals to emphasize customer solutions

Challenge: Evolving from an internally-focused sustainability strategy to one emphasizing customer needs & outcomes

Approach:
Vision and goals:

Created an overarching goal structure with long-term, specific goals and metrics in order to drive action on the new strategy and clarify objectives for the business units

Corporate & business unit strategy:

Refreshed the sustainability strategy, marrying traditional operational efficiency with new focus on products’ and customers’ footprints

Enhanced or expanded offerings:

Identified opportunities to help customers improve their IT energy efficiency or use emerging technologies to reduce their footprints, prioritizing based on existing capabilities and market potential

Credible messaging:

Benchmarked energy efficiency messaging across the industry, highlighting product-specific and portfolio-level approaches



Results:
  • Three new areas of focus for the company and business units, supported by clear 2020 goals
  • Cross-business unit working groups to provide ongoing support for implementation
  • Support from the CEO and CMO for the new strategic direction


Headline: Microsoft identifies emerging fuel cell providers with whom to partner on data centers of the future

Challenge: Identify and engage partners that can develop fuel cells to meet the stringent demands of rack-level distributed power for Microsoft’s data centers

Approach:
Internal alignment:

Worked with data center energy procurement team, data center engineers, and sustainability leaders to understand and align on energy procurement vision focused on mitigating both costs and carbon.

Industry and market assessment:

Developed a market landscape of the fuel cell sector, identifying emerging trends and technologies

Partner evaluation and engagement:

Interviewed fuel cell companies, investors, gov’t agencies, and adjacent technology providers. Identified and prioritized most promising vendors for Microsoft needs and provided introductions to begin internal diligence



Results:
  • Identified 150+ fuel cell vendors for review
  • Conducted 20+ interviews of prioritized vendors and developed landscape of technology readiness based on client data center performance specifications
  • Provided 3 introductions for internal diligence, of which one vendor is currently participating in in-situ testing


Headline: A global, end-to-end contract manufacturer develops an M&A pipeline of strategic cleantech acquisitions

Challenge: Identify strategic acquisition targets manufacturing enabling hardware and electronics for renewable generation, traditional transmission and distribution, smart grid, and demand-side controls in order to enter new markets and grow the client’s energy business.

Approach:
Market landscape:

Evaluated market dynamics across value chains of client’s top interest areas, including wind and solar, transmission and distribution, energy storage and battery management systems, power electronics, and lighting controls.

Target identification:

Developed and implemented an iterative M&A target identification and prioritization process to evaluate potential acquisitions and refine market entry hypotheses.

Acquisition hypothesis:

Provided diligence on top prospects. Developed investment narrative for top prospects to illustrate and pressure-test strategic fit and growth trajectory.



Results:
  • Market research resulting in re-prioritization of client’s initial target acquisition areas
  • Interviews conducted with acquisition targets, VCs, and industry veterans
  • 1,000+ companies reviewed with initial filter screen
  • 155 companies identified and prioritized for acquisition long list
  • 25 companies in 4 target areas reviewed in detail and prioritized for acquisition according to client M&A scorecard


GM

Headline: An automotive legend charges out of bankruptcy with "Car of the Year” and stronger environmental alignment

Challenge: Developing an environmentally and technologically astute launch strategy for one of the world’s most sophisticated vehicles—the Chevrolet Volt—at a critical time for General Motors


Approach:
Branding and communications:

Positioned the Volt as an integral member of the Chevrolet brand and window to other GM innovations in a messaging hierarchy used as a reference across GM and its agencies

Credible messaging:

Provided nuance to the Volt target customer persona and helped shape the tone and content of environmental messages for executive talking points

New partnerships:

Initiated and facilitated the collaboration between GM, the world’s preeminent electric utility association, and utility representatives on electric transportation infrastructure and other issues integral to the success of plug-in vehicles



Results:
  • Successful product launch; strong, credible environmental messaging; and highly engaged, excited customers
  • Motor Trend “Car of the Year” and dozens of global accolades
  • Increased sophistication on environmental marketing and external engagement