Seized marketing opportunity to establish MindSpring as the clear alternative to AOL.

Challenge:
In late 1998 it was becoming increasing clear that there was a vacuum in the ISP market for a clear number-two player and that a huge effort would be required to make MindSpring that company. Microsoft, with MSN, and EarthLink also sensed this opportunity and the market for consumer Internet access was becoming increasingly competitive. MindSpring needed to seize the opportunity or assume also-ran status. As Executive Vice President of Marketing for MindSpring, Lance Weatherby was accountable for meeting this challenge and establishing MindSpring as the clear alternative to AOL.

Actions:

• Created marketing plan to grow company from 1,000,000 to 2,000,000 customers between January 1999 and March 2000. Managed personnel responsible for creating revenue plan and individuals that provided key elements of marketing plan.
• Created detailed budget to achieve marketing goals. Budget ramped from $1.6 million to $12 million monthly spend to support growth objectives.
• Sold plan to internal management and board of directors.
• Developed integrated marketing effort for concurrent completion of advertising, distribution, product development, and public relations.
• Dramatically built marketing team to organize for growth push.
• Conducted agency review and hired full service ad agency appropriate for increased marketing spend.
• Expanded target market by changing the methodology from age and income to personality type.
• Orchestrated all marketing areas and various departments company wide for successful program.

Results:
The merger with EarthLink three weeks after the marketing plan was launched caused much of the elements beyond September to be radically changed. Regardless, the following results occurred.

• Grew customer base to 1.3 million vs. 1.2 million plan
• Grew 1999 revenue to $328 million from $115 million in 1998.
• Created television advertising campaign that was profiled in The Wall Street Journal.