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Optimizing Major Landscape Report Benefits

September 16, 2015Larry Yokell, Senior Analyst Relations ManagerCenturyLink

• Assessing the state of your company

• Understanding AR’s mission, resources, workloads, and challenges

• Developing your Communications Framework for recently published Major Landscape Reports

• Assessing the effectiveness of each Major Landscape Report Communications Campaign via appropriate metrics

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Agenda

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CenturyLink Overview

• CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) is a global communications, hosting, cloud and IT services company enabling millions of customers to transform their businesses and their lives through innovative technology solutions.

• CenturyLink offers network and data systems management, Big Data analytics and IT consulting, and operates more than 60 data centers in North America, Europe and Asia.

• The company provides broadband, voice, video, data and managed services over a robust 250,000-route-mile U.S. fiber network and a 300,000-route-mile international transport network.

• Headquarters: Monroe, LA• YE14 Revenue: $18B• YE14 Employees: 45,000

2008 2011-2012 2013-2015

DRIVE GROWTH BUILD SCALE$2.6BFY 2008

Global Telecom Network, Tier 1 ISP, Advanced MPLS Network and VoIP Portfolio

#2 Global Data Center and Managed Hosting Player

Sophisticated/Automated Cloud Platform

Analytics as a Service, Strong DRaaS Platform

IT C

apab

ilitie

s up

the

Sta

ck

Building a Unique Hybrid IT Solutions Platform via Strategic Acquisitions

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Database as a Service

$18.0BFY 2014

Network IP Communications Colocation Cloud – IaaS, SaaS

• #2 Global Retail Data Center Provider

• 60+ DCs in NA, EMEA, APAC

• 2.6M sq ft of space• 100% Uptime SLA

• Top 3 Globally in Managed Hosting

• Cutting edge Public and Private cloud

• #3 Domestic Communications Provider

• Tier 1 ISP• Global Fiber and

MPLS backbone

• Complete suite of SIP Trunking, Hosted VoIP, Contact Center, and 911 solutions

• VoIP capabilities built on best of breed platforms from Broadsoft, Sonus, Genesys, and Cisco

Managed Data Managed Voice Managed Hybrid CloudRemote Infrastructure

Management

Managed Security

Operational Scale Managing Data Centers, Servers, Applications, and Networks and Highly Efficient On-shore and Off-shore Model

Managed OfficeInfrastructure Outsourcing to Desktop for Small/Mid Sized Businesses    

Big Data-as-a-Service (Cognilytics)Complete Big Data Solutions from Infrastructure Management to Analytics  

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WO

RLD

CLA

SS IN

FRA

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CTU

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MA

NA

GED

SER

VICES

PRE-PA

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AG

EDSO

LUTIO

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CenturyLink Managed Solutions

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CenturyLink is NOT…

They live in West Monroe, LA. We HQ in Monroe, LA.“That’s the facts, Jack!” – Uncle Si

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CenturyLink Business AR MissionManage Analyst Relationships

Facilitate Analyst Info Requests

Conduct Briefings & Inquiries Benchmark AR Effectiveness

• Interact with key analysts and analyst firm account teams via phone, email, face-to-face meetings, conferences, and analyst days/summits

• Influence analysts via positive, timely, factual, and ongoing interactions to ensure best possible positioning with analyst clients (i.e., our customers and prospects)

• Frequency: Daily

• Collaborate with CTL Business Marketing and Product to create, schedule, and deliver formal and informal briefings on key products to analysts

• Manage and schedule CTL Business Marketing, Product, and Sales inquiries with key analysts on any business topic where outside consultation is valuable

• Frequency: As needed

• In collaboration with CTL Business Product and Marketing, manage and process analyst surveys, questionnaires, and ad hoc questions in a timely fashion to meet publication and/or client deadlines

• Frequency: Monthly / Quarterly

• Collaborate with Knowledge Capital Group to develop and conduct annual analyst benchmarking studies

• Collaborate with Knowledge Capital Group to conduct bi-annual analyst coverage metrics studies

• Frequency: Annually/As Needed

Distribute Analyst Info CTL Business-Wide• Communicate key analyst reports, briefings, inquiries, industry

trends, etc. via the Chatter Industry Analyst Relations Group• Publish key documents on CTL Business web sites & newsletters• Frequency: Daily/As Needed

Support Product, Marketing & Sales• Respond to all incoming CTL Business requests for analyst

interactions, reports, briefings/ inquiries, quote usage, and clarifications

• Manage key analyst landscape report & awards communications

• Train and consult with CTL Business teams• Frequency: As needed

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CenturyLink Business AR Team

Domestic

International

Tim Guillen

• Cloud• Colocation• Managed

Hosting• IT Consulting• Big Data• Analytics

Larry Yokell

• Ethernet & Fiber Access• MPLS/VPLS/DIA• Hosted VoIP/SIP

Trunking• Managed WAN Services• Hosted Contact Center• SDN/NFV• Security Services

Jasmine Ee

All Asia-Pac Coverage

Nadia Nizar

All EMEA Coverage

Brad Olson

• Wholesale

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A Month in the Life of CenturyLink AR

Source: July 2015 AR Status Report

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Key CenturyLink AR Challenge

Mass Quantities!Scarce Resources

• KCG “right-sized AR staff est. for CenturyLink: 8 – 10 FTE’s

• Currently Staffed: 2.66 FTEs

• Tot. # of Gartner MQs & CC’s supported/yr: 9 and climbing

• + additional Forrester, IDC, F&S major landscape reports

• ++ numerous key Tier 2 firm landscape reports

• +++ briefings, inquiry calls, analyst events, conferences, executive research, etc., etc.

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Internal Stakeholders• Executives• Marketing & Product

Management• Sales Force & Sales Training• Public Relations & Investor

Relations

External Stakeholders• End User/Buyer Decision

Makers• The Press• Thought Leaders• RFP/RFI Consultants• Channel Partners• Investors

CenturyLink Communications Framework for Landscape Reports

• Objective: Amplify CenturyLink’s Major Landscape Report outcomes to meet the needs of key stakeholders:

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Scenario: New Landscape Report

Publication Pending

• Analyst Firms provide 8 - 72 hours of notice

• AR socializes results with key company stakeholders

• AR, Marcom, and PR gear up to launch communication campaign

Communications Campaign Decision:

Go Big or Go Small

• Big Approach: Leader Position

• Small Approach: Anything But Leader

CenturyLink Communications Framework for Landscape Reports (cont.)

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Big Approach: When CenturyLink is a Leader

• Guiding Principles• Always buy the reprint rights• Deploy highly coordinated and integrated communications to

serve the needs of key internal and external stakeholders as quickly as possible

• Track results with metrics wherever possible

• Case Study: CenturyLink Positioned as Leader in New Forrester DDoS WAVE

Forrester DDoS Wave: The Process/Timeline

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Mar 4, 2015 Email notification

of report to AR

Mar 16 Attended Forrester hosted kick off call

Mar 20 Submitted complete

17-page questionnaire and 5 references

Mar 25 Submitted “follow up

survey” answers

April 17Hosted 3 hour portal demo for 2 separate

products

June 12 -16We fact-checked

Forrester’s 54-point review

July 22 Scorecard published: Announced leader!

July 31CTL Communicates Results to internal &

external stakeholders

4 days 3 days

5 days

NAMED LEADER!

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DDoS WAVE Communications Campaign

• Internal Executive Notification Email• Sales Enablement Tools

• Customer Landing Page with Access to DDoS WAVE Report• Customer Email• BMI News Story with Link to Salesforce.Com Chatter• Sales Response Briefing Posted in Chatter

• Press Release• Social Media

DDoS WAVE Internal Email

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DDoS WAVE Customer Landing Page

DDoS Wave Customer Email For Sales

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DDoS WAVE BMI News Story

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DDoS WAVE Sales Response Briefing

DDoS WAVE Press Release

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DDos WAVE Social Media

•ForbesVoice: Protect Your Front Lines: Avoid DDoS Attacks With Service Provider Expertise

•ThinkGig Blog: Plug Holes in your Frontline Security Strategy with DDoS Mitigation Services

•Social Sharing: ThinkGig (Shared 154 times) + ForbesVoice (Shared 225 times) blogs available for social media sharing by employees

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Small Approach: When CenturyLink is NOT a Leader

• Guiding Principles• Only buy reprint rights when ROI can be justified• Deploy highly coordinated, integrated communications to serve

the needs of key internal stakeholders as quickly as possible• Track results with metrics whenever possible

• Case Study: CenturyLink Cracks in to Gartner Critical Capabilities for Network Services, APAC

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CC for Network Services, APAC Communications Campaign

• Internal Executive Notification Email

• Sales Enablement Tools• BMI News Story with Link to Salesforce.Com Chatter• Sales Response Briefing Posted in Chatter

• Press Release• None due to #14 out of 14 positioning in all use cases

• Social Media• None due to #14 out of 14 positioning in all use cases

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CenturyLink is ranked #14 out of 14 in the four use cases included in this APAC CC report:

• Regional Network• Extended Domestic Network• High-Capacity Network• Low-Latency Network

To be included in this CC report, CenturyLink demonstrated that it met the following criteria:

• Provides all the network services listed for evaluation (managed MPLS VPN, Ethernet, Internet Access, and Managed WAN Optimization/APM)

• Provides connectivity to 13 major markets in Asia/Pacific, eight of which must be on their own network infrastructure. (VNOs that resell other providers' services are excluded.)

• Actively bids for stand-alone, Asia/Pacific network-only contracts, with total annual value of as little as $500,000.

• Has sales and support presence in one of the four key regional hubs — Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan or Australia.

CenturyLink Enters 2015 Gartner Critical Capabilities for Network Services, Asia/Pacific Report for the First Time

Key Messages to the Market (Response Deck)

• CenturyLink has expanded its enterprise networking presence to better serve major APAC markets

• CenturyLink plans to continue expanding its infrastructure and enhancing its product portfolio in APAC to provide next-generation, virtualized services

• With the combined capabilities of CenturyLink’s legacy Qwest and Savvis networks, CenturyLink can serve the needs of APAC-based MNCs, APAC-based financial service providers, and U.S.-based MNCs and government agencies with branches in APAC

• Gartner Recognizes CenturyLink’s:‒ Robust IP VPN network featuring dual PoPs in 13 major markets to meet the

resiliency requirements of APAC-based financial services companies‒ Expanded network connectivity to serve all CenturyLink data centers in APAC in

support of managed hosting, colocation, and cloud services‒ Choice of Ethernet services, including EPL, E-VPL, and ELAN service‒ Pricing competitiveness‒ Viability for customers with basic connectivity needs

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• Late entrant to the market• Limited range of managed services and primarily a connectivity provider at this

stage• Small customer base with a limited performance track record

CenturyLink Response• CenturyLink is now actively expanding its in-country sales and support

capabilities in APAC and the ongoing global roll our of our new SDN/NFV platform enables CenturyLink to deploy next-generation managed services as cloud-based apps faster and with more agility than APAC carriers still dependent on legacy network infrastructure. Thus, leveraging the capabilities of our new platform, our many years of experience fulfilling the demanding needs of U.S. embassies and consulates based through out APAC, our aggressive pricing, and our expanded infrastructure capabilities, CenturyLink will grow our customer base and track record for service excellence in APAC.

Gartner’s Cautions & CenturyLink’s Responses (Response Deck)

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Handling a Landscape Report Problem Child: When Results are Good, Bad, and Ugly

Source: 2014-2015 ATLANTIC-ACM Business Connectivity Survey

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Successful Campaign Metrics: Clicks, Leads & TweetsMarketing Channel Results: 1st 24 Hours

Lead Generation •1713 Unique Visitors to Cloud MQ Landing Page•644 conversions (31% conversion rate)

Media Coverage •CTL Press Release widely syndicated •9 CTL Mentions in MQ full articles, overall neutral for us while neg on some competitors

Web Traffic •CTS - 53% increase•CLC – 27% increase

Forbes Voice 1964 views

Cloud Blog 605 views

Twitter (2 tweets) 473 Clicks, 308 Shares

LinkedIn 3318 Impressions

Everyone Social >300 employee shares

Facebook 340 Reach

Internal Coms •Cloud Chat•BMI

From: White, Wendy Sent: Wednesday, May 20, 2015 10:45 PMTo: Puckett, Karen; Parker, James; Frank Grillo; Howland, Kimberly; Krishnaraj, Suku; Hussain, Aamir; Jared Wray; David Shacochis; Richard SeroterCc: Guillen, Timothy; Reeve, JonathanSubject: Re: Just published: Gartner MQ for CloudI’m just circling back to report out on the amazing results we saw from the early promotions on the Cloud MQ.  We had first mover advantage and were almost a full day ahead of the other players with our demand gen page and social campaign – so much so that we got a tweet from the Gartner lead cloud analyst, Lydia Leong, who called the team’s efforts “impressive!”  A list of results is below and is also enclosed along with some representative samples of the work.  Please note the  almost 650 form conversions and the very significant spike in web traffic.   We’ll continue to report results in our regular campaign updates.

Key Takeaways

• Know your company and understand your company’s needs

• Understand AR’s ability to facilitate, coordinate and execute Landscape Report Communications Campaigns in short time frames with available resources

• Create a consistent, repeatable Landscape Report Communications Framework

• Measure the result of each Landscape Report Communications Campaign with meaningful metrics

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Thank you

forrester.com

Larry Yokell303-992-8906larry.yokell@centurylink.com