IMAGINE A WORLD

WITHOUT WIRES

An external communications
campaign for:
WE ARE...
Cardinal Communications

Kasse Kaczmarek Eden Kraus Jordan Griffin Andrew McGuinness

Designer/ Researcher Planning Manager Editor
Presentation Lead

Katie Pavlick Madeline Scalzi

Account Manager Designer

Cardinal [kahr-dn-l]
adjective
of prime importance; chief; principal:
of cardinal significance.

As our name suggests, Cardinal Communications is dedicated to putting our clients’

needs first. We strive to take client goals and turn them into a practical vision for the
future. Through thorough research and pinpointed objectives we create messages that
bring our clients closer to their consumers. Our team members’ diverse experiences
in research, government communications, nonprofit public relations, digital marketing
and film/music promotion give us an unparalleled breadth of knowledge and skills.

Cardinal Communications works smarter so your company can go further.

 01
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Executive Summary 02

Situation Analysis 03

Problem Statement 06

Goal Statement 06

Publics 06

Key Messages 06

Objectives, Strategies and Tactics 07

Evaluation 07

Campaign Map 10

Budget 11

Communication Elements 12
Primary Research Summary 31

Primary Research 32

Secondary Research Summary 49

Secondary Research 49
 02
Executive Summary

Cardinal Communications has developed a four-prong plan to augment Squirrels’ current

communication plan. This plan will increase brand awareness, generate a strong corporate identity
and position the company as a thought leader in screen-sharing technology.

Cardinal Communications would like to first increase Squirrels’ brand cohesiveness. Creating
a brand that is easily identifiable will improve brand awareness and help position Squirrels as a
resource for consumers. This objective aims to revamp social media accounts and improve search
engine optimization.

Through research Cardinal Communications has highlighted Squirrels’ website as one of the main
problem areas. One of our objectives is to improve a consumer’s understanding of the website
by reorganizing the current homepage to segment products into a more specific setting. This goal
aims to reduce the bounce rate of Squirrels’ website and improve the consumer’s understanding of
products.

Cardinal Communications also discovered that consumers had difficulty understanding which
products would work best for their setting. We found that consumers were able to identify ClassHub
and Reflector Teacher as educational tools, but could not differentiate uses or environments that
Ditto, Reflector 3 and AirParrot would be helpful for. To fix this problem, Cardinal Communications
looks to increase understanding of each product and its specific purpose by segmenting each on the
Squirrels website. This update will allow the user to understand which product best fits their needs
and easily navigate the purchasing process.

Lastly, Cardinal Communications looks to increase positive sentiment and quantity of engagement
across Squirrels’ digital platforms. Through face-to-face and digital communications, Squirrels can
better utilize content marketing to reach its audiences.
 03
Situation Analysis

Squirrels LLC, a software company based out of North Canton, Ohio, is currently seeking to position
itself as a thought leader within wireless screen-mirroring technology.

Squirrels offers six various screen-mirroring products, with each product serving a different
purpose to its consumer bases. The end-users within Squirrels’ segmented consumer bases
include educators who utilize ClassHub to share content with students efficiently throughout their
classrooms. In addition, consumers use its products in the business sector. One product, Ditto,
is designed to improve business activities through its screen-sharing technology. Although each
product differs in purpose for the end-user, the products maintain a similar objective in providing
wireless screen-sharing technology.

Research regarding current thought leaders revealed two relevant examples of where Squirrels’
potential consumers turn to for information and resources: Apple and GoGuardian. Though Apple is
not a key competitor, it is a successful example of a strong parent company with multiple branded
products. Considering nearly all its products are branded with the ‘i’ and the company can be quickly
identified, even if the logo itself is removed. GoGuardian, a key competitor of Squirrels LLC, has
followed in the same path, labeling its products as “GoGuardian (x).” Consistent brand labeling
helps customers find the product they desire. The simplicity of GoGuardian’s various products such
as Teacher, Admin and Counselor clearly inform its varying audiences of which product they need,
based on their role in a school system.

Many educators indicated through research that they are influenced by individuals and organizations
with whom they have ongoing and trusting relationships. Findings indicate that if an educator
cannot recognize a Squirrels product when they are using it, they are less likely to expand on their
relationship with the Squirrels brand when searching for similar products in different settings (i.e
switching from home, to business, to classroom).

During primary research, Cardinal Communications made headway by obtaining insight into the
buying process with Squirrels’ key publics. Following interviews with various administrators in
education, Cardinal Communications concluded that many technology decisions made within
educational establishments are based and considered on a buying process. This is opposed to
Squirrels’ initial analysis that the purchase decision is based on key features of the actual software
or company.
 04
Squirrels is less identifiable in brand awareness when compared to competitors. The insufficient
cohesiveness in its social media and media exposure may drive the end-user to perceive the
individual product as the brand (Example: Ditto). Squirrels’ competitors not only use social media
to advance products but implement content marketing tactics directed to meet the needs of its
consumers. Mersive, a direct competitor, shares daily articles to keep its audience updated. This
strategy allows its followers to feel they are in-the-know when a new product is released.

The Squirrels website, airsquirrels.com, needs improvement to better resonate with end-users.
Website visitors bounce 44% of the time — they either do not find the information they look for or
do not know where to look. The rate nearly doubles (75% ClassHub, 71% Ditto) when consumers
go directly to product specific pages. These alarming analytics pulled from Squirrels Website
Traffic Data indicate that various website fragments are difficult to navigate and do not help unify
Squirrels brand. The products separate web pages, with no cohesive connection to the brand
name Squirrels, cause confusion for the end-user on the brand identity.

Outside sources have provided Cardinal Communications with insight into the public perception of
Squirrels. Various articles have been published with content discussing its products like, Reflector,
Ditto, and ClassHub and speak positively on the products themselves, yet constantly failing to
mention the brand, Squirrels. On occasion, articles mistakenly identify Squirrels as AirSquirrels,
due to the website domain being airsquirrels.com.

In conclusion, the research conducted by Cardinal Communications indicated that Squirrels

brand is segmented, leading to a lack of association between Squirrels products and the Squirrels’
brand. This confusion is hurting conversion rate, consumer and advocate understanding, and
preventing the Squirrels brand at large from becoming a thought leader in wireless screen-sharing
technology.

“The brand identity of your business should be just as unique and

consistent no matter what the product.”

Source: Cardinal Communications

 05
Situation Analysis
SWOT Analysis
Strengths
• Squirrels has a firm understanding of what it is selling, and how its products can improve the day-
to-day efficiency of its consumers
• Squirrels has multiple case studies on how consumers are using products to increase productivity
and efficiency in homes, school, business and beyond
• AlphaSquirrels are very loyal to the brand and promote it both online and via face-to-face
communication
• Customers who purchase one Squirrels product are much more likely to purchase another product
when they need the technology in a different setting
• Squirrels has great customer service for a relatively small company

Weaknesses
• Although Squirrels has multiple strong case studies backing up the efficiency of its products, this
data is not positioned on the website to target potential consumers
• Although Squirrels has been an established force in screen mirroring technology for 10 years, it is
still are not seen as a “thought leader” by technology users
• While Squirrels consumers easily recognize product branding, such as Reflector and AirParrot,
they are not connecting the products to the brand as a whole
• Overly segmented website and social media platforms
• Some customers are not using the right product for the right use. I.e: Using Ditto when they should
be using AirParrot or vice versa
• The small staff at Squirrels limits the number of large clients they can take in at one time

Opportunities
• Squirrels’ history and success of its quickly advancing technology makes it perfectly positioned to
become a thought leader in the screen-mirroring and tech-ed markets
• Better organization of the Squirrels website could lead to customers increaseing their screen time,
a lower bounce rate and more sales
• Expanding into the healthcare sector may become a not-yet-explored cash-cow for Squirrels
• Most of Squirrels’ competitors have higher prices and less personal customer service

Threats
• Developments in technology may change this market beyond Squirrels’ ability to adapt
• Larger companies, such as Intel, are very reputable and have many loyal users who may be
difficult to convert to Squirrels consumers
• Quick growth may require more man hours than Squirrels has to offer
 06
Problem Statement
Squirrels lacks brand identity and consumer awareness among its key publics. Cardinal
Communications research indicates that the product segmentation and website organization
cause confusion amongst consumers. Becasue of this, Squirrels has not yet positioned itself as a
thought leader in wireless screen-mirroring technology. Potential consumers have stated that they
do not understand how each product works in diverse settings.

Goal Statement
To increase brand identity and consumer awareness among Squirrels’ key publics, by optimizing
existing digital platforms and establishing the company as a thought leader in wireless screen-
mirroring technology.

Publics
• IT decision makers in K-12 schools or higher education
• K-12 administrators
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors
• Technology officers in the healthcare setting

Key Messages

The technology The resource The solutions

you trust you turn to you need
 07
Objectives, Strategies and Tactics
Objective One
Optimize Squirrels’ brand cohesiveness and establish a strong connection between the brand and
its products by making the brand six percent more identifiable by current customers across digital
platforms within one year.
Strategy
Optimize social media accounts to improve the visual relationship between each product and
the brand.
Tactics
• Change Squirrels name to AirSquirrels across the entirety of the organization.
• Implement new brand name across digital presence, in-person marketing materials,
and all other platforms.
• Generate better SEO to increase search engine result relevance.
• Incorporate AirSquirrels’ branding on all social media accounts by adding a brand-
cohesive header and pinned tweet featuring the new rebranded video.
• Generate and advertise a brand video to targeted audiences via Youtube, LinkedIn, Twitter
and Facebook.
• Create a cohesive sales kit that will be distrubted to strong potential leads at trade shows.
Evaluation
Cardinal Communications will evaluate Squirrels’ digital presence by utilizing various search
terms to assess Squirrels’ position within the results. Eye tracking will also be used to
reevaluate if consumers are still focusing on specific areas of the website and social media
pages.
Objective Two
To decrease bounce rate on airsquirrels.com by four percent within the first six months of plan
implementation.
Strategy
Optimize Squirrels website to become a more comprehensive platform that communicates
each product in better detail.
Tactic
• Place visual icons and attention-grabbing statistics more effectively across the Squirrels
website to better communicate the functionality and features of each product.
• Create an information tree that guides users through the functionality of each product in its
designated setting. This will lead the customer to the correct product for their needs.
 08
Evaluation
Cardinal Communications will evaluate Squirrels’ digital presence by utilizing its digital
analytics data to focus on decreasing bounce rate and observation time on website pages.
Eye-tracking will also be used to reevaluate if consumers are still focusing on specific areas of
the website and social media pages.

Objective Three
To increase current customers’ understanding of which Squirrels product is best intended for
their use within a specified setting by five percent within one year.

Strategy
• Segment the products based on its key audiences and show real world application
of the products.
• Use the Squirrels website homepage to educate customers about which product
will most fit their needs.
Tactics
• Create an information tree to help users easily decide which product best suits their
needs.
• Craft short video resources which demonstrate actual product use.
• Use the Squirrels website homepage to educate consumers about which product
will most fit their needs.
• Create and manage a knowledge base where customers can look for an answer to
their questions first before contacting customer support.
Evaluation
Cardinal Communications will craft a survey for each product that customers will fill out prior
to product use and after product use. Surveys taken in June 2019 will be compared to surveys
taken in June 2020 to evaluate changes and assess customer understanding.

Objective Four
To increase positive sentiment and quantity of engagement across Squirrels’ digital platforms by
11 percent within one year.

Strategy
Use a combination of face-to-face and digital communication to position Squirrels as a
thought leader among technology decision makers.
 09
Tactic
• Utilize content marketing by updating the website blog with consistent posts and
sharing relevant articles on social media platforms.
• Distribute polished sales kit at trade shows including materials that showcase
important company information, specific product information, case studies, and
other helpful handouts.
• Use Consumer Success Metrics to provide consumers with easy evaluation of their
experience with a single support interaction and turn consumer success into a
growth engine.

Evaluation
Cardinal Communications will use digital monitoring software like meltwater or Cision to
measure positive and negative sentiment on Squirrels, pre and post campaign. Increase in
positive sentiment and overall online conversations would prove these tactics successful.
Additionally, online conversations can be analyzed to determine which marketing strategies
are particularly beneficial.
 10
Campaign Map
Tactics June Jul Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May June

Change name to AirSquirrels

Improve use of visual icons

Upkeep
 11
Budget
 12
Communication Elements
Cohesive branding to be used accross all AirSquirrels
product pages
Audience
• IT decision makers in K-12 schools or higher education
• K-12 administrators
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors
• Technology officers in the healthcare setting

Communication Objective
Optimize Squirrels’ brand cohesiveness and establish a strong connection between the brand and
its products by making the brand six percent more identifiable by current customers across digital
platforms within one year.

Key Message(s)
The resource you turn to
The solutions you need

Strategy
Use Squirrel’s product pages to promote the cohesive AirSquirrels Brand

Communication Channel:
Social Media: LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook

Element Summary
Cardinal Communiations’ primary and secondary research indicated that key publics have a
difficult time connecting Squirrels’ products such as Ditto, Reflector and AirParrot to the greater
brand of Squirrels. To solve the brand confusion and inconsistancy accross Squirrels’ channels,
Cardinal Communiations recomends updating all of the header images on any Squirrels brand or
product account to one cohesive image accross all platforms.

Similarly, if the client feels an AirSquirrels-branded header across all product accounts infringes on
the integrity of the product-specific branding, Cardinal Communications suggests adding a small
black AirSquirrels banner at the top of each already existing header.
13
 14
AirSquirrels (Re)Branding Tweets

Audience
• IT decision makers in K-12 schools or higher education
• K-12 administrators
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors
• Technology officers in the healthcare setting

Communication Objective
Optimize Squirrels’ brand cohesiveness and establish a strong connection between the brand
and its products by making it six percent more identifiable by current customers across digital
platforms within one year.

Key Message(s)
• The resource you turn to
• The solutions you need.

Strategy
Use social media to generate awareness of the Squirrels rebrand

Communication Channel:
Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn

Element Summary
Post the new Squirrels’ brand gif on each of the separate product pages as well as the main
AirSquirrels account. This update will help users better understand the Squirrels rebrand. Cardinal
Communications recomends utalizing content that is already found on the Squirrels website, such
as in Tweet 3. These Tweets also help position Squirrels as a company who is litening to their key
public, making them a thought leader.
 15

1. 2. 3.

4. 5.
 16
AirSquirrels rebranded home page with product segmentation
questionnaire
Audience
• IT decision makers in K-12 schools or higher education
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors
• Technology officers in the healthcare setting

Communication Objective
• To decrease bounce rate by four percent within the first six months of plan implementation.
• To increase current customers’ understanding of which Squirrels product is intended for their
use within a specified setting by five percent within one year.

Key Message(s)
• The resource you turn to
• The solutions you need

Strategy
Use the Squirrels homepage to help visitors understand which of the products is best
intended for their specifit location

Communication Channel:
Website homepage, accessable at airsquirrels.com and via all Squirrels’ product social media
pages

Element Summary
The eye tracking research performed by Cardinal Communications on the Squirrels website and
one of its leading competitors, GoGuardian, indicated that potential Squirrels consumers have a
difficulty diferentiating between Squirrels’ individual products. This lack of product diferentiation
places specific prodcuts in the hands of audiences who are better suited for other products. To
combat this segmentation confusion, Cardinal Communications designed a one question survey to
direct customers from the initial landing page to the product that best fits their application needs.
This redesign aids consumers in quickly finding a technology solution that works best for them.
17
 18
Case Studies Videos
Audience
• IT decision makers in K-12 schools or higher education
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors

Communication Objective
To increase current customers’ understanding of which Squirrels product is best intended for their
use within a specified setting by five percent within one year.

Key Message(s)
The technology you trust
Strategy
Use video elements to highlight Airsquirrels case studies and show proven results of the product

Communication Channel:
Squirrels website and social media channels

Element Summary
Through research, Cardinal Communications found that IT decision makers and school
administrators would like to see proof that Squirrels technology is a better option. They placed a
high emphasis on case studies and proven results before considering an investment in a company
or product. In addition, research showed that professionals value short, 30-second videos with
useful information. Because of these factors, Cardinal Communications has created a 30-second
informational video highlighting a case study conducted with an Squirrels product.
 19
1. 4.

2. 5.

3. 6.
 20
Blog SEO
Audience
• IT decision makers in K-12 schools or higher education
• K-12 administrators
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors
• Technology officers in the healthcare setting
Communication Objective
To decrease bounce rate by four percent within the first six months of plan implementation.
Key Message(s)
• The resource you turn to
• The solutions you need
Strategy
Utilize SEO Optimization Guide. Utilize best practice for optimized page elements.
1. Establish niche topic(s) – 3-8 core topics. 1. Uniquely valuable information.
2. Perform keyword research. 2. Provides phenomenal UX.
3. Optimize and update older post. 3. Keyword targeted.
4. Formulate topics around niche(s). 4. Built to share though social sharing.
5. Call to action (CTA) and social sharing. 5. Authorship, meta data, schema, rich snippets.

Communication Channel:
• AirSquirrels Blog – www.airsquirrels.com
• All social media accounts
Element Summary
Being in the digital era, your website is one of the most effective places to spread brand
awareness. Aligning SEO and branding efforts towards people who matter most – your customers
– makes it about your buyer persona and you will ultimately build your brand and SEO. Choosing
core niche topics for your company blog that relate to your industry, as well as your consumer’s
industry, narrows your blogs focus. Every post should correlate with one of these themes and each
time you publish a new blog post, you’ll add thought leadership to that topic.

Blog content enables companies to drive traffic and provide a variety of useful information that
would benefit readers, and even create contacts that can help a business grow. Articles not only
express your blog, but also provide useful information that can address the needs of the user and
based on commonly asked questions about your niche topics. The best blog content is one that is
evergreen, which means that the information within the articles would be able to sustain useful for
a long period of time.
 21

Content Generated Towards Education

This content we produce helps Squirrels increase brand awareness

and thought leadership by providing informative and education
focused content that makes educators feel confident or
knowledgable so that they can efficently monitor and run their
classroom.

Content Generated Towards Healthcare

This content we produce helps Squirrels increase brand awareness

and thought leadership by providing informative and relevant to
healthcare content that makes users in the healthcare setting feel
Interested to learn more so that they look to Squirrels blog for
information in the future.
 22
AirSquirrels Branded Sales Kit
Audience
• IT decision makers in K-12 schools or higher education
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors
• Technology officers in the healthcare setting
Communication Objective
Optimize Squirrels’ brand cohesiveness and establish a strong connection between the brand and
its products by making the brand six percent more identifiable by current customers across digital
platforms within one year.

Key Message(s)
The solutions you need

Strategy
Accumulate branded sales kit with the AirSquirrel’s name and logo on front, along with the
other products offered in smaller visuals of the logos underneath. Inside each folder will contain
specified and personalized content – depending on the needs of the segmented target market in
the situation.

Communication Channel:
Face-to-Face at trade shows

Element Summary
A sales kit is your one-stop-shop for content in your marketing strategy, such as FAQs,
Remarkable Difference Summary, and Ideal Clients. Some of this information is for internal
reference, while some is for the world at large. Whoever your audience, using information from a
single source means that everything you create will carry the same tone and voice. This is ideal for
building brand awareness and trust.

Having the right sales kit can be the essential tool for marketing your business, educating your
clients, and finalizing sales. It’s a flexible and in-depth package consisting of separate pages of
information that are interchangeable depending on your audience. Personalization allows you
to increase customer retention through more relevant and tailored experiences with your brand.
When a lead or customer is addressed by name with content they care about, they will be much
more likely to be loyal to your brand.
 23

Kit Contents:
Left side of sales kit
• Personalized letter
• AirSquirrel’s Profile Sheet that includes the other products offered with brief description on usage
of each.
• Highlights from credibly known publications that feature AirSquirrel’s in a positive light and is
correctly referenced (personalize publications that are relevant to customers industry/profession).
• Fact Sheet: AirSquirrel’s Consumer Success Manager & Team
Right side pocket folder of sales kit text: www.airsquirrels.com

Right side of sales kit

• Product information with the price compared to competitors.
• Testimonials and simplified case studies that reinforce credibility and usage of the product.
• Fact Sheet: How (This Specified Content on This Product) Can Help You Achieve (Whatever Goal
in That Industry May Be) – relate to buy persona and target markets.
Right side pocket folder of sales kit text: “Image a world without wires.”
 24
AirSquirrels Branded Video Advertisement
Audience
• IT decision makers in K-12 schools or higher education
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors
• Technology officers in the healthcare setting

Communication Objective
To increase current customers’ understanding of each product’s intended use by five
percent within one year.

Key Message(s)
• The solutions you need
• The technology you trust

Strategy
Distribute the video via Social Channel (Sponsored Posts) and YouTube Ads

Communication Channel:
YouTube (Ad), Hullu (Ad), Facebook (Sponsored Post), Twitter (Sponsored Post)

Element Summary
Cardinal Communications research indicated that many consumers are interested in short,
engaging content. Using this information Cardinal Communications developed a short
advertisement intended for YouTube and social media channels. The advertisement will introduce
consumers to AirSquirrels and establish AirSquirrels as a thought leader in screen-mirroring
technology.
 25
Video sequence and script

“The way you interact with devices is about to

change forever”

“AirSquirrels is simplifying how you conduct

buisness...”

“...how you learn...”

“...and how you enjoy home entertainment...”

“Discover why millions of people use

AirSquirrels technology every day.”
 26
AirSquirrels Rebranding Social Media MP4/GIF
Audience
• IT decision makers in K-12 schools or higher education
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors
• Technology officers in the healthcare setting
Communication Objective
Optimize Squirrels’ brand cohesiveness and establish a strong connection between
the brand and its products by making the brand six percent more identifiable by
current customers across digital platforms within one year.

Key Message(s)
The resource you turn to
Strategy
Use this AirSquirrels sequence on social media post (and ads) to create (re)brand
awareness.

Communication Channel:
AirSquirrels branded social media channels (specifically Twitter, Facebook and
LinkedIn)

Element Summary
Cardinal Communications created a GIF to quickly and simply convey Squirrels’ rebrand to our
core audiences. This short animation communicates that Squirrels is now AirSquirrels, and helps
build anticipation in the consumer for what is coming next.
 27
GIF Sequence

(action) *Cloud slides to the left*

(action) * ‘AIR’ appears between the

cloud and ‘Squirrels’ *
 28
Consumer Succcess Mesaurements
Audience
• IT decision makes in K-12 schools or higher education
• K-12 administrators
• Chief Information Officers and Chief Technology Officers in business sectors
• Technology officers in the healthcare setting
Communication Objective
To increase positive sentiment and quantity of engagement across Squirrels’ digital platforms by
11 percent within one year.

Key Message(s)
• The technology you trust
• The resource you turn to

Strategy
Use Consumer Success Metrics to provide consumers with easy evaluation of their experience with
a single support interaction and turn consumer success into a growth engine.

Communication Channel:
Email consumer success and/or loyalty surveys after each single support interaction with a client.
Element Summary
Cardinal Communications primary and secondary research indicated that based on that
information gathered from previous surveys, Squirrel’s is missing valuable feedback from their
consumers that could help the organization grow. The survey provided by Squirrel’s focused
around a consumer’s satisfaction with the use of singular product, along with only one question
regarding other products offered by Squirrels.

Net Promoter Score (NPS) can be implemented as part of every customer conversation, and it’ll
quickly give you a data-driven pulse on customer happiness and valuable insight for the future.
This survey method measure on a scale of 0-10 the degree to which people would recommend
your companies to others. With consumers in control, you can no longer afford to not know why a
person decided to leave you as a customer.

Consumer Satisfaction Score measures customer satisfaction with a business, purchase, or

interaction.
29
30
 31
Primary Research
Primary Research Summary
Cardinal Communications conducted extensive primary and secondary research to properly asses
Squirrel’s environment and key publics. Cardinal Communications interviewed five professionals
within education and information technology. These interviews showed that administrators and IT
professionals often search for case studies and proven data about potential products. They placed
a high value on technology and companies with proven results. In addition, professionals appreciate
technology that is sustainable, efficient and respects student privacy. They noted that the purchasing
process also plays a big role in the adoption of new technology.

Cardinal Communications also held a group interview and utilized eye-tracking technology with three
professionals. These interviews targeted thought leaders and purchasing power. The group interview
showed that professionals value short, 30 second videos with engaging content. They noted that
content marketing is valuable and could help Squirrels become a thought leader in screen-sharing
technology. During the eye-tracking study, participants had a hard time understanding the functionality
and intended audience of each product. In addition, participants were drawn to Squirrels graphics but
felt that the website lacked cohesive branding.

“I want something to make my life easier. What can you do to make my

life easier? Prove it won’t be more work for me and you’re half way
there. ”
Source: Gary Davis, Carroll County Public Schools, Maryland

“When I make a big technology investment for the district I need

to know that the product is going to last a long time. It has to be
sustainable.”
Source: Stephen Guthrie, Sussex Technical School District, Delaware
 32
Client Meeting At Squirrels 23 January 2019
Squirrels officials in attendance: Tom Crilley, Sidney Keith, Jessica Gritzan
During the client meeting, Squirrels officials mentioned a few key objectives that they would like to
be focal points during the research process:
• Become a thought leader within wireless presentation technology.
• Differentiate each product while still connecting the products to the overarching Squirrels brand.
• Put focus towards Ditto, both educating consumers on the product and increasing sales.
General obstacles: Officials identified recurring issues that have hindered growth of the
company and have been the most difficult barriers to overcome to reach their end goals.
• Customers do not understand the difference between each product and consequently end up
purchasing the wrong product.
• Ex. Buying AirParrot, which is meant for individuals, as opposed to Ditto which is more
suitable for universities and conference rooms.
• Current and potential customers tend to believe that the name of the products, AirParrot for
example, is the name of the company.
• It is difficult to convince potential customers that wireless presentation technology is easier than
having to plug a physical cable into a device.
• Increasing awareness about the company and its products is more difficult than keeping
customers, as Squirrels has a high renewal rate for its products.
• Traffic on the Squirrels website is declining.

Unsuccessful Marketing Strategies: Through trial and error, Squirrels has discovered which
tactics have been unsuccessful in bringing new customers and creating brand awareness.
• One attempt at associating the company with its products was to add “made by Squirrels”
beneath the names of products.
• Swag and email signups at Trade Shows proved to be ineffective for attracting new customers.
• Coupons were not successful in motivating new customers to try the products.
Additional information: Data provided by Squirrels’ employees is vital to reach a better
understanding of the company and is useful when identifying further problems and suggesting
possible solutions.
• There is a large influx of users during large broadcast events like the Grammys and the Super
Bowl.
• Google Analytics and social media advertisements are fairly new tools used by the company.
• How-to articles are generally successful and drive traffic.
• Squirrels would like to explore more of the possibilities with search engine optimization.
• Leads for implementing Squirrels products into businesses, universities, etc. vary and can be IT
professionals, educators, or other employees.
• Contacts for implementing Squirrels products into businesses, universities, etc. vary and can be
IT groups, CTOs, or other employees.
 33
Interviews
Interviews were conducted with five professionals within the designated publics.

Gary Davis
Chief Information Officer - Carroll County Public Schools (CCPS), Maryland
February 11, 2019

As the Chief Information Officer, Davis’s position focuses on information technology

and the systems that the county will use. He needs to sign off on any technological purchase
decision that is made by the county.

Davis’s school district is currently piloting Intel Unite technology in some of its classrooms. His
schools face some challenges because some teachers do not possess enough technical skills
to integrate the technology into the classroom. Davis said that sustainability is also an issue
with technology in regards to the life of the device and the personnel to support its use. He also
discussed how the district makes purchases. At the beginning of each year, the district’s Board
of Education votes to approve funding on certain technologies. It is ideal to have a procurement
vehicle established before seeking a transaction. Davis said that his purchase decision would
benefit from a case study and raw data on Squirrels technology. He emphasized the need for
technology that is efficient.
Key Takeaways:
• Sustainability and efficiency are important factors to technology decision makers.
• Having a procurement vehicle for school districts makes the district more likely to invest in the
technology.
• Technology professionals seek proven research findings before making a purchase.

Stephen Guthrie
Superintendent - Sussex Technical School District, Delaware *
February 11, 2019

Superintendents are a key public of some Squirrels technology, such as ClassHub, as recognized
by the client. In his role, Guthrie is a key decision maker for the school system regarding the
purchase of classroom technology.

Guthrie explained that his school district is much smaller and less regulated than the Carroll
County Public Schools. When he is approached about bringing a technical product or software
into his schools, student privacy is his utmost concern. He needs to know detailed information
about how the company is abiding by the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and
who owns the children’s information once it is uploaded. He is very concerned about companies
data mining student information. Beyond child privacy, he also needs professional development
tools for teachers and phone or internet troubleshooting assistance during the school day. When
he looks for technical help or recommendations he is likely to ask the Delaware Teacher Advisory
Committee.
 34
Key Takeaways:
• Superintendents seek research-backed data that shows higher student achievement through the
product.
• Decision makers are more likely to invest in technology that will last long-term to make it more
sustainable.
• To consider investing in a classroom technology, Guthrie asks these four questions:
• Does the county have an ongoing revenue stream to support tech going into a classroom?
• Does the county and provider have the infrastructure to support the technology? (Is there an
adequate help desk?)
• Does the provider offer professional development for teachers?
• Does the provider have a system by which they are protecting student data?
*at the time of this interview Guthrie had been in this position for six months and was previously the
superintendent of Carroll County Public Schools in Maryland

Jennifer Seidel
Assistant Principal - Wilson Wims Elementary School, Montgomery County, Maryland
February 12, 2019

As the assistant principal for an elementary school, Seidel is a localized decision maker. She acts
as a gatekeeper for technology in the school by communicating with the school’s media specialist
to bring software to devices provided by the county.

The elementary school where Seidel currently works utilizes GoGuardian to monitor student activity
on Chromebooks provided by the county. Every classroom, grades 3-5, has a Chromebook cart with
enough for each student to use one throughout the day. Grades K-2 have one Chromebook cart per
grade. The school Media Specialist is a technology thought leader for the school administrators. The
school purchased GoGuardian based on the research recommendations of the Media Specialist.
Montgomery County technical policies are not as centralized as other Maryland school districts.

Key Takeaways:
• Less centralized school systems have an easier time making tech purchase decisions than
larger counties.
• The administration at Seidel’s school uses Twitter heavily to see what other schools are doing in
its classrooms.
• “We want to see how the other schools are using the technology, and if we see it enough we
may look into purchasing it.”

Seidel stated after the interview that she had a very difficult time finding any information about
Squirrels through a Google search or on Twitter. She said when she found Squirrels on Twitter, she
did not realize it was a tech company.
Nicolas Zevchek 35
Lead IT User Support Analyst - Kent State University
February 18, 2019

Zevchek has a background in information technology and currently analyzes and troubleshoots
problems for students. He also guides and trains employees at the Tech Desk.

Zevchek’s department uses wireless screen-sharing technology in conference rooms to connect

projectors. He never heard of Squirrels and identified companies such as Apple and Microsoft
as thought leaders. He appreciates how cohesive the company’s products are and looks to the
companies for innovative technology. Zevchek was confused by the Squirrels website and did not
like the contrasting colors on different pages. He said he believes that the site should give more
information on the solutions that Squirrels products present.

Key Takeaways:
• Consumers appreciate a cohesive brand.
• Squirrels should focus on showing the consumer how they will benefit from its products.
• User experience plays a key role in why consumers choose certain products over others.

Claudio Zavala
Alpha Squirrel, Instructional Technology Coordinator - Duncanville Independent School District
February 20, 2019

Zavala is an Alpha Squirrel and an avid user of Reflector 3. His knowledge of the brand and
products have allowed him to interact with colleagues in a professional setting while advocating for
Squirrels technology.

Zavala talked in length about using Reflector in his classroom. He said it allows him to be more
interactive with his students and prevents him from turning his back on them. Zavala said that his
main advocacy for Squirrels is through word-of-mouth when colleagues will come up to him after he
presents during a meeting and ask him how he was able to present wirelessly. When he interacts
with Squirrels on social channels, he usually retweets or shares whatever the company had posted.
He usually does not post original content or advocacy measures.

Key Takeaways:
• Alpha Squirrels may advocate for Squirrels via word of mouth.
• People who ask the Alpha Squirrel about the product are usually tech-savvy.
• Some Alpha Squirrels only identify with a specific product.

“We want to see how the other schools are using the technology, and if
we see it enough we may look into purchasing it.”
Source: Jennifer Seidel, Wilson Wims Elementary School, Maryland
 36
Key Findings from Interviews
Cardinal Communications came to understand a number of key findings that will drive objectives
and strategies in the future. Research highlighted the importance of a procurement vehicle and
the purchasing process within the educational realm. Within interviews, Cardinal Communications
targeted thought leadership and purchasing power. From this, Cardinal Communications learned
that administrators want to ensure technology is sustainable and efficient. They also appreciate
research-backed data and prioritize student privacy. People are more likely to invest in a product
after it has been proven successful in other classrooms or businesses. The consumer wants to
know how they will benefit from one product in contrast to another. People who had previously used
screen-sharing technology immediately connected the software with the brand they had used.

Group Interview and Eye-Tracking

Cardinal Communications elected to employ eye tracking technology and a group interview to
better understand potential consumers’ thoughts on the Squirrels website. The use of eye tracking
technology allowed the Cardinal Communications team to watch consumers’ eye patterns on
each web page. These observations lead the team to understand what elements consumers
found important and inherently eye catching, even if some of the subject’s eye movements were
subconscious. In addition the research allowed Cardinal Communications to see what consumers
eyes were drawn to within competitor websites. These tools helped Cardinal Communications
develop a more user friendly homepage.
Participants
Jennifer Wolfe, SACS Consulting and Investigative Services Inc.
Kevin Dilley, Director of Kent State University Student Media
Derek Spencer, CEO of Air Everywhere
Thought Leadership
Participants defined a thought leader as someone who is current, reliable, trustworthy and genuinely
seeks to help the public. The participants follow accounts that are beneficial to their specific field,
including other professionals. Some professionals only seek information from LinkedIn while others
look to Twitter. One professional also mentioned publications such as the Wall Street Journal and
Entrepreneur. The group expressed an interest in visual communication, like 30-second videos with
concise information. Professionals are drawn to videos that immediately grab their attention, are
easy to understand and flow concisely. One professional explained that because new technology is
hard to understand, companies may reference a similar product consumers are already familiar with
to help them understand the technology.

Key Takeaways:
• Thought leaders need to establish trust with their consumers.
• Professionals seek information from LinkedIn, Twitter and professional publications.
• Companies can use examples of similar products to connect consumers to their technology.
 37
Eye Tracking Participant #1
Jennifer Wolfe , SACS Consulting and Investigative Services Inc.

Jennifer Wolfe is a consultant at SACS Consulting Investigative Services Inc. SACS serves the
corporate, educational, and non-profit communities. Wolfe had not previously heard of screen-
mirroring technology. She said she would probably find value in using screen-sharing technology
for presenting information at her job and would be interested in learning more. Wolfe does not
have a Twitter account or currently follow any professional thought leaders in her career field or
any other platforms.
• On the Squirrels website home page, she liked the text because it was a brief description of
what the products are.
• She said that she was able to distinguish differences among Classhub, Ditto, and Reflector.
When shown the pages for the different products, Reflector 3 and Ditto, she was able to easily
identify what they are used for. She found that Ditto works best in schools and businesses and
gives the ability to share documents, video, and presentations.
• When signing up for the free trial for Ditto, she chose the drop down under products over the
icon. She thought the sign up was fairly simple and she liked it because it is short.
• From the first look at the Go Guardian website, Wolfe was able to determine that educators and
administrators use its products. Overall, between the two websites she thought it was harder to
find offers on GoGuardian.

Eye Tracking Participant #2

Kevin Dilley, Director, Kent State Student Media

During his eye-tracking interview, Dilley stressed the importance of segmenting Squirrels’
products by who would be using them. He noted that he thought Squirrels’ website does not help
him understand what its products do, even after he clicked through to the product pages. He
stated that Squirrels should “put the brand name beneath the product and put what it does into
three to six words as the thing that grabs [his] attention.”
• Dilley had difficulty defining three key features of Ditto and once he found one he glossed over
the two features that were not highlighted.
• Dilley said that he trusted GoGuardian more than Squirrels based on the website alone despite
noting that Squirrels website was “cleaner.”
• Dilley felt that changing the organization of Squirrels’ products on the website would be the
most important.
 38
Eye Tracking Participant #3
Derek Spencer, Chief Executive Officer of Air Everywhere

As a former investment banker and recent entrepreneur of his own Augmented Reality firm, Air
Everywhere, Spencer has the opportunity to use screen mirroring technology every day in his office
and at home. He has some experience with Chromecast and Apple TV as well as casting/screen-
mirroring from his phone and computer to a television for entertainment. Spencer noted that he has
“more issues when [he] has to use a cable,” than when he uses screen mirroring technology.
• When taken to the Squirrels home page he read the top text, “Wireless collaboration technology
for homes, schools and businesses,” first. He then commented that he understood what
Squirrels was trying to do with the images above the fold but did not find it very compelling. He
felt that the page seemed unbalanced and cluttered.
• He liked how the icons in the middle of the page were organized and he could tell the distinction
between them.
• He also “loved” the statistics (“by the numbers”) on the website and would have even liked to
see that higher up on the home page.
• When asked to find the Squirrels branding throughout the home page, he had an easy time
pointing out where it could be found; however, had a more difficult time when asked to do the
same on the Ditto and Reflector pages.
• When searching to sign up for a free trial on Ditto, Spencer noted that he liked that he was
prompted multiple times to sign up for the trial on the Ditto web page, and even would have liked
to see the “FREE TRIAL FOR 30 DAYS” button slightly above the fold be a little bit larger.
• On the Ditto web page, Spencer mentioned that the video is too long— He stated, “less than 30
seconds or I’m going to skip through it or turn it off.”
• Spencer liked the app icons on the home page but stated that he did not understand the
differences between AirParrot and Ditto. He mentioned that it might make sense to categorize
them differently. He suggested that Squirrels group the apps based on “what would Derek the
business guy want, or what would a teacher want?”
• He suggested there be a “bar” that says “for business,” “for home,” “for school” etc. so that
customers will know which products do not suit their needs. This would narrow down the search
time.
• When viewing the Reflector 3 webpage Spencer suggested that there be more of an emphasis
on the text.
• He also liked the visual for what it “runs on” and what it “works with.”

“I have more issues when I have to use a cable than when I try screen-
mirroring ”
Source: Dereck Spencer, Air Everywhere
 39
Eye Tracking Key Takeaways:

All participants were able to easily distinguish between each product. However, participants showed
inconsistency in their understanding of the target consumer of each of those products. Additionally,
participants were automatically drawn to graphics and icons but some felt that the text did not clarify
the purpose of the product. Two of the three participants requested that the text be more purposeful
in its meaning. While participants preferred brief text on the page, they agreed it needed to be eye
catching. Participants appreciated that competitor sites featured consistent branding throughout its
pages. Two participants commented on Squirrels lack of branding on the Ditto and Reflector pages.
Both thought it would be beneficial to include a larger menu bar at the top of the page with prevalent
branding.

In addition, when brought to the AirParrot page, participants first looked to the Twitter bio. They then
looked at the pinned tweet and the featured graphic. Lastly, participants looked to the upper left-hand
corner logo and text. This shows that it would be beneficial to incorporate the Squirrels branding in
any of these three locations.

Eye Tracking heat maps

Map 1
Squirrels Homepage

This map indicates that all of our participants were

not interested in the header graphic and immediately
turned their attention to the product icons and
descriptions.

Map 2
Reflector Webpage

This map indicates that our participants had a difficult

time figuring out where to look to find relevant
information about the product. They were originally
drawn to the colorful graphics at the top of the page but
were confused and disoriented when asked who the
“parent company” of the product was.
40
Map 3
GoGuardian Homepage

Our participants liked this homepage because it

immediately told them where to go and what product
they needed. The header video grabbed their
attention as opposed to Squirrels’ homepage which
was segmented and distracting.

Map 4
Squirrels Homepage

Participants had trouble figuring out where to look

for brand cues at first and looked to the menu bar for
answers before scrolling below the fold. Participants
undersood the screen-mirroring concept based on
the “Wireless collaboration...” text, but felt limited by
the actual information provided above the fold.

Map 5
Ditto Webpage

Eye tracking participants were able to recognize the

Ditto branding quickly on the Ditto product page,
but had a hard time associating the product with
Squirrels. They avoided the video for lack of appeal
based on the cover image and non-descriptive text.
Lastly, they liked being able to see what the product
would look like “in action” on the header graphic.
 41
Listening Report
The Cardinal Communications team identified a multitude of keywords, phrases and hashtags
to use when monitoring Squirrels dashboards on Meltwater. Cardinal Communications created a
dashboard for each of Squirrels’ popular products as well as a dashboard containing the Twitter
usernames of each of the products.

Relvevant Mentions
Through Meltwater research Cardinal Communications discovered a few similar recurring mentions
of Squirrels LLC, Air Squirrels and Squirrels’ products (i.e. AirParrot, ClassHub, Ditto, Reflector
3 and Drop Stream). Below are some of these social media mentions with correlating content
summaries/descriptions:

The screengrab to the right is a great example of how

educators are using social media (specifically Twitter)
to share new learning technology with their peers and
colleagues. When you visit @rustysmart’s page you
find a link to a Wordpress blog where he frequently
discusses educational advancements and school
resources in Dubai and Britain could be using. He and
his blogging partner call the blog “Data Powerful,”
and under the “About Us” tab state that their mission
is to, “grow [the blog] into a comprehensive resource
for schools to become strategic, systematic and
robust in their Data Powerful journey.”

Like in the previous post, @rustysmart is using his

knowledge about Squirrels technology to distinguish
himself as an expert and thought leader in the
classroom technology world. Although @rustysmart’s following is currently about average for
a typical Twitter user (at about 700 followers) the expertise he is showing through his content
marketing (blog) could one day make him a thought leader in his field. This specific tweet did have
a few retweets, likes and responses so it is clear some people are listening.
 42

The screengrab above is a great example of how many people who are familiar with Squirrels
technology may not know the name of the company is “Squirrels” but rather, think that it is “Air
Squirrels” because of the domain name. The commenter on a Reddit thread about “Wireless Display
for Conference Rooms” is a Ditto user and likes the product they use. This kind of customer could
be a repeat Squirrels consumer if they knew the right name of the company.

This screengrab is important for our research because it validates the client’s RFP concerns
that users are not identifying Squirrels products with Squirrels technology. While this Reddit
user recognizes that Ditto is not the brand unto itself, they still do not make the full connection to
Squirrels.
 43
Squirrels Conversation Sentiment Graphs
Sentiment Graphs apply real-time understanding of conversations conducted by consumers;
specifically, targeting the identification in emotional tone behind content and how consumers feel
about a brand. The use of Natural Language Processing (NLP) analyzes social conversations
across various platforms to condition deeper context - is it positive, negative, or neutral? The
benefits of Sentiment Analysis to help improve your businesses’ bottom line include the following:

• Monitor brand health

• Manage potential crisis
• Analyze your competitors
• Boost performance

Sentiments are crucial to find insight and absorb the information to cohesively understand what is
being said about brands online. The findings can help bring to light areas that should be improved
to fill the needs of the target audience. Tracking sentiment through keyword searches will help a
company find influencers talking about its brand positively online. When searching for influencers
discussing the brand, a company should oversee who the influencer’s content reaches and what
exactly is being said about the products and brand.

Sentiment analytics provide the ability to signify to consumers your business’s efficiency in the
response and turning around of negative conversations concerning the brand.

Monitoring Time-Period: January 1, 2018 - January 1, 2019

Average Sentiment Accross Squirrels Branded Platforms

Within the monitoring period, the average sentiment score accross all Squirrels branded platforms
configured to: 9.82% negative; 27.48% positive; 62.82% neutral.
 44
AirParrot
Within the monitoring period,
AirParrot sentiment score configured
to: 4.5% negative; 17.5% positive;
77.9% neutral.
• The resulted sentiment to the
right regarding AirParrot display
a significant positive and neutral
conversations.

Reflector 3
Within the monitoring period,
Reflector 3 sentiment score
configured to: 5.2% negative;
25.8% positive; 69.0% neutral. This
sentiment holds significant neutral
tones of conversation regarding
Reflector 3.

Reflector Teacher
Within the monitoring period,
Reflector Teacher sentiment score
configured to: 2.1% negative;
39.0% positive; 58.9% neutral.
This product by Squirrels is
discussed the least negatively out
of all prducts monitored by Cardinal
Communications.

Ditto
Within the monitoring period, Ditto’s
sentiment score configured to: 34.4%
negative; 20.1% positive; 45.5%
neutral. This product by Squirrels is
discussed the most negatively online.
 45
Classhub
Within the monitoring period,
ClassHub sentiment score
configured to: 2.9% negative; 35.0%
positive; 62.8% neutral. This product
by Squirrels is discussed the second
least negatively, after Reflector
Teacher.

Media Exposure: Monitoring Period: Feburary 20, 2018- February 20, 2019

@Squirrels + either, @ReflectorApp, @TryDitto, @ClassHub, or @AirParrot

A consistent goal across communication professions involves maintaining visibility for a company’s
brand which can be projected through media exposure. Positive media exposure places a business
in favorable view of the consumer by showcasing the company’s expertise, passion, credibility, and
image of its brand.

Thought leadership and media exposure coincide with each other. If thought leadership was
developed to be a team support, businesses could encourage and drive experts on topic-specific
matters to create content or resources to be shared on a company blog. Through media exposure,
a company can pivot contributed articles
into company blog posts effectively by
breaking up quotes, visuals, and other
media elements to share on their social
channels. End-users can locate and retain
information better when the information
is broken into short pieces, increasing
readability.

Secured, positive media coverage is a

resourceful strategy to establish credibility
for a company or organization. Coverage
Graph 1
that positions a business as an ‘opinion
leader’ or ‘thought leader’ has the potential to influence customers to advocate for that brand.
Utilizing media exposure can help rise above other companies in today’s highly competitive
markets. The articles about using screen-mirroring in the healthcare setting, found on page 51,
reveal a previously unpursued audience that Squirrels could target in the same way Squirrels
markets to educators.
 46
“Positive media exposure places a business in favorable view of the
consumer by showcasing the company’s expertise, passion, credibility,
and image of its brand.
Source: Cardinal Communications
”

@ReflectorApp, @TryDitto, @ClassHub, or @AirParrot without @Squirrels

mentioned as well.
Media exposure graphs one and two
confirm Squirrels’ RFP belief that Squirrels
product users are more likely to identify
the products singularly as the brand, as
opposed to connecting products to the
Squirrels parent brand. The average
number of social media users who
reference the products rather than the
brand with the products is much higher as
seen in Graph 2.

Graph 2
 47
Squirrels vs. AirSqirrels Branding Mentions

Through Google Trends and Meltwater research, Cardinal Communications found that audiences
accross the globe searched for the term “AirSquirrels” more often than “Squirrels” or “Squirrels LLC”
during the monitoring period.

AirSquirrels vs. Squirrels LLC Worldwide

AirSquirrels vs. Squirrels LLC in the United States

AirSquirrels vs. Squirrels United States

 48
AirSquirrels vs. Squirrels Worldwide

AirSquirrels Reflector vs. Squirrels Reflector

When using Google Trends, one search term option was “AirSquirrels Reflector.” Cardinal
Communications then compared this to “Squirrels Reflector.” The results showed that people
had only searched for “AirSquirrel’s Reflector,” and no one had searched for “Squirrels Reflector”
during the monitoring period.
 49
Secondary Research
Cardinal Communications conducted extensive secondary research on Squirrels and its
competitors. Surveys, social media, blogs, and articles were used to analyze how Squirrels
is perceived by its publics and how it compares to competitors. The top Squirrels competitors
analyzed within this research are Mersive Technologies, AirServer, AirTame, and GoGaurdian.
Though Apple is not a direct competitor of Squirrels, research was conducted on its key
messages and online presence because of its role as a thought leader in cutting-edge technology.
Website content, social media posts, and overall following were all taken into consideration during
this research.

Articles about Squirrels, its competitors, and wireless presentation technology, were also added
to this research, which pinpoints the strengths and weaknesses of the companies. The articles
also highlight which specific Squirrels products are being talked about, what consumers think of
the products, and the nature of use. One of the key findings was how often Squirrels is referred
to as AirSquirrels, which was the basis for the company rebrand. These articles are an indicator
of how Squirrels, its products, and its competitors are perceived by its publics. Lastly, Cardinal
Communications found that screen-sharing technology is a growing trend in the healthcare
industry, leading to better communication and patient care.

Competitive Analysis
To further understand Squirrel’s environment, research was conducted on some of its competitors’
websites and products.

Mersive Solstice
https://www.mersive.com/
• The Mersive Technologies website is very user friendly and offers live demos and tutorials.
• Users have the chance to test their screen sharing software, (Mersive Solstice Pod and
Solstice Software) free for 30 days.
• It is important to ensure that users can easily identify products with a brand. Mersive does this
well because the company name is Mersive and the products are named “Mersive Solstice Pod”
and “Mersive Solstice Software.” This allows consumers to connect the products to the brand.

Mersive Solstice Social Media

• Mersive has both a Twitter and Instagram account. Both accounts use the company name,
Mersive, instead of its specific products, unlike Squirrels.
• Mersive Solstice seems more active on Twitter than on Instagram. The account creates
posts about its products, but also fun posts using hashtags like #Persevered and
#LifeatMersive.
• Just like the company’s products, Mersive connects its brand name through its social media so
users can connect and identify its products with the brand.
 50
Airtame
https://airtame.com
• Airtame’s website is the first search result on Google for “wireless presentation system.” There is
only one product, making the site very simplified and organized with only a few drop-down tabs.
• There are fewer products and no links to other websites for products. Everything is under one
domain and color theme and does not switch back and forth between pages, which helps keep
the site cohesive.
• It contrasts from Squirrels’ website, which takes the consumer back and forth between
different pages, products, and color schemes. The Airtame website’s simplicity and cohesion
makes it easier to navigate for consumers who are unfamiliar with the product.
• The educational portion of its website includes videos, with demonstrations of the product and
classroom footage of the product in use. Because wireless presentation systems can be a
complicated concept, this is an easy way to help potential buyers understand its function.
• Underneath the videos are quotes from teachers who have used Airtame in their classrooms.
AirServer
https://www.airserver.com/
• AirServer uses videos to explain how its products work and how they are beneficial to users.
• Halfway down the homepage, there is a box that says “See AirServer in action.” When you
click on the link, it plays a video explaining the product.
• Supplying consumers with an interactive video gives them a better understanding of the products
and their use for them.
• Each of AirServer’s products have the brand name in their title.
The product names include AirServer Hardware Solution, AirServer for Windows 10, AirServer
Phillips TV Edition, etc.
Christie
https://www.christiedigital.com/
• Christie offers a variety of products, such as projectors, media servers, and routers. The Christie
Brio is a line of the company’s screen sharing products and is described as “presentation and
collaboration solutions that remove technical barriers and enable business and academic team
members to drive for results together.” The Christie Brio Solutions enable work colleagues,
students, and teachers to wirelessly connect, share, and interact with each other.
• On the website, three options are offered: Christie Brio Enterprise, Christie Brio Team, and
Christie Brio Team+.
• The website is vague and confusing at first glance. Users are not able to purchase products
through the website, although they can obtain a quote. There is only one page for the
presentation products and only one video on how to purchase the correct one for what you need.
• Research shows that short and simple may work best for the company. Because Christie is
a competitor, Squirrels should consider simplifying its website to ease the path to purchase,
reducing the number of links users are taken to so to avoid information overloading the end user.
Research indicates that consumers might want to buy within the company again after purchasing
its presentation products.
 51
• Naming each product with the brand name allows consumers to easily identify with the product
and brand name. This also allows the company to have one cohesive social media account.
Apple
https://www.apple.com
• Each tab at the top of the Apple website pertains to a different product like iPads, iPhones, and
Macs.
• Most of Apple’s products have a word like “apple,” “air,” or just the letter “i” in front of it which
helps make all the products cohesive.
• At the bottom of the page is a list of ways that the products are used, which includes anything
from business and education to healthcare and government. This helps tie Apple in with each
different sector, making it a universally used company.
Apple Social Media
• Apple is most active on Twitter. Many of its product and services have its own Twitter, including
Apple Music, and Apple TV. Each one often tweets articles about how its products are used and
ties its use to current events. This helps keep Apple on trend and in the news.
• It also has its own account “Apple News” that is entirely dedicated to providing company news
and innovations.
• https://twitter.com/AppleNews
GoGuardian Website
https://www.goguardian.com/
• GoGuardian names each product after who would use it and its brand name.
• The company’s products include GoGuardian Admin, GoGuardian Teacher, GoGuardian Fleet
and GoGuardian Beacon.
• Having a name that follows each product makes it easy for consumers to identify the brand and
allows the company to monitor one social media account per platform.
• GoGuardian has one account for each social media platform. It uses each account to not only
share information about products, but also provides fun, useful information that benefits the
audience.
• At the beginning of February, the account shared how a teacher decorated her classroom for
Black History Month. The account also used #nationalcomplimentday to praise an employee
in a new position.
• Sharing information that is fun/useful to the audience helps create a brand identity - even if the
content does not relate to the product.
Direct Images Interactive Article - Thought Leadership
https://www.associationcareerhq.org/career_management/use-linkedin-to-become-a-thought-leader
• This article discusses thought leadership, brand recognition, and content marketing. To have a
successful brand, a company must build a successful community around the brand first. High-
impact and informative content creates engagement to capture and hold the attention of a
particular audience. “In the quest to drive more members to your community, the best measure
you can take is to increase engagement. An active community represents a more enticing
opportunity for potential members. But perhaps more importantly, keeping your community active
enriches the bonds between them and your site,” the article stated.
 52
New Kind Article - Brand Awareness/Thought Leadership
https://newkind.com/big-tech-brands-awareness-consideration/
This article is based around the five largest companies by market capitalization and how they
mastered brand awareness. The top five mentioned all happened to be technology companies:
Apple, Alphabet, Microsoft, Amazon, and Facebook. The article explains is how tech companies
are able to scale and develop new products and services in ways that traditional companies
cannot. The author, Chis Grams, said, “One of the biggest brand mistakes I see young technology
companies make is diluting the power of their corporate brands by creating a new sub-brand
for every product they make.” Brand awareness is essential in achieving thought leadership for
Squirrels.

“One of the biggest brand mistakes I see young technology companies

make is diluting the power of their corporate brands by creating a new
sub-brand for every product they make.”
Healthcare Source: New Kind
Washington Post Article - Healthcare Technology
https://www.washingtonpost.com/
This article highlights technology in the healthcare sector and how new technologies are helping
others in the hospital. It discusses government policies, new opportunities in the industry and what
the future holds for medical tech. The article states, “Screen mirroring from tables to large displays
enable patients and their family members to see images, results and other relevant aspects of their
medical care. Mobile and display technology can foster greater understanding and engagement
during the patient encounter, which can lead to better outcomes and more efficient care.” This
shows that people are benefitting from screen-sharing in hospitals and Squirrels should consider it
a key public.

Insights by Samsung Article - Healthcare Technology

https://insights.samsung.com/
This article discusses how some hospitals have implemented doctor and patient technology. The
article states, “Some hospitals are taking notice and have begun to implement technology solutions
that leverage mobile and display technologies to improve patient engagement. One leading
academic medical center uses screen-mirroring technology to transfer images from a tablet to a
wall-mounted display during radiology consultations. As the physician reviews and discusses the
diagnosis and treatment plan with the patient and their family, the physician is able to screen-mirror
the images and relevant information from the tablet to the wall-mounted, large-format display in
the consultation room. The patient, their family members, and the physician can then view images
on the larger high-definition display, which fosters a better understanding of the condition and
proposed procedure. Moreover, annotations can be made, saved and later shared with the patient.”
This shows that there is a need for screen-sharing technology in the healthcare setting. This is a
great potential market for Squirrels.
 53

“When you expand your business, you also expand the possibilities
of reaching a wider audience by implementing marketing strategies
that help grow your company’s awareness among prospective and
existing customers.
” Source: Fox Business

Social Media
Squirrels’ social media strategy has segmented accounts across Facebook and Twitter. This could
lead to confusion amongst the audience, and also lead to products amassing a larger following than
the brand itself.

Squirrels’ Website
The Squirrels website offers a variety of useful information about each product and insight on
the company itself. However, the site lacks consistency and brand recognition. For example, the
AirParrot website has a different interface than the other products. In addition, each product site fails
to mention the brand name Squirrels. This drives consumers to recognize the product before the
brand name. The website has also seen a decrease is traffic, most likely due to aging products and
increased competition. Website traffic fell from 337,000 users/month in 2013 to 116,000 users/month
in 2018 – a 190% decrease. Tech decision makers may not be aware of the company’s existence or
product offerings, likely due to competitors with more defined and cohesive brand/product offerings.

Squirrels in the Media

In addition, information found through online sources was utilized to gain insight on how Squirrels is
perceived by consumers.
 54
Rave Publications Article - Ditto
http://www.ravepubs.com
• The title of this article and video paired along with it reads, ‘UBTech2018: Squirrels LLC Intros
the Ditto Wireless Screen Mirroring Solution.’ However, throughout the 50-second video
demonstrating how Ditto works at this convention, there is zero mention of Squirrels being the
brand behind Ditto by the demonstrator, nor is the Squirrels brand promoted within the set-up of
the Ditto demonstration. The demonstrator at the end states, “our website is goditto.com” which
isn’t the main domain of Squirrels website (airsquirrels.com). The confusion: The title of the
article and video states Squirrels LLC as the brand; but, fails to mention Squirrels being the brand
throughout the demonstration video and portrays Ditto as the brand.
Yahoo Finance Article - Ditto
https://finance.yahoo.com/
• The title of this article states, ‘New Ditto Service Brings Smart Screen Sharing to the Workplace.’
This is a positive headline because it explains that Ditto is meant to be used in a workplace setting
which is the Squirrels target market goal for this product. Squirrel’s isn’t mentioned in the title;
however, the beginning of the second paragraph states, “Developed by Squirrels LLC, the makers
of AirParrot and Reflector, Ditto is designed for any meeting space…” Also positive because
Squirrels is being referenced as the creator of the products. It goes on and states, “...share
computer screens to Apple TV and chromecast-connected displays.” This context creates the idea
a person can only use Apple TV or chromecast, limiting accessibility for Ditto. This article states
the price of Ditto ($149.99) and even wrote, “This is more cost efficient than purchasing individual
employee software licenses and hundreds to thousands of dollars less than an alternative
hardware screen-sharing solutions.” This is exactly the message Squirrels is trying to project to
potential customers of Ditto.

Apple World Today Blog - Reflector/Squirrels

https://www.appleworld.today/blog/
• This blog post speaks highly of Reflector and mentions Squirrels as the creator. However, after
the first sentence the company name is never mentioned again. This shows that people are more
likely to connect with the product than the brand name. The author states how he uses Reflector
3 in his classroom by running it on his MacBook Pro easily switching between keynote and demos
while walking around the room. This is also an example of Apple being a thought leader and
sharing content/resources related to its audience needs.

Windowsreport Article - Reflector/Squirrels

https://windowsreport.com/screen-mirroring-software/
• Within this Window’s Report article on screen mirroring software, it’s discussed how Reflector 3 is
5/10 in best choices of screen mirroring software for Windows 10. Highlighted in the article are 10
key features of the Reflector 3, and even mentions the Reflectors Teacher Version; but, there is no
mention at all the brand name, Squirrels.
 55
Testlodge Blog - Reflector/Squirrels
https://blog.testlodge.com/ios-testing-tools-a-beginners-guide/
• Published on Test Lodge’s website blog is the article, iOS Test Tools: A Beginner’s Guide, which
states the Reflector - a tool developed by “Air Squirrels,” as mentioned in the article - a mirroring
tool that works with Apple AirPlay to allow streaming to your Apple devices. This article may
suggest Reflector as the tool to use when it comes to screen mirroring; however, they incorrectly
wrote the actual brand name “Squirrels” as “Air Squirrels,” which is a common misunderstanding
when it comes to identifying the brand - most likely due to the website handle (airsquirrels.com).

Leslie Fisher Blog - Reflector/Squirrels

https://lesliefisher.com/
• Fisher Technologies Inc. specializes in K-12 Education Technology conference and event
presentation. Leslie Fisher, CEO of Fisher Technologies, published an article and video on the
website’s blog, Revisiting iOS Screen Sharing 2018 Style, where she demonstrates how she
has shared her iOS devices since December of 2014; using the screen mirroring tool, Reflector.
The demonstration included a video performed by Leslie on how to navigate Reflector Teacher.
Throughout the entire article about Reflector, Squirrels LLC or Squirrels was not mentioned once.

Class Tech Tips Blog - ClassHub

https://classtechtips.com/
• This blog works to help the reader learn and understand how to use different technologies in the
classroom. Featured in the blog is the article, “ClassHub to Share Student Screen + Push Content
to Students.” Squirrels is mentioned as the sponsor of the article; but, there is no clarification that
Squirrels produces the product or that Squirrels is even a screen sharing technology company.

Smart Business Online Blog - ClassHub

http://www.sbnonline.com/
• Squirrels LLC received an honorable mention from the Cleveland Technology Awards 2018 as
an established tech firm. “Squirrels LLC is a software development company that specializes
in wireless presentation and device management technology. Led by President David Stanfill,
schools and businesses worldwide use its technology to increase collaboration and productivity in
classrooms and meeting spaces,” is correctly stated in the first paragraph of the company profile.
This is an ideal, positive published online mention of Squirrels that could be utilized to increase
brand identity and awareness.