Portsmouth resident Elizabeth Jackson was named the new chief marketing officer and senior vice president for strategy at KVH Industries Inc. of Middletown, which makes and sells in-motion satellite TV and communications systems. Providence Business News profiled Jackson in 2009, as a 40 Under Forty honoree, when she owned her own firm, Sedna Marketing Partners, with clients such as Dunkin’ Donuts. Now, as part of KVH, she’ll build on KVH’s strong brand and legacy, and ramp up target areas of growth.
PBN: We always focus on a president’s “first 100 days.” You’ve just started there, what do you anticipate your first 100 days will entail?
JACKSON: I am spending my first 100 days in KVH immersion! As the lead for strategy and marketing, I first need to understand the market, key customer needs, competition and KVH’s points of difference … the foundation for our strategic and marketing initiatives.
KVH is a very strong brand with an incredible history of innovation. My role is to harness that power and build on the foundation to continue to scale our brand in the marketplace with consistent messaging and visual assets across all touchpoints. I am working with the executive team on the corporate strategic priorities for 2018 and for the long-term, three to five years.
PBN: From a marketing standpoint, what areas of KVH in your view need strengthening or different strategies implemented?
JACKSON: KVH is already strong from a marketing standpoint. Prior to my joining the company, KVH successfully launched two major initiatives: AgilePlans by KVH, a subscription-based connectivity offering for commercial maritime fleets; and new HTS services, including a maritime satellite communications antenna system and advancements to our mini-VSAT Broadband network. All of this was accomplished with incredibly polished marketing. The company has already identified areas for strategies to accelerate growth, and marketing will be a key part of commercializing those initiatives.
PBN: Your past positions, with Campbell’s Soup Co., Proctor & Gamble and DOTS Technology Corp., to name a few, have spanned different industries. Are there common factors in marketing products, in your view, no matter the field?
JACKSON: The common thread, and what most excites me about KVH, is the advancement of tech – from what the customer expects, to how we deliver product solutions, to how we interact with and service those customers. I appreciate the importance of being a market pioneer. KVH is truly the innovative market leader in mobile tech – developing products and services that excel in environments known for extreme weather, remote locations and the challenges of great distances that must be traveled. The common factor that I bring to KVH is understanding customer needs, developing innovative products to best meet those needs and marketing them to engage and delight the customer.
PBN: In a statement regarding a May earnings report, KVH attributed some revenue decrease to fewer land and mobile sales. It also launched the AgilePlans service. Are the best possibilities – from a strategy standpoint – at sea?
JACKSON: KVH has many strategic opportunities for growth. The company sells both products and services to a vast array of different customers, including commercial maritime, leisure consumers, government, as well as commercial customers that use our fiber-optic gyros and inertial measurement units in far-ranging applications on land and at sea. We are always driving for solving unmet needs that customers (and our competition) may not have even identified, and we are always looking to provide innovation in growing markets.
PBN: Earlier this year, KVH announced a Superyacht Group to serve the luxury-yacht market. Can you outline some of the needs of this market, and some of your thoughts on marketing to that group?
JACKSON: [It is] a sector where a high level of service and extensive experience are valued above all. Personalized service is critical, and expectations of performance mirror that of an in-home experience. … Delivering streaming connectivity speeds wherever this customer wants to voyage is very important. This market is one key target for our new HTS network and HTS antenna systems, beginning with the just-launched TracPhone V7-HTS … offering fast and reliable global connectivity via next-generation satellites on the mini-VSAT Broadband network. Our Superyacht Group also delivers a personalized concierge service, so the end user has a flawless experience at every stage. Our goal is to delight this high-end customer.
Susan Shalhoub is a PBN contributor.
