Askuity Fusion

Role: Marketing Strategist, and Individual Contributor

Askuity Fusion is a data visualization tool designed specifically for Home Depot suppliers as part of the Supplier Analytics program. The tool is aimed at simplifying the process of understanding and acting on key metrics. Askuity allows suppliers to interpret data and make informed decisions without needing technical expertise.

This was a unique challenge as a marketing strategist. The tool had launched well but stumbled after its initial go-to-market phase. When my team became involved the goal was to overcome this hurdle, drive adoption, and foster long-term engagement, and ensure that both customers and internal Home Depot users leveraged the tool to increase supplier and Home Depot revenue.

Results

Askuity Fusion initially launched to mixed results, while users enjoyed the tool, adoption was inconsistent and below expected KPIs.

After the initial adoption period ended usage remained lower than anticipated and the team entered a year of aggressive marketing and revised messaging. The change in strategy and messaging resulted in all KPIs being exceeded and sustained growth

10X

User base growth in the 12 months after the initial launch period

50M

Dollars in annual recurring revenue added with the Supplier Analytics Program

A Marketing Challenge

Key Challenges

The product struggled during the adoption phase.

Users saw early success with the tool, but churn rates were high and user engagement levels dropped after the initial excitement waned.

The tool was sold with collaboration as a key driver, but internal usage was low - negatively impacting customer experience.

More technically advanced users. struggled to understand the value a visualization tool could have, favouring of technical analysis tools.

Internal Advocacy

In order for a collaborative tool, like Askuity, to succeed it needed more adoption from internal Home Depot users.

Initial strategy had relied too heavily on external messaging - for this to work we had to look inward first.

Exclusive content was developed for internal users - demonstrating the value of the product within their workday. Email. campaigns and on-site activations ran regularly, targeting internal users based on existing external user departments and potential revenue

External Strategy

After a user has churned it's much harder to win them back - first impressions count.

As a team we set to reversing the negative pattern immediately, targeting customer businesses and individual users. Direct outreach and market research with customers was conducted by our team to understand who was our best demographic to win back.

We changed focus from collaboration to visualization presentation - demonstrating the value of the tool without collaboration while we built internal sentiment. Webinars and video became our key drivers exceeding 70% attendance rates and driving new program sign-ups and return clients.

A Key Change

Changing how and what we marketed about the tool was important but we also worked with the product and development team to make some key changes to the product.

Initially Askuity had been built with the standard Home Depot brand standards in mind. This kept the tone formal and focused on simplicity and data.

Alongside UX partners, my team and I revamped the language of the tool and added additional moments of joy to the experience. Bringing in colour, a conversational tone and animations to change the look and feel of the brand.

The result was a more approachable tool that spoke more to our less tech-savvy audience.