Lee Hellen is CEO and Co-Founder of Kurloo Technology, a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS)-based geomonitoring system that provides earlier insight into ground movement. In this interview, he discusses Tectalic as a marketing provider for B2B businesses in the mining and industrial sectors.
How would you describe your business, and what is your role?
Kurloo’s an early-stage growth business that spun out of a research innovation collaboration. We’re taking positioning technology and doing it a new way, a bit like what electric cars did for cars. I’m the founder and the primary investor, so I wear two hats; I’m not the technology guy, but I bring the commercial side and the deep domain knowledge, and my job is really to safeguard the idea and give it the momentum to become a commercial success.
Kurloo ran an Australia-wide search before appointing an agency. What did Tectalic offer that the others didn’t?
Before Tectalic, I had a bit of a reputation for breaking marketing consultants; they’d try to put us in the textbook marketing pigeonhole and chase a quick win, without really understanding what motivated our customers or the point of difference in our product. What drew me to Tectalic was the resonance you already had with our kind of product through work in the mining sector, the way you supported the team, and your strength on the digital side.
Your equipment and data analysis sit in a highly specialised space. How well did Tectalic get to grips with what Kurloo actually does?
It took a while, but Tectalic was deeply committed to understanding it, and got probably the closest to actually getting it of anyone I’ve ever engaged with. Our product is deeply technical and the nuances really matter, so I always said I’m not worried if it takes a bit longer, what matters is getting it right. The strategy Tectalic came back with really nailed our unique value proposition, and you can see that coming through in the website and the deals we’re winning now.
The visual work, the infographics, custom graphics and marketing visuals, has been a key part of the project. Can you talk us through what that’s done for Kurloo’s ability to sell?
At this stage of our journey the sale is still highly reliant on me as the founder to build that first trust, but the infographic work has been a really valuable supporting piece; Tectalic is quite talented at it, and it was actually one of the things that drew us to Tectalic from their other work. It’s a skill and an art, and honestly we’ve only just got started with it.
Over the course of the engagement, Kurloo’s direction refined as new insights emerged. How did Tectalic handle change?
Tectalic were always really accommodating. The website went through a full crack, and then I came back and said we need to change direction; most agencies would’ve thrown the towel in at that point, but they didn’t, they kept supporting us through it. I always say you see who your friends are when things go wrong, not when they go right; we tested the friendship, and came through it.
Tectalic worked alongside your internal sales team and your external marketing contractors. What did that collaboration look like from your side?
Early on, I delegated a lot of it internally, but as we worked through the website, I realised the value proposition really needed to come from me alongside my trusted advisors. What I appreciated was, Tectalic were happy to accommodate that shift; they worked in with my inner circle without any friction, and that’s not something you get from every agency.
Since launch, what has the new website and SEO positioning changed for Kurloo commercially, whether that’s leads, conversations, credibility or something else?
You can never put your finger on any one thing with marketing, but since we launched the website in May, a number of big miners have requested meetings with us, and there are significant deals being negotiated. The website’s played a real role in that, but it’s really the combination of the website, Jo driving the right messaging, and me being full-time in sales that’s made the difference.
If you had to name one moment where you thought “we picked the right agency”, what was it?
Honestly, I don’t think there was one perfect moment; the reality of any business relationship isn’t like that. But when things went wrong, Tectalic were happy to get on the call and say “yep, we’re up for the change”. The infographic work, particularly the rail graphic, was a real wow moment for me.
For another B2B company with a technical or specialist product weighing up whether Tectalic is the right fit, what would you tell them?
If you’ve got a technical product, I’d say Tectalic are worth serious consideration; they’re responsive, flexible, and they spend the time to understand your problem deeply, which is rare. What we’ve ended up with is a website I reckon has a lot of longevity left in it, and I think the long-term view they take is a really good one.
Is there anything Tectalic did that you wouldn’t necessarily expect from a marketing agency?
Hanging around for the long haul, I think that’s probably the first thing. My past experience of agencies is them throwing the toys out of the cot when you push back, or unloading junior people with no idea of technical B2B marketing on you; plenty are happy to burn a lot of your money without really understanding what you do. Tectalic weren’t those sort of people, and honestly, there aren’t many agencies who do technical product marketing well, so that’s rare.
