How ACI Controls Boosted Sales Conversations by 46% Without a Full Marketing Department

Project Background

Over the past 70 years, ACI Controls has earned a sterling reputation for technical excellence. As a leading distributor of process control and automation solutions, it earned the trust of large organizations such as Honeywell and Parker. But behind their operational prowess lurked a critical gap: their marketing efforts were failing to match their engineering precision.

The issue? They lacked a clear marketing strategy and relied on untargeted mass marketing campaigns that weren’t performing. Despite their exceptional products and service, ACI wasn’t building brand awareness efforts among key decision-makers in their specialized B2B market.

Building a Strong Marketing Foundation

The turning point came when ACI partnered with 1 Bold Step. It began with a HubSpot CRM project for basic database management, but then evolved to included a 12-month growth strategy. Here is a snapshot of what we did:

1. Set up Google Ad campaigns for their various products for short-term wins
2. Established a firm marketing foundation with processes and systems for long-term wins
3. Segmented their audience based on industry and needs
4. Tailored messaging that resonated with each distinct segment
5. Launched data-driven campaigns that measured and improved performance

In a specialized B2B market where precision matters, the scatter-shot approach was burning through resources while missing key decision-makers. With lean growth fundamentals, combined with the efforts of their Business Development Team, ACI Controls expanded their approach to beyond mass marketing campaigns.

Measurable Results Without Marketing Overhead

Success required rejecting shortcuts in favor of systematic growth. 1 Bold Step helped ACI build proper marketing infrastructure – from lean strategy to targeted content development and performance measurement.

The payoff?

• 60% increase in qualified website traffic
• 46% more sales conversations with key decision-makers
• A sustainable pipeline of qualified leads
• All achieved without the expense of a full in-house marketing department

This foundation has supported a growing partnership between ACI Controls and 1 Bold Step that continues to strengthen with each marketing success.