The term growth hacking often gets associated with start-ups. However, large corporations and organisations can also benefit from applying the growth hacking mindset. I talkfed to Gunter Blanckaert, Global Head of Marketing Technology at Philips Lighting, about how he growth hacks a corporation with more than 35.000 employees.

Gunter: “ Being lean and mean in a large organisation isn’t always easy. The majority of the large organisations have a heritage of fixed processes and organisational structures. These are often not adapted to the new way of working and thinking, which often causes delays in the execution of certain digital projects. A good example is a collaboration between marketing and IT: traditionally, these are two separate departments with separate objectives and budgets. However, in the near future, they should work more closely together and represent the same objectives so that both departments don’t become bottlenecks.”

“Our approach is to start small and systematically spread the lean ‘virus’ among colleagues. When you start with small projects and you can show the advantages and results to colleagues and management, it goes without saying. But before you can do such things, you have to create an internal business case. Within the global digital Philips Lighting team we officially started in the beginning of 2016 and now you can see it’s becoming the standard way of working”

What’s your advice for other corporations who want to adopt the growth hacking mindset?

“Dare to learn from others and let the know-hows guide you. Creating a climate of intrapreneurship  where teams are formed by people who get the opportunity to growth hack without having to worry about internal structures and processes”

“We offer the possibility of growth hacking within existing structures (and not starting new ‘growth hacking teams’). Our data analyst, UX expert, Product Owner and IT Manager all work in the same way. They each have their separate teams but work on officials projects together so that they can ensure their projects get the needed attention”

“Once you’ve started growth hacking, make sure your growth hacking activities get enough visibility within the company: write newsletters, inform the senior management and don’t forget the workplace. Make sure you use visuals and link the growth hacking impact to the team’s and company’s objectives.

Which projects are already tackled such way within Philips Lighting?

“Our website is globally present and we’re in touch with many different clients who each have their own specific needs in both B2C and B2B. It’s very important to detect their needs and to find an answer to their question or problems.”

“We are currently running a project in which we look at multiple user flows on our website. Based on data,  we can determine on how we can optimise both conversion and UX. We have already achieved significant successes through data analysis and A / B testing. “

Has the mindset changed within Philips Lighting?

“Absolutely, we usually organize hackathons for large projects. We aim to create the right teams from start in order get the right requirements for the growth hacking teams.”

“Working on an MVP rather than a finished product or service and not thinking in boxes or departments, are positive changes we owe to the growth hacking mindset.

In conclusion: which tree tips would you like to give to companies who want to start growth hacking?

• Customer Experience and Customer Centricity: today customers/consumers use digital channels to find  solutions to their problems. As an organisation, use all data insights and user interactions to uncover most consumer issues and to find ways to solve them.
• Keep it small and simple: try to divide large projects into smaller ones with own KPI’s, that way, you can easily measure progress and switch if necessary.
• Find the people with the right mind, skillset and tools: it’s key to generate speed and impact.

Do you as an organisation want to adopt the growth hacking mindset?

Do you know how to choose the best growth hacking agency?

Dive Deeper

• 5 Trends that will shape digital marketing in 2024
• Understanding the Modern CMO: A Journey Through Fragmentation and GDPR Challenges
• The Growth Agency’s Guide to Understanding Growth Marketing: Your Top 25 Questions Answered
• About The Growth Agency: Your Partner in Data-Driven, Global Growth Marketing
• GDPR, a marketer’s challenge? Ensure Your Marketing Analytics Stack is Compliant in 2024