Case Study – Metallic (Commvault) – Brand Awareness & Lead Generation

Introduction — Metallic by Commvault

Commvault is a global leader in enterprise data management software, serving thousands of organizations worldwide. The company delivers cloud and on-premise solutions for the most demanding corporate environments. Metallic is their new Backup-as-a-Service (BaaS) solution designed specifically for the SMB market.

Metallic provides comprehensive data protection for Microsoft 365 environments — OneDrive, SharePoint Online, Exchange Online, Teams — and Azure Blob Storage. For small and medium businesses, it offers enterprise-grade backup without the need to build their own infrastructure.

Objectives and Business Goals

Commvault tasked us with launching the Metallic solution in the Polish market with three clearly defined business goals. Each required a distinct strategic and operational approach.

• Deliver approximately 40 qualified sales leads for the designated Partner
• Increase solution awareness — KPI: 500 unique users on the dedicated page monthly
• Create conditions for effective Metallic sales through the partner network
• Establish Metallic as the reference BaaS solution in the SMB segment

Buyer Persona Development

The first step was gaining a deep understanding of the target audience. In the IT B2B segment, purchase decisions are typically made by multiple stakeholders — from IT administrators and CTOs to business owners. Each persona has different motivations, concerns, and language preferences.

We conducted a series of interviews with the client's sales team and existing solution users. Based on these insights, we defined three key personas: the IT Manager focused on reliability and automation, the CFO seeking predictable costs, and the SMB owner needing deployment simplicity.

Key Persona Research Findings

• IT Managers value seamless integration with existing Microsoft 365 environments
• Financial decision-makers need a TCO calculator comparing Metallic to traditional backup
• SMB owners respond most strongly to business continuity and GDPR compliance arguments
• The SMB decision cycle is 2-6 weeks — significantly shorter than enterprise

Content Strategy for IT B2B

Content marketing in the IT B2B segment requires a fundamentally different approach than B2C. Audiences expect technical, specific content free of marketing jargon. We built a content strategy around three pillars: education, comparison, and social proof.

We produced a series of technical articles comparing different approaches to Microsoft 365 data backup, a whitepaper on the cost of data loss for SMBs, and an implementation guide for IT administrators. Every piece was SEO-optimized targeting long-tail keywords.

Execution — Landing Page and Conversion Funnel

We built a dedicated landing page serving dual purposes — brand awareness and lead generation. The page was designed following CRO best practices with clear information hierarchy and multiple conversion points.

Landing Page Design Principles

• Above the fold: clear value proposition and CTA for a free trial
• Social proof: Commvault client logos and global statistics
• Feature comparison: Metallic vs. traditional on-premise backup table
• Savings calculator: interactive tool estimating ROI
• Contact form: multi-step, collecting data on organization size and M365 services used

Experimentation Process and A/B Testing

Rather than assuming we knew what would work, we built an experimentation-driven process. We dedicated the first month to deeply understanding challenges — interviewing the client's team, analyzing value propositions, Google Analytics, and existing marketing data. From this foundation, we created a Customer Journey model.

Three-Phase Optimization Process

1. 1Exploration: testing 5 different ad messages, 3 landing page variants, and 4 audience segments
2. 2Validation: analyzing data from the first 30 days, identifying the most effective combinations
3. 3Scaling: concentrating budget on proven channels and messages, expanding reach

We tested different communication approaches — from technical language aimed at IT Managers to business arguments for decision-makers. The message emphasizing "Microsoft 365 backup in 15 minutes" generated 3.2x higher CTR than generic data protection messaging.

Google Ads Campaign Results

After the exploration phase, we focused on Google Search Network, segmenting campaigns into three product groups aligned with Microsoft 365 architecture.

• 12,000 ad impressions per month
• CTR — 3.3% (B2B IT benchmark is approximately 2.1%)
• 390 clicks per month with CPC below industry average
• Landing page conversion rate: 8.7% (vs. 2.6% industry average)
• 20 new leads after each partner training session
• Cost per lead (CPL) reduced by 34% between months 1 and 3

LinkedIn Campaign and Social Selling

Alongside Google Ads, we launched a LinkedIn campaign targeting IT Managers and decision-makers in companies with 20-200 employees. We used Sponsored Content with educational articles and InMail with invitations to product webinars.

LinkedIn proved to be an excellent channel for building awareness among people not yet actively searching for backup solutions. The engagement rate reached 4.2% — double the industry benchmark. The campaign generated 35% of all marketing-qualified leads.

Partner Enablement Program

Metallic is sold through a partner network, making partner enablement a critical strategic element. We developed a comprehensive enablement package — from sales presentations to conversation scripts and technical FAQs.

We organized regular partner training sessions combining product knowledge with lead nurturing best practices. After each session, we observed an average of 20 new leads — partners armed with fresh knowledge were noticeably more effective in conversations with potential clients.

Marketing Funnel Analysis and Attribution

We implemented a multi-touch attribution model to precisely measure each channel's contribution to lead generation. Analysis revealed that a typical Metallic customer needs 4-5 brand touchpoints before completing a contact form.

• First touch: most commonly Google Ads (42%) or LinkedIn (31%)
• Engagement: technical blog article or whitepaper (average 2.3 visits)
• Conversion: direct return or branded search → landing page → form
• Time from first contact to lead: median 18 days

Long-Term Brand Impact

After 6 months of campaigning, branded search for "Metallic backup" increased by 340%. Metallic became a recognized brand in the Polish SMB segment, and the dedicated page exceeded its 500 monthly UU target, achieving a stable 780 unique users per month.

Key Takeaways

Through our process, we learned precisely what works in Metallic's communication. We identified the right marketing channels, gained clear understanding of the needed marketing technology, and gathered data on the most effective messages and creatives.

The most important lesson: in B2B IT, simply "being present" isn't enough — you need to speak the audience's language and deliver value at every funnel stage. Companies that build strategies on data rather than gut feelings consistently achieve superior results.

Many companies make the mistake of choosing their digital strategy based on past experience. Build a process based on experimentation, listen to the data — those are the only certain variables in digital marketing.