Direct Endorsement from Chris Lund, VP Global Channel Sales:

The ultimate testament to the effectiveness of this collaboration comes directly from Chris Lund himself:

“I absolutely enthusiastically endorse our entire partner community to engage with Blackhole. I’m not an easy man to satisfy, and you guys make me pretty happy.”

This unequivocal endorsement underscores not only satisfaction but deep trust and strategic confidence in Blackhole’s ongoing capability to support Hexagon’s growth.

Executive Summary

Hexagon, a worldwide leader in autonomous digital solutions, faced the strategic challenge of empowering their expansive partner ecosystem following their acquisition of Infor’s EAM business.

To achieve this ambitious goal, Hexagon partnered with Blackhole Media. Through strategic brand transformations, targeted lead generation, comprehensive marketing support, and fractional marketing leadership, Blackhole rapidly positioned Hexagon’s ecosystem for sustainable growth and tangible competitive advantages.

“When we acquired the EAM business from Infor, we faced significant gaps in partner support. Blackhole filled those gaps swiftly, effectively, and professionally. They’re now an essential part of how we help our partners succeed.”
— Chris Lund, VP Global Channel Sales, Hexagon

Background: The Challenge and Opportunity

Hexagon is a global powerhouse recognized for its advanced digital solutions, particularly within the Enterprise Asset Management sector. Approximately three years ago, Hexagon strategically acquired Infor’s EAM solution. While this move was promising, it also uncovered significant operational and strategic gaps in Hexagon’s ability to support and empower their newly-expanded partner community effectively.

As Chris Lund, Hexagon’s VP Global Channel Sales, explains:

“Hexagon realized their understanding of the channel program was much more limited than it had been at Infor. Those gaps led us to realize we had some business challenges. Unlike any company, we have business objectives to meet, and challenges in meeting those objectives. The gap we identified was the lack of support for the channel business we had just acquired.”

Hexagon’s partner network—comprised of almost a hundred diverse, global resellers—required immediate and scalable marketing, branding, and lead generation support to ensure competitive strength, brand consistency, and growth potential. Specifically, Hexagon identified crucial needs:

Brand Storytelling: Clearly communicating the Hexagon value proposition through partner channels.
Lead Generation: Creating consistent, quality leads for Hexagon’s partner network.
Strategic Scalability: Providing support capable of scaling efficiently across hundreds of partners.

Facing these challenges, Hexagon began their strategic relationship with Blackhole Media.

A Strategic Partnership is Born

The collaboration between Hexagon and Blackhole Media became formalized at the renowned HxGN Live event in Las Vegas, 2023. This critical moment marked the transformation of Blackhole from a tactical service provider into a key strategic partner for Hexagon.

Marci + Balazs at Hexagon Live

As Chris Lund notes:

“Rather than look at Blackhole as a point provider of a single solution, Tim Byrne—who works with me in the Global Channel Program—and I looked at how we could evolve Blackhole’s relationship with Hexagon to be more of a solution provider that we could take to our channel partners as a platform of services.”

By adopting this holistic and comprehensive approach, Blackhole positioned itself as an integral component of Hexagon’s ongoing success and growth strategy.

Strategic Implementation

Empowering Hexagon’s Partner Network Through Targeted Brand Transformations & Marketing Solutions

Following the strategic alliance established at HxGN Live in Las Vegas, Hexagon tasked Blackhole Media with not just addressing their immediate challenges, but with reshaping their entire global partner ecosystem. The goal: to enable growth, consistency, and competitive advantage across hundreds of international partners.

Blackhole Media’s approach involved three core strategies:

Comprehensive Partner Brand Audits
Tailored Partner Rebranding Initiatives
Strategic Lead Generation and Marketing Support

1. Comprehensive Partner Brand Audits

Clarity, Consistency, and Actionable Insights

Hexagon’s expansive network of nearly 100 partners posed a unique challenge—each with varying degrees of brand alignment, marketing sophistication, and lead generation capability. To meet this challenge, Blackhole Media implemented an intensive auditing process designed to quickly identify gaps and opportunities within each partner’s online presence and brand identity.

Chris Lund clearly outlines the importance and practical value of these audits:

“When we want to ensure that our partners understand our brand style, we first need to tell them what it is—which we do internally. Then we need to see where they are, to meet them where they are, and help them understand the delta between the brand standard and what they have. That’s where Blackhole helps us by going out and doing an annual audit of our partner’s web presence.”

These audits didn’t simply diagnose issues—they provided actionable roadmaps for each partner, clearly detailing next steps and practical recommendations for rapid improvement:

Current status and compliance with Hexagon’s brand standards.
Detailed content evaluations.
Concrete, step-by-step recommendations tailored to each partner.

Chris emphasizes the impact:

“Three years ago this was probably okay. Today it’s not okay. Here’s the audit report Blackhole has prepared—we’d like you to take action on these areas.”

With clear audit reports, partners were empowered to either resolve these issues independently, or leverage Blackhole’s services directly—resulting in faster, more efficient brand alignment and market readiness.

2. Tailored Partner Rebranding Initiatives

Case Studies: CAD Service & Athentis

Two partner transformations stand out as prime examples of Blackhole’s approach in action: CAD Service and Athentis. Both projects exemplify how deeply customized branding initiatives have substantially elevated market presence and competitive positioning.

📌 CAD Service: Transforming Invisible Excellence into Market Visibility

Initial Situation:
CAD Service was known internally as a trusted partner with deep technical expertise. However, their outdated website and unclear messaging severely limited their ability to effectively communicate their full value proposition externally.

Chris Lund recalls:

“Two years ago at Hexagon Live, I said to Giuseppe [founder of CAD Service], ‘Your website and your presence, your identity to the world, really does not sell the value and tell people what you are. People who meet you walk away wowed, but online visitors get the merest fraction of that. We’ve got to do better.’”

Blackhole’s Strategic Action:

Complete Visual Identity Overhaul: Clearer, more professional, and aligned visually with Hexagon’s global standards.
Website Transformation: A sophisticated, user-focused design with clearly articulated value propositions.
High-Impact Content Creation: Developed targeted marketing content strategically aligned with decision-maker pain points.

Results:
Chris Lund reflects on the outcome:

“I introduced them to Blackhole Media, and I have to say the results are astounding. The new branding identity, the presentation of what they do and how they relate to Hexagon—it’s unbelievable.”

📌 Athentis: Simplifying Complexity Across Dual Markets

Initial Situation:
Athentis served a complex market ecosystem, simultaneously partnered with Hexagon and Infor. Their messaging and website were cluttered, unclear, and failed to effectively represent their dual capabilities.

Chris Lund vividly describes the initial challenge:

“Their tagline involved simplicity, but there was nothing simple about their website. It wasn’t clear, it was cluttered, very difficult to navigate.”

Blackhole’s Strategic Action:

Dual-Aligned Branding: Created a brand identity clearly reflecting Athentis’s relationship with both Hexagon and Infor.
Website Redesign & Content Strategy: Simplified navigation and strategically streamlined messaging for clarity and immediate impact.

Results:

According to Chris Lund, the transformation was highly successful:

“You’ve taken a complex partner in our ecosystem and given them a visual brand identity clearly showing their relationship to asset management and their remaining Infor portfolio. It’s an incredible website—I love it. How do we get more of our partners to do that?”

3. Strategic Lead Generation and Marketing Support

Consistent Growth Through Scalable Marketing

Beyond visual branding, Hexagon’s partners needed consistent and quality leads to ensure growth. Recognizing that many partners lacked their own internal marketing departments, Blackhole provided comprehensive fractional marketing solutions:

Targeted Outbound Campaigns: Leveraging LinkedIn outreach and sophisticated email campaigns, driven by Salesbot automation.
Content Marketing & Thought Leadership: Creating specialized marketing content for targeted market personas.
Fractional Marketing Support: Strategic marketing leadership provided directly to partners on-demand, without the need to scale internal resources.

Chris Lund highlights the strategic importance of this offering:

“Very few of our partners have their own marketing departments. Whether it’s fractional marketing support or completely outsourcing something, that’s an offering I’m very interested in continuing to explore with Blackhole—turnkey campaigns that bring scale, speed, and value.”

These marketing efforts produced immediate, measurable results—increased lead volumes, stronger brand positioning, and improved competitive advantage.

Case in Point: CAD Service – Measurable Impact in Motion

The transformation of CAD Service wasn’t just cosmetic — it drove real business results across the board.

LinkedIn Growth: Their follower base grew by 500%, increasing from ~100 to nearly 600 in a matter of months.
Content Reach: Monthly impressions exceeded 10,000, with a +2,745% increase in reach over the past year alone.
Engagement Quality: Posts consistently saw 30%+ interaction-to-impression ratios, with standout results like a product launch post reaching 74,152 impressions, and another post generating 975 clicks from 2,900 views — a click-through rate of 33.92%.
Audience Fit: Most engagement came from decision-makers in Sales, Engineering, Consulting, and IT — across industries such as software, manufacturing, and business services.

This level of performance wasn’t the result of broad messaging — it came from aligning the right strategy, content, and channel mix for a specialized industrial audience.

Results & Measurable Impact

How Strategic Collaboration Delivered Tangible Growth for Hexagon’s Global Partner Ecosystem

The ultimate measure of any successful partnership lies in the tangible, measurable outcomes it achieves. Through its comprehensive collaboration with Blackhole Media, Hexagon witnessed transformative impacts across multiple dimensions of their global channel ecosystem.

These results span:

Enhanced Brand Consistency & Market Visibility
Increased Lead Generation & Revenue Growth
Strengthened Competitive Advantage & Market Position
Scalable Marketing Capabilities
Preparedness for Strategic Shifts (NewCo)

1. Enhanced Brand Consistency & Market Visibility

Prior to collaborating with Blackhole, many Hexagon partners lacked cohesive, brand-aligned online presences. Blackhole’s brand audits and strategic transformations established a consistent, globally-aligned digital identity across partners, significantly elevating market visibility and credibility.

Chris Lund emphasizes this critical achievement clearly:

“Blackhole’s audits helped partners clearly see where they stood. More importantly, they gave partners actionable next steps—something incredibly valuable at our scale.”

This alignment wasn’t simply about visual consistency—it empowered partners to clearly and effectively communicate their value propositions, making them more appealing to potential clients and easier for Hexagon to strategically support at scale.

2. Increased Lead Generation & Revenue Growth

A primary challenge Hexagon faced when acquiring Infor’s EAM business was an initial lack of structured lead generation for the partner community. Blackhole directly tackled this challenge by launching targeted, systematic, and scalable marketing and outreach campaigns. These efforts rapidly translated into an increased volume of high-quality leads for Hexagon’s partners.

As Chris Lund puts it succinctly:

“Our journey together really started with one business problem—lead generation for our channel partners. That’s how we first engaged with Blackhole Media.”

With customized outreach programs, precision-targeted content, and systematic nurturing strategies, Hexagon partners saw notable improvements in lead quality and quantity—directly boosting their revenue potential.

3. Strengthened Competitive Advantage & Market Position

Effective branding and clear messaging don’t merely elevate visibility—they deliver competitive advantages. Blackhole’s tailored transformations of key partners like CAD Service and Athentis established these organizations as leaders within their market segments.

Reflecting on these strategic branding efforts, Chris Lund provides compelling insights:

“Anybody who met CAD Service walked away impressed, but online visitors never experienced that until Blackhole stepped in. Now their website is world-class.”

Regarding Athentis, Chris further adds:

“You’ve given them a visual brand identity clearly showing their relationship to asset management and their remaining Infor portfolio. It’s an incredible website—I love it.”

Such clearly articulated market positions not only boost direct client acquisition but also differentiate Hexagon partners from their competitors, creating a significant long-term advantage in the industry.

4. Scalable Marketing Capabilities

Many Hexagon partners lacked internal marketing departments or sufficient marketing expertise. Blackhole Media addressed this directly through scalable, fractional marketing services. This flexible model provided partners with precisely the support they needed—whether it was fractional marketing oversight, complete outsourcing, or project-based tactical assistance.

Chris Lund underscores the importance and practicality of this scalable support:

The impact of this approach was immediate and meaningful. Partners who previously struggled with marketing now benefited from strategic, professional marketing support, enabling them to effectively pursue new business opportunities without significant internal overhead.

5. Preparedness for Strategic Shifts (NewCo)

Looking to the future, Hexagon is undergoing a strategic transformation—spinning off Hexagon Asset Lifecycle Intelligence into a new standalone entity (referred to internally as “NewCo”). Such strategic shifts typically create substantial disruption within partner ecosystems.

However, thanks to Blackhole’s established framework and strategic foresight, Hexagon and its partners are exceptionally well-prepared for this evolution. Blackhole’s existing systems, branding methodologies, and marketing solutions provide a clear, structured path forward during this significant upcoming transition.

Chris Lund directly highlights Blackhole’s critical role in this future shift:

“We’re going to have a new identity, a new brand, a new name. We’ll have new instructions for our partners on brand standards and how to work together. We won’t be able to get that out without relationships like the one we have today between Hexagon and Blackhole Media.”

Far from viewing this as simply a future need, Chris articulates clear confidence in Blackhole’s ongoing support:

“In the future, it’ll be Blackhole Media and NewCo (TBD)—but rest assured, we’ll be turning to you for help with this exercise.”

Summary of Measurable Impact & Strategic Benefits:

Why Choose Blackhole Media?

Companies seeking transformative outcomes through strategic marketing must choose their partners wisely. Hexagon’s experience with Blackhole highlights the essential criteria:

Specialized B2B Marketing Expertise: Deep domain knowledge and proven success.
Scalable and Fractional Marketing Services: Flexible support models tailored to specific business needs.
Strategic Brand Alignment: Expert capability to rapidly elevate and align complex brands.
Measurable Outcomes: Transparent, impactful results clearly tied to revenue and market positioning.
Long-term Strategic Partnership: Committed, proactive collaboration rather than transactional relationships.

Choosing the right marketing partner is critical. As evidenced through Hexagon’s collaboration, Blackhole consistently delivers on its strategic promises—positioning its clients not only for immediate success but for sustainable growth far into the future.

Are You Ready to Unlock Your Growth Potential?

Blackhole Media specializes in enabling rapid, strategic, and scalable growth for companies seeking competitive advantage, ecosystem alignment, and future readiness.

If you’re looking to replicate Hexagon’s success—achieving greater brand consistency, increased lead volume, strategic competitive positioning, and preparedness for upcoming strategic shifts—Blackhole Media is ready to partner with you.

Contact us to explore tailored solutions designed specifically for your growth objectives.

info@blackholemedia.com
blackholemedia.eu

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Blackhole Media & Hexagon – Transforming a Global Partner Ecosystem into a Competitive Growth Engine