Website and Marketing Automation Drive Growth Leading to Successful Aon Acquisition
Project Overview
Burchfield Group represented pharmacy benefit consulting excellence—the specialized firm, founded by industry veteran Brian Bullock, brought over 20 years of experience serving approximately 135 U.S. employers and health plans with sophisticated pharmacy benefit management (PBM) consulting, independent data validation, auditing, and regulatory compliance services for Medicare and Medicaid health plans. The team consisted of former PBM insiders and health plan pharmacy executives offering independent expertise without ties to drug manufacturers, PBMs, or pharmacy chains.
The firm’s positioning addressed critical healthcare market need: pharmacy benefits represent fastest-growing healthcare cost component, PBM contracts contain complex pricing structures often favoring vendors over clients, Medicare and Medicaid regulatory compliance requirements demand specialized expertise, and employers lack internal resources to effectively manage pharmacy strategy and vendor relationships. Burchfield Group’s consultants brought insider knowledge enabling clients to optimize pharmacy spending, ensure compliance, and navigate vendor negotiations effectively.
The strategic challenge: specialized consulting firms typically grow through referral networks and industry reputation—while effective for establishing initial traction, referral-dependent models limit scaling velocity and create unpredictable revenue. Digital marketing infrastructure enabling systematic lead generation, prospect nurturing, and conversion provides growth predictability supporting business expansion and enhancing enterprise value for potential acquirers.
Code Conspirators engineered WordPress website and marketing automation platform improving “user experience all the way around”—creating digital foundation that supported business growth, generated consistent lead flow, and demonstrated market demand contributing to the firm’s appeal for strategic acquisition.
The Success Story: The digital platform contributed to Burchfield Group’s tremendous success, culminating in acquisition by Aon—the global professional services firm specializing in risk, retirement, and health solutions—announced in November 2017 and completed January 19, 2018. The Burchfield team joined Aon’s U.S. Pharmacy team within its Health & Benefits practice, extending Aon’s expertise in pharmacy benefit consulting and regulatory compliance while providing Burchfield access to global resources and expanded market reach.
Key Achievements
Professional Digital Presence:
- Clean, sophisticated design reflecting healthcare consulting credibility
- Clear value proposition immediately communicating specialized expertise: “Dedicated to delivering pharmacy benefit consulting, auditing, and compliance services”
- Service offering clarity addressing complex pharmacy benefits landscape:
- PBM Consulting: Pharmacy benefit manager strategy and vendor selection
- Independent Auditing: Data validation ensuring PBM contract compliance
- Regulatory Compliance: Medicare and Medicaid health plan requirements
- Cost Management: Pharmacy spending optimization strategies
- Former insider positioning building trust through experience credibility
- Independence emphasis (no manufacturer, PBM, or pharmacy chain ties)
- Client-focused messaging demonstrating alignment with employer/health plan interests
- Professional photography and visual design
- Trust-building elements (experience, client count, industry expertise)
Marketing Automation Infrastructure:
- Lead capture forms integrated throughout high-value content touchpoints
- Email nurturing sequences educating prospects through complex buying journey:
- Awareness stage: Pharmacy benefit cost trend education
- Consideration stage: PBM contract structure insights
- Evaluation stage: Consulting approach and methodology explanation
- Decision stage: Client success stories and ROI documentation
- Behavioral tracking revealing prospect engagement and interests
- Lead scoring prioritizing highest-potential opportunities:
- Company profile data: Employer size, health plan enrollment, current PBM
- Engagement signals: Resource downloads, email opens, website visits
- Content interests: Specific service area attention (auditing, compliance, strategy)
- Automated sales notifications when leads reach qualification thresholds
- CRM integration syncing lead data with sales process
- Segmentation enabling tailored messaging:
- Self-insured employers: Cost control and vendor oversight emphasis
- Health plans: Medicare/Medicaid compliance and regulatory expertise
- Benefits consultants: Partnership and referral relationship opportunities
- Drip campaign automation maintaining consistent prospect engagement
- Re-engagement workflows targeting dormant leads
User Experience Excellence:
- Intuitive navigation matching prospect decision journey
- Service information organized by client need rather than internal structure
- Resource library positioning firm as thought leader:
- Whitepapers on PBM contract optimization
- Compliance guides for Medicare/Medicaid health plans
- Industry trend reports on pharmacy benefit costs
- Case studies demonstrating client results
- Mobile-responsive design serving smartphone researchers
- Fast page load speeds maintaining attention
- Clear calls-to-action throughout site guiding next steps
- Contact information prominence enabling easy inquiry
- Form optimization balancing information collection with submission friction
- Thank-you page strategy encouraging next-step engagement
- Professional content demonstrating expertise depth
Content Marketing Strategy:
- Educational content establishing authority and building trust
- Industry insight positioning demonstrating market knowledge:
- Regulatory update alerts (CMS guidance, state requirements)
- PBM market trend analysis
- Pharmacy cost projection reports
- Compliance deadline reminders
- SEO-optimized content driving organic visibility for pharmacy benefit consulting searches
- Blog integration maintaining fresh content and search visibility
- Social media integration (LinkedIn emphasis for B2B audience)
- Speaking engagement and conference participation promotion
- Media coverage and industry recognition showcase
- Newsletter promoting thought leadership and maintaining top-of-mind awareness
Lead Generation and Conversion:
- Multiple conversion pathways accommodating different prospect preferences:
- Consultation request forms
- Resource downloads (gated content)
- Webinar registrations
- Assessment offers
- Newsletter subscriptions
- Landing page optimization for specific campaigns and services
- A/B testing infrastructure improving conversion rates
- Progressive profiling gathering additional prospect data through subsequent interactions
- Lead magnet strategy (valuable resources exchanged for contact information):
- “PBM Contract Analysis Checklist”
- “Medicare Part D Compliance Guide”
- “Pharmacy Benefit Cost Benchmark Report”
- Retargeting campaigns re-engaging website visitors
- Email campaign performance tracking measuring open rates, clicks, conversions
WordPress Platform Advantages:
- Content management enabling marketing team autonomy
- Marketing automation plugin integration (likely HubSpot, Pardot, or Marketo)
- Form builder supporting complex lead capture and progressive profiling
- CRM integration plugins syncing prospect data
- Analytics integration tracking behavior and conversions
- SEO-friendly architecture improving organic search visibility
- Security infrastructure protecting sensitive healthcare information
- Scalable foundation supporting business growth
- Blog platform for ongoing thought leadership
- Resource library functionality for downloadable content
Strategic Business Value:
- Systematic lead generation reducing referral dependence
- Pipeline visibility enabling revenue forecasting
- Marketing ROI documentation demonstrating investment value
- Brand building establishing market position
- Thought leadership supporting competitive differentiation
- Digital asset value contributing to enterprise valuation
- Scalable growth infrastructure attractive to acquirers
- Client communication platform supporting retention
- Market presence validating business strength
Strategic Value and Acquisition Success
For Burchfield Group, the WordPress website and marketing automation transformation delivered measurable business impact culminating in successful acquisition by Aon—the digital platform contributed to tremendous growth making the firm attractive acquisition target for global advisory leader seeking to expand U.S. Pharmacy practice capabilities.
The comprehensive user experience improvements and marketing automation infrastructure addressed critical consulting firm growth challenges:
- Predictable lead generation: Systematic inbound marketing reducing referral dependence
- Sales cycle efficiency: Automated nurturing maintaining engagement without manual effort
- Market positioning: Thought leadership content establishing authority
- Scalability: Digital infrastructure supporting growth without proportional staff increases
- Enterprise value: Demonstrable marketing systems attractive to potential acquirers
The Aon acquisition validation (announced November 2017, completed January 19, 2018) represented ultimate success metric—Burchfield Group’s growth trajectory, market position, client base (135+ employers and health plans), and operational infrastructure (including digital marketing systems) warranted acquisition by Fortune Global 500 professional services firm. The firm joined Aon’s Health & Benefits practice, extending the global company’s expertise in pharmacy benefit consulting and regulatory compliance.
Acquisition Context and Value: Aon’s acquisition rationale highlighted factors the digital platform supported:
- Market position: Burchfield’s 135+ client base demonstrated strong market presence (website and lead generation contributed to growth)
- Expertise depth: 20+ years experience and former PBM insider knowledge (website communicated expertise effectively)
- Service complementarity: Specialized pharmacy consulting filled Aon capability gap (clear service positioning aided integration)
- Growth trajectory: Expanding client base and revenue (systematic marketing supported predictable growth)
- Client satisfaction: Strong retention and referrals (digital client communication enhanced relationships)
The digital marketing investment delivered returns extending beyond direct lead generation—the platform established professional brand presence, demonstrated market demand, created scalable growth infrastructure, and enhanced enterprise value contributing to successful strategic exit.
Healthcare Consulting Psychology Application: The platform leveraged B2B marketing principles including education-based trust building (complex pharmacy benefits require extensive prospect education), authority positioning (thought leadership establishing expertise), independence emphasis (no vendor conflicts differentiating from competitors), compliance focus (regulatory expertise addressing prospect anxiety), and systematic nurturing (long healthcare sales cycles requiring ongoing engagement). These principles converted pharmacy benefit cost concerns into consulting engagements.
Key Takeaway: Professional services firms achieve growth and enterprise value through digital platforms delivering systematic lead generation, prospect nurturing, thought leadership positioning, and scalable infrastructure. Burchfield Group’s tremendous success—culminating in acquisition by global advisory leader Aon—validates digital marketing investment contribution to business growth and strategic value. Code Conspirators engineers WordPress platforms and marketing automation supporting consulting firms, advisory practices, and specialized service providers building scalable growth foundations enhancing both revenue and enterprise value for potential acquirers or internal reinvestment.
