IRIS Software: Scalable Demand Gen Engine for Multi-Product Growth

IRIS Software Group is one of the UK’s most established business software providers. Over 45 years, they’ve grown from accountancy software into a global suite used by accountants, schools and teams across payroll, HR and finance. Today: 

• 100,000+ customers in 135 countries rely on IRIS 
• 1 in 8 UK employees are paid through IRIS payroll 
• IRIS is the largest third-party online filer with the UK Government 
• Used by 54 of the top 100 US and 91 of the top 100 UK accountancy firms 
• 21,000 UK firms depend on IRIS to stay compliant 

IRIS’ core promise is simple: reduce admin, improve efficiency, and surface the insights people need to make better decisions.  

The Brief in Full

IRIS tasked us to help them accelerate growth across the group brand and several product lines in Accountancy, HR/Payroll and Education, including supporting rebrands, relaunches and a net-new product launch (Staffology). The brief spanned strategy, brand, content, creative, performance, ABM and web development.

On performance specifically, Paid Search wasn’t delivering enough marketing-qualified leads (MQLs) under the £100 CPA target for IRIS Education. We needed to:  

• Increase the volume and quality of MQLs for lead nurturing into SQLs 
• Differentiate multiple products in-market with clear positioning and creative 
• Build a repeatable go-to-market engine that could power launches, campaigns and sales enablement across the portfolio 

We built an integrated plan, starting with strategy and positioning, then designing a content-led demand engine, and then scaling with paid and ABM (Account-Based Marketing). 

1) Strategy, research & positioning

We kicked off with stakeholder workshops and customer/team interviews, then layered in market and audience research: 

• Persona creation across Accountancy, HR/Payroll and Education decision-makers 
• Competitor and category analysis; keyword and topic discovery; sentiment from social/forums; event and media landscape 
• SWOT and a sharpened IRIS value proposition and brand story 

From this, we set IRIS’ market positioning and built messaging pillars anchored to real customer pains: 

• Compliance - “We stay ahead of regulatory change so you get it right first time, every time.” 
• Productivity - “We integrate and automate workflows and provide the data to drive success.” 
• Engagement - “We help you connect employees, customers, parents and pupils to share information and build relationships.” 

We wrapped this into a brand platform (visual system, imagery, tone of voice) and a practical brand bible that could flex across the group and product brands. Finally, we mapped an annual marketing plan and calendar aligned to product roadmaps and sector events. 

2) Content engine, hero campaign & enablement 

With the foundations set, we created a content strategy to fuel both paid and organic: 

• Hero campaign idea with 3–12-month content plan 
• Audit to repurpose high-performing assets for speed 
• Topical guide series (e.g., IRIS Financials Guide) as value-exchange lead magnets 
• Product and brand videos (storyboard, script, production) to bring features to life 
• Product brochure (features/benefits, implementation plan, price points, ongoing support, customer testimonials) for mid-funnel momentum 
• Case study brochures and a consistent case study page template 
• New website hubs and reusable web page templates to support launches and campaigns 
• Sales enablement toolkit: messaging sheets, battle cards, email copy, and outreach sequences 

3) Distinctive product identities & creative progression 

To avoid look-alike ads across a large portfolio, we developed clear creative identities per product, so buyers could instantly recognise IRIS product solution in feed or on page. We set rules for colour, typography, iconography, and proof points and ran creative sprints to evolve concepts, test variations, and keep performance fresh. 

4) Demand gen: Paid media, ABM & nurture 

We built a performance playbook around quality content and strong data capture:  

• LinkedIn lead gen strategy centred on high-value guides with native lead gen forms to reduce friction 
• Google Ads to intercept in-market demand, tightened to high-intent terms and aligned landing experiences 
• Always-on optimisation: audience refinement, creative rotation, message testing; fast refresh when fatigue appeared 
• Lead nurture: segmentation by persona and intent, progressive profiling, and drip sequences to move MQLs to SQLs; shared dashboards for marketing + sales 
• ABM email outreach (from sales consultants) to key accounts: 
• We built micro-lists per segment, wrote tight USPs tailored to role and pain, and led with relevant IRIS stats (e.g., 1 in 8 UK employees paid via IRIS; largest third-party Government filer) to establish credibility. 
• Each email spotlighted a short case study and one concrete outcome (e.g., time saved in payroll runs, audit readiness, parent comms engagement), ending with a simple 15-minute call CTA. 
• Sales received a one-pager per account with likely objections, proof points and next-step talk tracks. 

Product Launches 

For product relaunches and the new Staffology payroll product, we ran a full go-to-market approach, entailing: 

• Positioning statement and messaging hierarchy; name and visual identity assets 
• Launch narrative and creative toolkit (logos, icon sets, imagery, motion snippets) 
• Website design & build (hub pages, feature pages, pricing, implementation guides, FAQs, case studies) 
• Content suite: product explainer video, brochures, blog series, comparison sheets, onboarding guides 
• Paid media plan (pre-launch waitlist, launch burst, and post-launch nurture) 
• Sales enablement (pitch deck, call scripts, objection handling, email cadences) 
• Measurement plan tied to pipeline stages, not just clicks and leads 

A more coherent IRIS story in-market. The brand platform and messaging pillars gave every product team the same north star - compliance, productivity, engagement; campaigns felt connected, not fragmented. Distinct creative systems meant buyers could recognise IRIS products instantly.

A repeatable engine that lifted both volume and quality. With guide-led lead capture, native forms, and disciplined nurture, IRIS Education’s paid channels hit (and stayed under) the CPA target while improving lead quality over time. When we saw creative or content fatigue, we refreshed quickly and recovered growth. 

Ad Performance Highlights 

LinkedIn Ads 

• Spend: £7,069 
• Leads: 106 
• Impressions: 251,765 
• CPL: £66.69 

Google Ads

• Spend: £4,322 
• Leads: 97 
• Impressions: 30,238 
• CPL: £42.80 

Combined

• Total spend: £11,391 
• Total leads: 203 
• Blended CPL: £56.11 (comfortably below the £100 target) 

Key outcomes: 

• A steady stream of MQLs that converted: content quality and tighter audience matching improved accuracy, giving Sales cleaner conversations and higher progression to SQLs. 
• Faster launches: reusable web hubs, page templates, and enablement assets reduced time-to-market for campaigns and product releases. 
• Sales and marketing alignment: shared dashboards, clear hand-offs, and ABM playbooks meant Sales could act on signals immediately with the right message. 

Ongoing cadence 

We ran monthly campaign creation, implementation and reporting cycles. Each month we: 

• Reviewed performance by audience, asset and message 
• Shipped creative iterations and new content as needed 
• Rebalanced channel mix and budgets 
• Fed win/loss learnings back into positioning and content 

In Summary 

IRIS needed a connected strategy that sharpened the story, differentiated a complex portfolio and delivered reliable, high-quality demand. By pairing strong foundations - positioning, messaging, brand system with a practical demand engine delivered through content, paid, ABM, nurture and the website, we helped IRIS grow its brand and products efficiently while hitting lead targets at a blended CPL £56 and building a GTM setup they can reuse across different brands and launches.