What is the Best Analyst Relations Strategy?

Analyst Relations is a term used to describe the practice of working with industry analysts to help with marketing awareness and sales acceleration programs. The best strategy depends upon your objective. Many analyst firms exist today. Gartner, IDC, and Forrester are three of the more well-known firms, however, many others exist. In terms of revenues, IHS Markit leads the pack with almost $4B and 13,000 employees. Gartner follows closely behind with $3.3B and 15,000 employees (source).

One can trace the origins of this industry to when technology solutions became difficult to understand and compare. In other words, when the technology purchase process became complex, which began back in the 1980s. Since that time, there has been quite a bit of specialization and fragmentation of the IT, technology, and software markets. As new technologies continue to be introduced (cloud, AI, machine learning, etc.), systems and platform interoperability have only further added to the complexity!

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Does Brand Value Live Beyond the Grave?

enduring-value-brands-Lehman-BrothersI was most amused when reading about a new Scotch whisky that now carries the Lehman Brothers name. The product is called “Ashes of Disaster,” so is clearly meant to evoke memories of the failed financial services company. As a reminder, some consider the failing of Lehman Brothers the catalyst that triggered the 2008 global financial meltdown.

According James Green, a 34-year-old London entrepreneur that is launching the whisky, “It has a contrite, bereft peatiness,” as quoted from the Wall Street Journal article. Mr. Green plans to offer his spirits online and has gotten orders from bars in London and New York.

Continue reading Does Brand Value Live Beyond the Grave?

When the Price of Free is Too Much – The U2 Album Giveaway

Bono, lead singer of U2The band U2 and Apple partnered this month to do a remarkable promotion and awareness activity. Every iTunes user received a copy of U2’s latest album, Songs of Innocence. When I heard about this offer, I couldn’t believe it. I saw a television advertisement showing the band playing a song from the album. Then, at the end of the ad, it was explained that the album would be available for free to iTunes subscribers.

I am a big U2 fan, so was thrilled at this act of generosity. And, as a marketer, I couldn’t help but think about what the terms of the agreement might have been. Clearly, both Apple and U2 stood to gain from this promotion – Apple from getting new subscribers, and U2 from having Apple pay millions to promote their album.

A New Promotional Trend for Music?

Of course, this is not the first time music has been given away for free. Many artists offer promotional songs or live recordings as a way to generate interest and awareness.

But, U2 is hardly in need of any new promotional campaigns. They have sold more than 150 million records worldwide, won 22 Grammy Awards, and have been designated by Rolling Stone magazine as perhaps the “Biggest Band in the World”. No, this is not a band seeking awareness. Something more is going on.

An Act of Generosity

An interesting story has unfolded as part of this giveaway. It turns out Harriet Madeline Jobson issued a complaint to Bono (the lead singer of the band) stating, “Can you please never release an album on iTunes that automatically downloads to people’s playlists ever again? It’s really rude.” The comment came to light in a Facebook Q&A the band released on their fan page.

To Bono’s credit, he apologized, stating: “Oops, I’m sorry about that. I had this beautiful idea and we got carried away with ourselves. Artists are prone to that kind of thing: [a] drop of megalomania, touch of generosity, dash of self-promotion and deep fear that these songs that we poured our life into over the last few years mightn’t be heard. There’s a lot of noise out there. I guess we got a little noisy ourselves to get through it.”

There was no need for an apology. It was a gift. If you don’t like a gift, don’t use it. Contrary to Harriet’s claim, you had to download the songs to make them active on your iTunes library. If she didn’t want the songs, she simply could have chosen to not download or listen. What is remarkable is the level of conversations that are now going online right now.

As you might expect, folks are taking both sides. What is interesting, though, from a marketing and pricing perspective, the adage on pleasing people holds true: “You can’t please all the people, all the time.” Even at a price of free, not everyone is a “taker.” This is an important point to consider when pricing your product. And, to those economists out there, the laws of a downward sloping demand curve can only be projected so far … there comes a point when that curve flattens out. 🙂

A Final Word on Publicity

The famous PR quote is that there is no such thing as “bad” publicity. Here is another example where that saying is still true. The amount of coverage of U2s short Q&A video on their Facebook page is nothing short of phenomenal – it has gone viral. In two days the video was seen by 1.4M fans. Most marketers would be very happy that type of coverage. And, let’s not forget the comments – the 5-minute video has been shared 12k times, a hashtag of #U2NoFilter was created that is now trending, and there are nearly 4k comments on the page already.

Demonstrating his wisdom, Bono responded brilliantly, reinforcing his “cool” status and spokesperson expertise. As marketers, we can all learn how U2 played out this interesting experiment. They were bold and brave enough to try something new, realizing that some would take offense or not understand their actions. Time will tell if other bands will follow … I’ll keep my fingers crossed, as I really like a musical gift!

Here are two other pricing articles  you might find interesting:

5 Reasons to Choose a Niche When Starting a New Business

Select a business niche when writing a new business planThe Wall Street Journal recently published an interesting article on Artificial Intelligence (AI), written by Christopher Mims (see article). The article describes two new businesses that are making great strides in how AI can be used to help make our lives easier.

What struck me as most interesting, however, was the incredibly narrow focus these businesses have with regards to what they hope to accomplish, and the value proposition they offer. As Mims points out, this is actually a very smart approach – one that is in complete alignment with my own perspective. If you seek to launch a new business (and write a new business plan as part of the process), then you too can benefit from this strategy.

In the WSJ article, one of the new businesses described is X.ai, which seeks to help simplify the task of making calendar appointments with others. We have all experienced this challenge. It can be annoying and time-consuming. The investment community agreed. The company was recently funded with $2.1 million to develop their virtual assistant called Amy (see announcement). Considering all the tasks an administrative assistant could do, it is notable that the company will just address the task of making appointments.

Here are 5 reasons why this is a good strategy:

  1. Once the development work has been completed and it is time to start generating awareness or “buzz” for the company, the message of simplifying the task of calendar appointment setting is crisp, easy to understand, and will resonate very well with nearly everyone that hears it. Another term for this strategy is KISS, or Keep It Simple, Stupid.
  2. The focus on just one task means that the “use cases” or examples of problems that can be solved will be equally focused. Employees will quickly become experts at the challenges tied to setting appointments when they can’t see each other’s calendars. Training time, effort and cost will be minimized, as will time spent on the phone doing customer support.
  3. Sales cycles should be accelerated, or at least simplified. This will likely also lead to streamlined support and future sales leads, helping the company to grow at this critical point of its life.
  4. Market awareness programs will be better understood to yield better results. Given the overload of information that potential customers hear every day, the chance to quickly address a common challenge will resonate well, resulting in greater retention and brand recognition.
  5. Future expansion decisions will be simplified, and cost less. For example, if the company sought to ease appointment setting, time card completion and file storage, then you will have new complexity when deciding the best direction for future growth. Where do you invest next? Time card tracking, appointment setting or file storage? Having initially invested in all three services, you will likely continue that strategy, and it will cost you more resources and investment. Alternatively, going with a very narrow focus to a specific audience offers a more cost-effective approach to expansion. Getting just appointment setting right, for example, could then be applied to several different types of user profiles, ranging from corporate business workers to small business owners to “soccer” moms. This type of expansion will be much easier and cost effective to execute, so will have a greater chance for success.

So why don’t more business startups pursue such a narrow focus and strategy, including how they write their business plan? Experience has taught me that when working for a small startup it is very difficult to say “no” to a new sales opportunity. The sales and/ or management team is afraid to see a possible sales opportunity walk out the door. When you are at a startup, things are tight, so every possible sales angle takes on greater attention. But those with the strength and discipline to do just one thing, and do it well, will be rewarded with less risk and, hopefully, a better chance of survival.

Promoting your Blog with Social Media

social_media_promotion_blogI recently wrote a blog post on the importance of building a blog as part of your public relations program (see article here). As I explained, in today’s digital world, a blog is a critical part of your online profile – as a source of new insights, thought leadership and brand positioning necessary to keep your opinions and perspectives top-of-mind.

Once you have come to the conclusion to invest the time and resources to have a blog, the next step is that of promotion. If you build it, no one will find it unless you provide digital “bread crumbs” to lead the way. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) will play an important role, but isn’t enough. Here is where social media comes in. In fact, from a Public Relations professional’s perspective, this might just be the most important use for social media, and the single most important factor in justifying your entire investment in social media marketing.

What Should I Tweet About?

With Twitter being one of the most predominant social media platforms, it is nearly mandatory that you, your company or even your product line has a Twitter account. It is easy to set up the account … what next?

One strategy is to share interesting news that the audience you seek to build might be interested in reading. This is generally a good idea. Providing value to an audience will, over time, generate more followers, which helps in getting a higher profile. But, wouldn’t it be better to instead drive your audience towards an article that you wrote and hosted instead? Or, better yet, what about directing traffic to a promotional partner that is perhaps hosting a future event you are sponsoring? It doesn’t take much to see that driving traffic to a page you control is better than one you don’t.

Here is where the blog strategy can pay a handsome dividend. Once a new post has been written, such as this one, the next step is to promote it through your social media channels. Further, this points to a tangible benefit that can be achieved by building an audience … each time you have a new blog post, you will theoretically attract more potential readers with a larger audience.

Some authors have mastered this technique very well. Seth Godin, author of my favorite book the Purple Cow, has attracted an audience in the millions that religiously follow his words and wisdom every day. And, as he announces to books that he has written, he has an instant “base” of avid fans that will become new buyers.

What Social Media Venues should I Pursue?

Having made the decision to invest in a blog and promote it with social media, the next question to ask is what social media properties should you focus on?

Great question, and one that will be answered in my next post.

Marketing Strategies to Deal with a Disruptive Event

disruptive_event_microscopeIn my last post, I presented a real-life disruptive event that manufacturers of microscopes are now facing – the emergence of a new competitor selling a product that apparently is unbreakable, can be transported to literally anywhere in the world, and, could retail for $.50 each.

I chose this example not only because it is a current, but because of the severity of the disruption. Professional microscopes used by research facilities or drug manufacturers likely cost thousands of dollars, so the price difference is significant, to say the least! Here are some observations and tips I would suggest, if I were the one responsible for realigning the strategic direction of an existing Microscope manufacturer.

Why are you in Business?

I don’t mean to imply you should just recite your mission statement, or to try and present the merits of preparing one. I am simply suggesting you look to your roots and decide why you are in business in the first place? What is the reason you started your company, or in the case of large, publicly traded companies, what difference are you trying to make in the world? Assuming it is more than just collecting a paycheck, a careful reflection on this point will help guide next steps.

For example, if your mission was to provide under-developed countries with medical assistance through the production of affordable microscopes, then I would propose you now have two choices: (1) Join forces, or (2) Exit the industry. Manu Prakash and his students at Stanford have built a better “mousetrap” as the expression goes, so you really can’t expect to disrupt his breakthrough – it is unlikely.

Alternatively, if your mission is to provide the highest quality instruments so researchers can gain insights into the deepest depths of molecules, atoms or whatever else these individuals do to help find cures to diseases, then your response might be different. The paper microscope was created to serve markets where the primary purchase decision is based on cost, ease of use and transportability. The research market, however, has money to spend and is typically is located in a developed nation where breakage issues are not a driving factor of a purchase. So, this market might see value in features that better serve its needs.

Product or Market Differentiation

Marketers like to call this strategy product or market segmentation. Ideally, it is best to “own” a particular market segment. Narrow the focus on what you think you can “own” so as to provide the best possible product to serve the specific needs of that particular group of buyers.

For example, it may be that a larger model is better suited for research purposes. In this hypothetical scenario, it might make sense to “go big” and introduce a much larger version with specific features that a researcher might highly value. This way your product gets positioned as serving a different need, so will less likely be compared to the paper product. A great way to execute upon this concept is to come up with a new name for the market you seek to dominate – it will help to make the buyer feel more comfortable, and that they are not overpaying for a product that could be purchased for under a buck!

Service Differentiation

Another business strategy to make your offering different than the rest is to include or associate a type of service with the physical product. In the software world, some clients have highly sensitive data, processes or actions that are being performed by their software at all times of the day or night. These clients will happily pay for 24/7 service to be available at a moment’s notice to fix an issue if it comes up, so as to avoid lengthy downtime. In the same way, some of the microscope manufactures might decide to come out with a highly sensitive, highly accurate model that might be the Ferrari of models – both in terms of performance and nurturing necessary to maintain that performance. Clients interested in this type of product might be willing to pay extra for the support or maintenance services associated with such a high end machine, making the focus being more on providing the valuable expertise to keep the equipment running at all times. This is certainly a different business model than that of providing the “buck” model.

To conclude, when faced with a disruptive event, it is often helpful to first think about your business purpose. This insight is more than just to include in the writing of a business plan – it can genuinely be a life saver to help you get over the shock of a disruptive event that might happen in your industry. With this insight well thought through, the choice of a responsive action might be easier to see, identify and put into place.

Do you have a disruptive event that occurred in your industry? I would be curious to hear what you did and how it played out. It will be interesting to read about the microscope manufacturing market in about 2 years to see how these industry players decided to respond.

 

Gordon Benzie is a marketing communications professional and business plan adviser that specializes in preparing and executing upon business plans and marketing strategies. Gordon can be found on Google+

 

5 Ways to Tell a Great Story with a Business Plan

Top_5_ways_to_tell_story_with_a_business_planIn my last post, I presented the concept that a business plan really needs to tell a story – if it does, then you are much more likely to achieve your objectives for actually writing the plan, such as to get funded, to get a new loan, to attract new employees, or whatever else your objective is for writing the plan.

Having many years of experience within the field of Public Relations, I can offer a unique perspective on how to accomplish this goal. Below are five strategies or approaches you can pursue to help best tell your story within a business plan:

  1. Start with a Great Title – every reporter that wants their story to actually be read knows the importance of having a catchy title. Newspapers, magazines and websites all know this and how important the title is … that is why they don’t delegate this task to reporters, and instead keep that responsibility with the Editor. Think like you are an Editor working for the NY Times … what are you going to include in the article of your business plan to get it read in the first place?
  2. Include an Executive summary – everyone is too busy to read every document and story we see that passes in front of us or in our inbox. We are simply inundated with things to see, read or participate in. If you have a great title and got my attention to make it to page 1, you best get me excited REAL quick, or else you might lose me forever. The executive summary should be hard hitting. The first paragraph or two should point out something new to me – some amazing fact, or stunning growth estimate that gets me engaged. Now I am primed to learn more about this market need and how your new business will address it, and do so with all deliberate speed.
  3. Provide Third Party Proof Points – at this point, once I have read your executive summary and I am now interested to learn more, you need to sell me that your story is legitimate. In other words, are you just making this sh@* up, or, have you done the diligence necessary to really validate that this need exists? Here your story can go into a bit more detail, as you have earned that privilege based on a great intro. Now is the need to document the market size and the challenge that now exists.
  4. Comparable Products or Services Don’t Work – here is where the story needs to explain that not only does a market need exist, but, no one else has figured out what you now know – the solution. Or, that you possess the unique skills and knowledge to address this market shortfall better than anyone else. The story needs to be why you are a “no brainer” choice, if your reader agrees that the market need does exist and that others haven’t yet addressed this need.
  5. Financial Model Supports the Story – here is where the “rubber” hits the road. You have gotten my attention as a reader, you have pointed out a market need and why you are the person best suited to address this need. Now, can you actually make money delivering upon this need? What do the numbers say? Here is where the financial model must provide the proof that an investor is seeking to see if your story really holds together. Based on the assumptions and market position strategies highlighted in the plan, does the financial model reinforce this story? If it does, then you have put all the “stars” into alignment and have best optimized your chances for success.

There you have it. Of course, they are no guarantees. You could have the best business plan writer with the best business plan, but it still may not get funded. But, if you have a great story to tell, can find suitable investors or other target audience members that are open to hearing your idea, and you keep at it, then your chances for success will go up dramatically! And, once you have heard all the “no’s” you will get to a “yes” in the end. Here is where the perseverance comes through and the “doing what it takes” mentality is needed to actually get your plan funded.

At that point, all the work will be worth it. Good luck!

Gordon Benzie is a marketing communications professional and business plan adviser that specializes in preparing and executing upon business plans and marketing strategies.  

What Story Does your Business Plan Tell?

what_is_story_of_your_business_planMost people have a pretty good idea of what a business plan is, and what should be included in it. If asked, I would suspect that many people could also tell you that a business plan should include an overview of the business, what the product or service is, the markets being pursued, the competition, as well as some sort of financial model.

In the same way, if someone asked me how an airplane worked, I could tell you that lift was involved, and that the shape of the wings creates a vacuum, which that then helps the plane to get airborne. But, I don’t think you would want me actually building an airplane …

In some ways, this analogy applies to business plans. There are subtleties involved as well as a good deal of work, which might preclude your ever getting the plan completed. In the end, if your being funded is dependent upon having a plan, it might be worth reaching out to someone who has actually written one before.

As a business plan writer who has written over 25 different plans, I understand that each one serves many needs and provides content for different audiences. For example, one of the sometimes overlooked attributes of a business plan is that it must tell a story – about you, your idea and your vision – and how new funding will make your story come true. If your reader can’t quickly get the story, it is unlikely they will agree to fund your plan.

The Vision

Business plans sell a “vision” or a “dream” of what you see that a new business could be, could operate as and could deliver value to your target audience. Your initial audience are investors, potential partners and initial employees you will need to launch your vision.

In this way, a business plan is really a marketing document that is written to pitch your idea to this group and get them excited about the prospect of “getting in” on the ground floor. This sense of urgency of what a fantastic opportunity that awaits must be communicated. You need to tell a story of how your business can provide a greater good, or how it can help address a common challenge. And, if it is done right, your business could then earn everyone a nice profit at the same time.

If this sounds like what is driving you to prepare a business plan, then you should recognize you have a story to tell. Just like a great Public Relations campaign, you have a story to get into your prospects (i.e. investor’s) head. So, it is time to think like a PR professional, at least with regards to the structure and content you decide to put into your business plan.

In my next post, I’ll offer five ways to turn your business plan into a great story.

Gordon Benzie is a marketing communications professional and business plan adviser that specializes in preparing and executing upon business plans and marketing strategies.  

Saving Lives with Better Communications

According to a recent Wall Street Journal article, The Talking Cure for Health Care, research has long confirmed that improving communications between Doctors and their patients can actually save lives. The news prompting the article is that healthcare organizations are now taking actions based on this knowledge as a way to improve how Doctors speak with their patients.

Some of the stats that came out of research conducted by Doctors Co. indicate the lack of effective communications issue is widespread:

medical_communications_failure_rates

Here is the point I found most intriguing: This type of communication should be the MOST effective, given the setting and subject matter. If you are a patient sitting in front of your Doctor who is explaining something to you that is as important a topic as your health – don’t you think that you would be really paying attention? Given this assumption, the fact that up to 20% of all malpractice claims were derived from communications problems tells me that there are probably even greater issues in communicating effectively on other topics, which are not life and death scenarios.

Take marketing communications, for example, written by professionals trying to convey a message about value propositions, promotions or other compelling cases why a buyer should perform an action. On has to now assume that a big part of the message will likely be lost!

So, next time you venture down the path of writing a webpage, email or sales collateral, think carefully on what can be done to improve the effectiveness by simplifying what you are saying, as most likely, a big number of your readers simply won’t get it.

Gordon Benzie is a marketing communications professional and business plan adviser that specializes in preparing and executing upon business plans and marketing strategies.  

5 Reasons to Hire a Marketing Consultant

By Gordon Benzie

direction_to_follow_to_hire_marketing_consultant

Most business professionals have a budget or a fixed level of resources to work with. Those working at startups must be extra vigilant, as extended budget overruns could sink the company. When you are operating within these types of constraints, it is easy to get into the mindset of thinking “I can do it all,” or “I have to do it all” because I can’t afford to pay someone else to do what I can do, which in the end gives me a greater chance for survival.

Entrepreneurs justify these actions under the umbrella of “I can do this task better” than anyone else, further validating the decision to “in source”. Interestingly, this philosophy can be either highly beneficial OR detrimental to a young, growing business’ success. It just depends. An Entrepreneur that spends the time to really understand their client’s needs by giving them a lot of personal attention might be doing the right thing. The same logic, however, may not apply to other activities.

Because of this ambiguity, I thought it might be helpful to provide a checklist of five potential benefits to consider in your decision to hire a third party marketing consultant.

  1. To obtain a third party perspective from someone who doesn’t have a vested interest in your current marketing strategy, lead generation or messaging campaigns. A consultant will be more likely to point out an inconsistency or ambiguity of your current programs, simply by what questions are asked. Fresh eyes and ears are valuable as a “bouncing board,” such as what your objectives are or who you’re trying to speak to.
  2. To remove (or at least reduce) politics from making the right marketing decision. Consultants are less likely to be as caught up in office politics for the simple fact that they are typically brought in to “fix” an already acknowledged problem. If you really need to know if a marketing campaign proposed by the founder or CEO, it might be difficult for a Vice President of Marketing to express concern.
  3. To provide a weighted perspective to break through tough, “logjam” decisions. Product naming exercises are one of the most challenging marketing tasks to perform, right before creating a whole new website. In these complex and often emotional thought processes, a third party consultant can operate better as an intermediary to break “ties,” or even better, to provide the rationale and leadership to make better decisions. If you are paying for a marketing consultant’s advice, why not actually use it!
  4. To hear an “outside in” perspective, ideally from a perspective gained while working in other industries. Quite often, the marketing challenge you are facing has been dealt with already in another industry, so why re-create the wheel? Well-seasoned consultants benefit from the simple fact that they have worked with clients in similar situations in other markets or geographies. Embrace these other viewpoints to gain greater value from your investment in your consultant.
  5. To address an issue faster than trying to uncover it yourself, for a problem that might be new or unknown to your marketing team. A consultant typically understands they are there to fix one or a few specific issues, so won’t focus as much on “justifying” their existence to keep collecting a paycheck, as a new hire might be more inclined to do. Of course, there are always exceptions, but consultants typically are laser focused on quickly identify the problem and then remedying it with the fastest solution available. I would propose that this concept further applies to those outside consultants who are in strong demand, as they have other billing clients eager to hire them next.

Hopefully these perspectives help to give you an expanded perspective on why it might not be the right choice to apply the “DIY” philosophy to all marketing activities. It might make sense to hire a consultant if the value delivered is accomplished quickly, or if an issue is fixed that you may not have even understood exists. Of course, there are good consultants and there are bad ones. Each of these objectives all fall by on the wayside if your consultant is not experienced in solving your problem. But, once you find a good one, it can be an excellent investment of your resources to periodically bring them in for a marketing “tune up,” or to review of your current campaigns to help assess whether or not you are on the best path to success!

Gordon Benzie is a marketing adviser and business plan writer that specializes in preparing and executing upon business plans and marketing strategies.