Linking Early-Stage Marketing and Late-Stage Marketing

Dan Adams — Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:30:41 -0500

Last week we defined Early Stage Marketing as figuring out what the customers’ needs are… and Late-Stage Marketing as satisfying those needs by promoting our new product to them. Many B2B companies (my area of expertise) do a simply awful job of Early-Stage Marketing and then express surprise when their new product fails.

Early-Stage Marketing vs. Late-Stage Marketing

Dan Adams — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 12:08:11 -0500

In last week’s blog, I described how marketing could be explained in three parts: Design (What does the customer want?), Development (What product/service would meet this need?) and Delivery (How can we get this product/service in the customers’ hands?). When time is short, I’ll often abbreviate this to describe marketing in terms of Early-Stage Marketing (Design) and Late-Stage Marketing (Delivery).

So What Does Marketing Really Do?

Dan Adams — Fri, 19 Dec 2008 12:22:04 -0500

For many years, I held various marketing positions in large B2B manufacturing firms and would be asked this question: “So what do you guys really do, anyway?” I found that mumbling or pulling out some helpful Dilbert cartoons really weren’t addressing this question well. So eventually I began describing marketing’s role in three parts: Design, Development and Delivery.

Three Reasons for Competitive Side-by-Side Testing in New Product Design

Dan Adams — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 11:00:00 -0500

In the last blog, we talked about a fairly rigorous way to understand competitive capabilities when designing a new product. The punch line was… you need to truly understand your customers’ needs before you can measure your competitors’ capabilities. When you do this well, three very good things happen.

So What Can Your Competitors Really Do?

Dan Adams — Sat, 06 Dec 2008 10:57:34 -0500

When a team develops a new product, they often fall into the trap up making assumptions of two broad types: customer needs and competitive capabilities. And these are not independent. Here’s why:

What Will Your Company Learn During the Downturn?

Dan Adams — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 11:46:36 -0500

I just got off the phone with a magazine editor and she asked several insightful questions during the interview. One of them was, “What should companies be spending their money on during a recession?” My answer was learning.

Comment on Node ant

Dan Adams — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:44:32 -0500

Nice post on AWhere and the use of analytics. I wasn't familiar with this, but it looks strong! And I couldn't agree with you more on the power of analytics. For years, I've seen suppliers use qualititive data only in customer interviews to determine customer needs... with dire consequences. But when they engage customers in quantifying and prioritizing their needs (and use effective graphical means to interpret the data), they dramatically increase their odds of addressing what the customer really wants.

#3 Economic Survival Tip: Engage Your Customers More Closely

Dan Adams — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 09:27:42 -0500

This week, we finish our three-part series on surviving and thriving in a miserable economy. This tip can best be practiced by companies providing products or services to other companies (not end-consumers). Outstanding research done by Huthwaite International shows the best way to sell a product is to simply ask customers what they want. (For more on this, read S.P.I.N. by Neil Rackham.)

#2 Economic Survival Tip: Learn New Best Practices

Dan Adams — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 23:26:24 -0500

Last week, we began a three-part series on surviving—and even thriving—in a miserable economy. This week, consider if there are new practices your company could adopt to rapidly boost your effectiveness in critical customer-facing activities… such as sales management, pricing or marketing communications.

#1 Economic Survival Tip: Cut the Right Waste

Dan Adams — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 14:18:18 -0400

Warren Buffet said it well: “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s been swimming naked.” But even well-managed companies may feel a little “exposed” in this economic downturn. What are your choices? For too many, short-term interests will be pitted against longer-term interests… and we all know which will win, right?