Are You “Working Blue” With Your Marketing Copy?
- 16th May 2012
- Marketing Operations Strategies,Product Marketing and Management,Strategic Communications Management
I see a clear “taking the easy way out” parallel between comedians who resort to profanity instead of carefully honed monologues, and b-to-b writers who use the crutch of profound-sounding “filler” words or phrases. These let us use complete sentences even if we haven’t mastered a topic enough to explain it clearly. They also lull us into thinking we sound reasonable because it’s no different than all the other copy out there.
Continue Reading...A “Sweet” Prediction for Big Blue
- 14th May 2012
Big Blue just keeps growing. On April 13, IBM announced an agreement to acquire Varicent Software, a privately held Toronto-based provider of compensation analytics and sales performance management software. This is an interesting move by the global IT powerhouse, prompting me to gaze into my crystal ball to make a prediction on where IBM may be headed next.
Continue Reading....Don’t Do Personas for Personas’ Sake
- 11th May 2012
Formed by combining demographic attributes with preferences, personas embody a type of buyer. A frequent misconception I see as an analyst is when companies presume they should do personas simply ...
Continue Reading....Ten Considerations for the CMO’s Change Radar Screen
- 10th May 2012
The ability for marketing organizations to thrive in an environment of constant change has become a must-have capability, requiring CMOs to devote greater attention to change leadership. Below are 10 questions that can help CMOs assess how they stack up as change leaders.
Continue Reading....The Coming Facebook IPO
- 9th May 2012
There is no lack of advice and opinions on the relative merits and hype of the upcoming Facebook IPO. I even read someone comparing the potential of Facebook share prices ...
Continue Reading....Setting the Price of a Term Software License
- 8th May 2012
As software-as-a-service (SaaS) based licensing becomes more popular, it’s essential that marketers know how to compare the value of different licensing models. In my previous post, we calculated as an example a perpetual license valued at $7,735. This post explains important considerations about a term license.
Continue Reading....When Marketing a Service, Pull Back the Curtain
- 7th May 2012
A topic that often comes up during inquiries is the difference between marketing a service and a product. As more software companies switch from on-premise software to software-as-a-service (SaaS) delivery models, marketers are contending with the challenges of marketing an intangible. A service needs a very strong articulation of its value proposition, since customers must form a clear perception and assign value to what goes on within a vendor’s walls or “behind the curtain.”
Continue Reading....Selling Sales on Process: How Adding Contacts to Opportunities Drives Value
- 4th May 2012
Legendary basketball coach John Wooden once said, “Never mistake activity for achievement.” Just tying marketing-generated activities (e.g. clicks, opens, downloads) to campaigns isn’t enough to demonstrate value, as marketing is often asked to demonstrate the impact its activities have on other functions – especially sales.
Continue Reading....Determining the Value of a Perpetual License
- 3rd May 2012
Product marketers and managers are often asked to compare the price of a perpetually licensed product vs. a software-as-a-service (SaaS) based (consumption-based) license. To make the comparison, it’s essential that marketers know how to determine the value of each licensing model and understand their idiosyncrasies.
Continue Reading....The Problem With Lead Nurturing
- 2nd May 2012
One of the best things about being a SiriusDecisions analyst is that we work closely with a broad range of clients, affording us the opportunity to observe what really works and what doesn’t. When it comes to lead nurturing, what doesn’t work is complexity.
Continue Reading....
