Comments on: The Death Of Marketing, The Rise Of Innovating http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/07/29/the-death-of-marketing-the-rise-of-innovating/ A blog about our thoughts on entrepreneurship, teamwork, our services, the Web and anything we find interesting. Sat, 21 Nov 2009 07:27:46 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Cliff Allen http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/07/29/the-death-of-marketing-the-rise-of-innovating/comment-page-1/#comment-45214 Cliff Allen Thu, 05 Jul 2007 15:58:59 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/07/29/the-death-of-marketing-the-rise-of-innovating/#comment-45214 Traditional mass marketing grew out of a need to sell the products that came from the growth in mass production. Unfortunately, mass media advertising has never been efficient, or we wouldn't have heard sayings like, "I know half my advertising is wasted -- I just don't know which half." Now that we're moving back to "conversational marketing" (i.e., sales), it's important for companies to increase their emphasis on product marketing techniques to create the right products. The "product marketing manager" is generally the person who has direct, face-to face conversations with prospective customers to learn what they need. This translates into specs for innovative, profitable products that customers will later buy. Companies without a product marketing manager (or brand manager) are missing out on the opportunity to have meaningful, hype-free conversations with customers looking for products to buy. While the mass media approach to marketing -- with it's inability to demonstrate an ROI -- is declining, the need to apply sound marketing principals and sales techniques is more important than ever. Traditional mass marketing grew out of a need to sell the products that came from the growth in mass production. Unfortunately, mass media advertising has never been efficient, or we wouldn’t have heard sayings like, “I know half my advertising is wasted — I just don’t know which half.”

Now that we’re moving back to “conversational marketing” (i.e., sales), it’s important for companies to increase their emphasis on product marketing techniques to create the right products.

The “product marketing manager” is generally the person who has direct, face-to face conversations with prospective customers to learn what they need. This translates into specs for innovative, profitable products that customers will later buy. Companies without a product marketing manager (or brand manager) are missing out on the opportunity to have meaningful, hype-free conversations with customers looking for products to buy.

While the mass media approach to marketing — with it’s inability to demonstrate an ROI — is declining, the need to apply sound marketing principals and sales techniques is more important than ever.

]]> By: Scott Meade http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/07/29/the-death-of-marketing-the-rise-of-innovating/comment-page-1/#comment-7586 Scott Meade Sat, 29 Jul 2006 20:24:30 +0000 http://www.freshbooks.com/blog/2006/07/29/the-death-of-marketing-the-rise-of-innovating/#comment-7586 Stowe, While the days of marketing as a standalone organization may be numbered, I hope small companies do not take the New York Times article or books such as The Innovator's Delimma to mean that marketing and sales are not important. An innovative product will not sell itself. Notice that in the same NY Time article, Fred Hassan, the chief executive of Schering-Plough, said. "in terms of importance 'the sales force has to be up there with R.& D. and the global functions.'" Schering-Plough is in pharmex, but I believe this is just as true in software. Like you, I encourage small companies to compete on innovation. If nothing else for the practical reason that small companies will never have the "marketing budget" to support brand positioning like their larger competitors. They will though be able to innovate more quickly than larger companies. Yet No matter how innovative we can become, sales efforts still need to be a critical part of your business' plan. Stowe,

While the days of marketing as a standalone organization may be numbered, I hope small companies do not take the New York Times article or books such as The Innovator’s Delimma to mean that marketing and sales are not important. An innovative product will not sell itself.

Notice that in the same NY Time article, Fred Hassan, the chief executive of Schering-Plough, said. “in terms of importance ‘the sales force has to be up there with R.& D. and the global functions.’”

Schering-Plough is in pharmex, but I believe this is just as true in software.

Like you, I encourage small companies to compete on innovation. If nothing else for the practical reason that small companies will never have the “marketing budget” to support brand positioning like their larger competitors. They will though be able to innovate more quickly than larger companies. Yet No matter how innovative we can become, sales efforts still need to be a critical part of your business’ plan.

]]>