Business Corner
STRATEGIES & ANALYSIS
tant takeaway here is that at the beginning of a market, when skepticism is the
common state, basing communications
on product or company strengths is a
mistake. You have no permission, from
the market, to hype these elements,
because the market players do not yet
believe you are going to be around long
enough to make a difference.
There are two naturally occurring
market rhythms in high-tech: developing the early market and developing the mainstream market. One
develops an early market by demonstrating a strong technical advantage
and converting it into product credibility. One develops a mainstream
market by demonstrating a market
leadership advantage and converting
it into company credibility.
In contrast, the “GAP transition” rep-
resents an unnatural rhythm. Crossing
the GAP requires moving from an environment of support among visionaries
back into one of skepticism among pragmatists. It means moving from the
familiar ground of product-oriented
ones, and from the unfamiliar ground of
market-oriented ones, and from the
familiar audience of like-minded specialists to the unfamiliar audience of
essentially uninterested generalists.
Product-Centric
Fastest product
Easiest to use
Elegant architecture
Product price
Unique functionality
If we are going to succeed in winning
over the lower right quadrant, the skeptical pragmatists, then that competition
has to be based in market-oriented concerns. This is what the pragmatists care
about. In brief, we must shift our marketing focus from celebrating product-centric value attributes to market-centric ones. In the table on this page you
will find a list of each. CW
See Chemark’s ad this month on page 68.
Market-Centric
Largest installed base
Most 3rd party supporters
De facto standard
Cost of ownership
Quality of support
GLASSVEN 30th
Anniversary
