Marketing

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Marketing Sales RoundtablePR Market
SuccessNovember 2005
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Agenda
1130 Introductions/Objectives 1145 PR
and Market Success 115 Summary and Wrap-up
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The Foundations of a Market Leadership Position
Employee Meetings
Press and Analyst Briefings
Corporate Identity System
Trade Shows, Conferences
Speeches,Presentations,Employment Ads
Websites, Extranets
Brochures,Collateral
Sales, Channel Training
Message Architecture
Message Architecture
Positioning Strategy
Positioning Strategy Statement
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Message Architecture

• Positioning is communicated through strategy
  evidence-based messages that address market,
  technology, product and company elements

Market
Company
Product
Technology

• Prove Viability of
• Technical Approach
• IP, Patents
• Standards
• Technology heritage

• Prove Business
• Benefits of Product
• Key benefitscompetitive differentiator
• Total product elements
• 3rd party benchmarks, tests

• Prove Importance
• of the Market
• Customer problem/Company opportunity
• Segment characteristics
• Market size, growth

• Prove Quality of the
• Company
• Funding, board
• Management team
• Domain expertise
• Customers, partners

Company Value Proposition
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Market Momentum Market Leverage
Education
Market Segment
BUS I N E S S p R E S S
T R A D E P R E S S
F I N A N C I A L
INVESTORS
P A R T N E R S
I N D U S T R Y
A N A L Y S T S
A N A L Y S T S
E D I T O R S
A C C O U N T S
C H A N N E L
E D I T O R S
T A R G E T
SALES
MarketEntryCustomer Segment
Company
Validation
Message Distribution Channels
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The Fundamentals

• Public Relations is about relationships
• PR is every employees responsibility
• Reputation, image require constant care
• If you dont position yourself, your competitor
  will
• Whats kept out of print is also a measure of
  success
• PR does not stand for Press Release

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PR Objectives

• Position company and product (s)
• Educate key market participants
• Establish credibility
• Gain awareness
• Capitalize on key customer/partner wins

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Why a PR Firm?

• Need for objective, independent viewpoint
• Provides stronger communication to key audiences
• Ability to leverage strategic skills and support
• Implementation with newest ideas and tools

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When to Hire A PR Firm?

• Product or company launch
• Support ongoing marketing effort
• New financing
• Crisis management
• Employee communications
• Shareholder communications
• Community or government relations

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Hiring A PR Firm Six Steps

• Define your objectives
• Construct an informational backgrounder
• Develop a list of agencies
• Meet the short list
• Executive team review of finalist (s)
• Make the final decision

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How Long Does It Take to

• Hire a PR Agency 4 to 6 Weeks
• Announce A Company and Funding 4 to 6 Weeks
• Announce First Product 8 to 12 Weeks
• Announce Market Awareness Build Infrastructure
  Relationships
• Over 1 Year

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PR Responsibilities

• Media relations
• Proactive efforts
• Daily communications
• Editorial calendars
• Analyst relations
• Trade analysts
• Financial analysts
• Writing
• Press releases
• Press kit development
• Collateral
• Investor relations/financial community expertise

• Planning counseling
• Tailored messages
• Awards and reviews programs
• Tradeshow/special event support
• On-site support
• Press room staffing
• Speaker placements/industry expert profiles
• Press tour planning support

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Public Relations Strategy

• What business goal with this help us achieve?
• Whom do we want to reach and why?
• What are variables in the market environment?
  Competitors, market dynamics, socio-economics?
• How can we make this story broader? What else can
  we package together to make it stronger?
• Do we have a single, double, triple, homerun?

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Public Relations Strategy

• There are finite number of stories to tell take
  your cue from classic literature Media
  narratives are told and retold
• How does your company fit into broader
  narratives?
• What character does your company play?
• How do you keep the spotlight?
• Who are the supporting characters?
• Deconstruct your potential story via past
  articles
• What was the theme?
• How prominent was the story?
• What assets did they use?
• Find your in connection
• Are there reporters that have personal
  connections?
• Is this a hot theme for a given publication?

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PR Strategy Considerations

• Situation analysis
• Competitive landscape
• Business goals
• Timing
• Audiences
• Messages
• Spokespeople

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PR Responsibilities in Launching Your Company and
Product

• Three Months Before Product Launch
• (ANNOUNCE THE COMPANY)
• Identify and pre-brief key analysts
• Announce the company, funding, investors,
  executives, company direction
• Two Months Before Product Launch
• Develop market segment positioning and messaging
• Gain endorsement of analysts, customers and
  partners as references
• Conduct embargoed briefings with large pool of
  analysts and longer lead press
• One Week before Product Launch
• Conduct embargoed briefings with short leads and
  trusted bloggers
• Announce Product
• Including market demand, value proposition,
  differentiation, pricing, availability
• Ongoing Visibility
• Create opportunities for thought leadership,
  visibility, product reviews

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Sample Media Stories

• Straight news
• News announcements
• Earnings
• Industry trends
• Primer/overview
• QA
• Profiles
• Product stories
• Product overviews
• Product reviews
• Hits and misses

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Common Mistakes

• Little to no preparation
• Misaligned objectives
• Inconsistent/unclear messages
• No follow through, no follow-on plan
• Assumption that product sells itself
• Inward focus its about the market, not you!
• Delegating PR responsibility to junior people
• Focusing on window dressing vs. the content
• Events, announcements are tools, not end result

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Not All PR is Good PR

• Quote, story inconsistent with the positioning
  strategy
• Quote, story inconsistent with the message
  architecture
• Leak while a story is under embargo
• Unsubstantiated, non-credible claims
• Wrong magazine, etc. for the target market

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Market Leverage Evaluation
C O N S U L T A N T S /
T R A D E P R E S S
P A R T N E R S
A N A L Y S T S
C H A N N E L S
A C C O U N T S
T A R G E T
S A L E S
G U R U S
Company
Market Entry Customer Segment
Do articles and editorials reflect Companys
positioning strategy?
Is Company management viewed as
an information source?
Do they support targeted applications, customers?
Does the customer understand when to call Company?
Do all Company functions, divisions/ geographies u
nderstand and support the positioning strategy?
Do reports reinforce Companys positioning
strategy?
Are these groups references, testimonials for
Company?
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Parting Thoughts

• Make yourself available as an expert resource
  and you become an ally to influencers
• Align company outreach to receptive audiences at
  the right time
• A well executed PR program can be your best lead
  generation tool

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• Below are additional Public Relations tools that
  can be found on the SRF Entrepreneurs Exchange
• Funding Announcement Package
• Guidelines for Creating a Speaking Opportunities
  Calendar
• Media Interview Guide
• Press Releases Tips from Business Journalists
• Sample Public Relations Plan Outline
• New Media 101 Acquiring and Building Customer
  Relationships the New Way Marketing Sales
  Roundtable

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Appendix
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Sample Media Narratives Business Features
The Tough Broad 2 dorks, a dog and a dream Winners Losers
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Sample Media Narratives Business Features
The Industry Disruptor The Rise Fall The Resurrection
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Sample Media Narratives Business Features
The Emerging Industry The New Guy The Underdog
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Sample Media Narratives Business Features
The Makeover The Up-and-Comer The Unsung Hero
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Sample Media Targets

• IT
• CIO
• CIO Insight
• ComputerWire
• ComputerWorld
• CRN/VARBusiness
• eWeek
• Information Week
• InfoWorld
• Intelligent Enterprise InternetWorld
• InternetWeek
• Network World
• Network Magazine
• Network Computing
• PC Magazine
• PC World

• Technology
• Linux
• Linux Today
• Linux Magazine
• Linux Journal
• Linux.com
• LinuxWorld Magazine
• Open Magazine
• OSDN Open Source Storage/Database
• Computer Technology Review/ Storage Management
  Solutions/ Storage, Inc.
• Data Storage Review
• InfoSTOR
• Mass Storage News
• Storage Magazine
• StorageWeek

• General Science
• American Scientist
• Discover
• Scientific American
• Technology Review

• Storage Onlines
• Byte and Switch.com
• Embeddedstar.com
• Enterprise Storage Forum
• IT Storage Online
• Mass Storage News
• Searchstorage.com
• SNIA.net
• SNWonline.com (Toigo)
• Storage Reporter
• Storage Supersite
• Storage World Web
• StorageAdmin.com
• StoragePipeline.com Storewidth.com
• Tidalwire.com (The Storage Reporter)

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Sample Media Targets Verticals

• Government
• Defense News
• Federal Computer Week
• Federal Times
• Governing
• Government Computer News
• Government Computing
• Government Executive
• Government Product News
• Government Technology
• Homeland Defense Journal
• HPCwire
• Military Information Technology
• Signal
• Technology in Government
• Washington Technology

• Life Sciences
• BioCentury
• Bio-IT World
• Biomedical Market Newsletter
• BioPharm
• BioScience
• Bioscience Technology
• BIOTECH
• Biotech Business
• BioTech Technology
• BioTech Week
• Biotechnology Focus
• Biotechnology News
• BioVenture View
• BioWorld Today
• Genome Technology
• Start-up/InVivo

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Sample Media Targets Business

• Online/Wires
• Associated Press
• Bloomberg
• CNet
• Dow Jones News
• Gannett
• IDG
• Knight Ridder
• MarketWatch
• msnbc.com
• CNN.com
• Reuters
• Scripps Howard News Service
• ZDNet/Cnet

• Top Dailies
• Wall Street Journal Times
• New York Times
• Los Angeles Times
• Washington Post
• Financial Times
• San Jose Mercury News
• Boston Globe
• USA Today

• Business/Mainstream
• Business 2.0
• Businessweek.com
• Business Week
• Entrepreneur
• Forbes
• Forbes.com
• Fortune
• Fortune Small Business
• Newsweek
• Time
• U.S. News/World Report

• Finance
• Daily Deal
• Private Equity Week
• Red Herring
• VentureSource
• VentureWire

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Industry Analysts

• Burton Group
• Cahners In-Stat
• Clipper Group
• DellOro Group
• DH Brown
• DISK/TREND
• HTRC Group
• Hurwitz Group
• Infonetics Research
• InQuest
• IT Centrix
• NetsEdge Research
• Peripheral Concepts
• Pioneer Consulting
• Sageza Research

• Arun Taneja
• Data Mobility Group
• EMA
• ESG
• Evaluator Group
• Gartner
• Gilder
• IDC
• Illuminata
• META Group
• Strategic Research
• Yankee Group

• Aberdeen
• AMR
• Datamonitor
• Forrester/Giga
• Current Analysis
• Technology Business Research
• The Storage Group

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Technology Bloggers

• OReilly Radar
• Above the Crowd
• Sandhill.com
• VentureBlog
• Web Standards Project
• InstaPundit

• BusinessWeek Dealflow
• SiliconBeat
• SiliconValleyWatcher
• Slashdot.com
• Silent Penguin
• Open Source Zone
• Engadget
• Boing Boing
• Gizmondo

• Om Malik
• Dan Gillmor
• Dana Blankenhorn
• Joi Ito
• Andrew Sullivan
• Doc Searls
• Wonkette
• Lawrence Lessig
• Davenetics

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Public Relations Agency Selection Guide

• Public Relations is a key activity throughout a
  companys lifecycle and is often its major
  marketing activity leading up to a company
• or product launch. Unlike other service agencies
  (graphics, web, advertising, etc.), a PR firm
  must have an in-depth
• understanding of a companys products and
  strategies in order to represent it accurately to
  press and analyst audiences. Since
• your team will spend significant time and
  resources building the PR firms knowledge base,
  it will be well worth the up-front
• investment to select a firm with the right
  capabilities and personality fit.
• Start by phone screening 3-5 firms based on
  knowledge of your technology and product
  category, experience with companies of
• your size and maturity , and cost. Determine
  whether there is a potential competitors.
  Schedule in-person capabilities
• Presentations with 2-3 firms that meet your
  criteria.
• Selection Team CEO, VP Marketing, Director of
  Marketing Communications
• Here are key questions that should be addressed
  during the search and selection process
• Capabilities
• What is the size of your firm? Number of clients?
  Number of permanent employees vs. number of
  contractors? Where are they located?
• What is your experience in our technology,
  market, and product? Can you provide examples of
  your ability to understand technical concepts and
  products and communicate it in an accessible
  manner to a wide range of audiences?

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Public Relations Agency Selection Guide (Contd)

• A. What are the backgrounds and experiences of
  the team that would work on our account? What
  other
• accounts do they work on? What other accounts do
  they work on? What of time do they devote to
  each?
• (3-4 accounts should be maximum for an account
  executive)
• B. With which key influencers in our market do
  you have established and ongoing relationships?
• C. What is your level of experience in working
  with launching new technologies/products, helping
  create new
• markets, etc.?
• 4. Team structure. Who exactly is responsible for
  what facets of the program activities? Will there
  be one person
• Who will be our day-to-day contact? When will we
  meet that person?
• Provide three current or recent client references
  with requirements similar to ours.
• Why have you parted ways with clients and visa
  versa?
• Strategy Development
• How do you ensure that a companys positioning
  and branding strategies and messages architecture
  and
• properly conveyed?
• 8. What do you think are the most important PR
  challenges facing our company?
• 9. How does your agency develop content and
  messages? How will the messages be articulated
  and approved?
• What does a typical message document like?
• 10. Describe your planning process. Will you
  begin working on programs prior to completion of
  a plan? What is
• a typical plan like? What time period does it
  cover?

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Public Relations Agency Selection Guide (Contd)

• Strategy Development
• How will your agency address the issues
  associated with the fact that our market are
  global, that we have potential customers
• in several geographies outside of the U.S.?
• Programs and Tactics
• What kinds of press materials do you recommend?
• Do you recommend ongoing programs like editorial
  calendars and testimonials? How do you work with
  clients to get information
• for such programs? What are your requirements
  from us?
• 15. What is the approval process for programs and
  materials including press releases?
• 16. How would you schedule and conduct press
  tours and meetings?
• What do you think are the key publications,
  websites, newsletters, etc. that we should be
  targeting? Key analysts? Have you
• worked
• with them in the past? What were the results?
• 18. How should PR programs be measured? How will
  we know were successful?
• What is your experience with new media such
  blogs, podcasts, etc.?
• Billing and Fees
• 20. How do you bill for services?
• 21. Is there a retainer or will we be billed by
  project or on an hourly basis? If hourly, what
  are the rates of the various team members

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Public Relations Agency Selection Guide (Contd)

• Billing and Fees
• How are project fees approved? How are potential
  overages approved?
• What do similar companies spend on PR services?
  Including expenses?
• Key Questions a potential PR agency should ask
  you
• What is the current status of your product
  (alpha? beta?)?
• Do you have a positioning strategy statement? A
  message architecture? Have they been validated
  with customers,
• partners, press, etc?
• 3. Who are the company spokespersons? The level
  of their prior experience with the press?
• 4. Who within the company will manage PR
  activities?
• 5. Who are your publicly reference-able
  customers?

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Presenters

• Rosemary Remacle, Consultant
• Market Focus
• 408-244-0412
• rosemary_at_mktfocus.net
• Donna Sokolsky
• Sparkpr
• 415-321-1862
• donna_at_sparkpr.com