Having spent most of my career in marketing, I never miss an opportunity to champion the added value of this function, and the importance of acquiring solid training and experience before taking on responsibilities. It is therefore with perplexity that I sometimes discover the gap between the advertised function and the actual skills of the
Industry: What to do with the usurpers of the marketing title? Read Post »
A McKinsey paper estimates that companies that focus on satisfying their existing customers grow twice as fast as others. And yet, who among those of you who works in an industrial company has not heard the sales forces lamenting: “we are a product-oriented company anyway”, or harsher: “the engineers have here all the power”? To
Can a product-centric company become customer-centric? Read Post »
Until recently, financial investors in industrial companies where keen to slash first marketing and communication costs to improve cash flow and short-term profitability. Geopolitical crises, economic sovereignty policies, the digitalisation of production, and efforts to reduce CO2 emissions have increased the interest in relocating factories closer to end markets. A new generation of investors is
Industrial CAPEX:Do not forget to invest in marketing! Read Post »
Communication is an integral part of the innovation process. Those of us who have worked with both R&D and communication teams may be surprised by this assertion. The profile of communication teams is obviously different from that of R&D teams. Communication teams are usually involved well after the development and testing phases of R&D. A
No Innovation without Communication! Read Post »
With order intake below expectations, the market launch of the innovation has been disappointing. The oncoming review meeting with senior management will be difficult. Yes, it will be necessary to admit that repeated weak signals had hinted at difficulties. Yes, some decisions should have been better prepared, some assumptions should have been requestioned from the
Getting my innovation adopted by the market:What is the winning strategy? Read Post »
Your company designs and markets technical products and solutions to companies around the world. You publish your product offering online, perhaps even a complete catalogue. Hundreds, thousands of potential professional buyers consult it before asking for a quote or an appointment. More than just a basic brick and mortar, the product brochure is one of
The product brochure chore: what is the right recipe to use? Read Post »