PRODUCT MARKETING IN A WEB 2.X WORLD aas Business School pril 23, 2009 Marketing in web 2.X
Jan 18, 2015
PRODUCT MARKETINGIN A WEB 2.X WORLD
PRODUCT MARKETINGIN A WEB 2.X WORLD
Haas Business SchoolApril 23, 2009 Marketing in web 2.X
Product Marketing in the wrong hands…
Eight to great
1. Category and Target Definition – customer insights, segments, verticals.
2. Value Proposition -- core benefits
3. Positioning – capabilities, value proposition, competition
4. Brand/Naming/Marketing Communications– brand values; product/feature names; advertising/PR approach.
5. Whole Product Analysis – product delivery, customer service, critical partners
6. Product Road Map – priorities to meet value proposition and maintain edge.
7. Pricing and Product Enhancements – biz model, base price, SKUs
8. Channels and Metrics – Current customers, Direct sales, Resellers, Events, Viral (customers of customers), SEM/SEO; marketing funnel, KPIs and testing platform.
Find a first (and second target) customer
Listen well and gain insights
Keep the conversation going
Pick a target and get to know them1.
Gain access to deep insights (and let your customers help you)
Who’s your second target customer? What does the data say?
Create something worthwhile
Base it on an insight
Hold it sacred in all product decisions
Have a reason to exist (a value proposition)2.
Keep the value proposition simple
OXO: base the value prop on an observed insight
Why do ordinary kitchen tools hurt your hands?
Why can’t there be wonderfully comfortable tools that are easy to use?
Where does OXO go in 2.0?
2.X value props inspired by the times (and the community)
Refine your Value Prop
User Findings: It’s all about productivity• Consumers had specific tasks in mind when using their mobile phone for non-voice purposes
– Check Email ─ Check out bus/train/flight schedule
– Check Weather ─ Find a nearby restaurant
– Read News headline ─ Get driving directions, traffic incidents, parking spots
Current Experience Wish List
“I lookup stock values daily on my phone; I then call the broker when I want to buy or sell, because timely action is important.”
“Movies are amazing. I only need the movie function on my phone,…the ability to find a movie theater close to me and what’s playing and what times and the description of those. It should be quick, simple and easy. That would be a ten “
Focus on functionalities Right-at-the-moment info Accurate results Easy navigation Minimum clicks/scrolling
Nail your positioning based on value prop and competition
Understand direct and indirect competitors
See where you fit.3.
Position against a categoryAnd what it takes to deliver on it in a 2.x world…
Position yourself as the alternative
Counter-positioning: Tap the power of the majority
A good story is one that anyone can tell (and is true!)
Your brand becomes this story
Tell a story 4.
The power of storytelling
[play]
Have a story for your product Characters
Insight/context
Plot (Problem/Solution)
Mnemonics & Visuals
Refresh your story
Enable the community to enhance your story
Can you control the story?
Get the story back on track
Understand the whole product wheel
Have it drive your product/partner priorities
Know what the “whole product” looks like
5.
Think through the entire consumer experience
Study feedback to understand user experience
Timbuk2: what it takes to build an authentic bag…
Focus on function not form
Delight your users!
Let them help you make it better
Get the product right6.
Make the hard product decisions to create competitive separation
Add the Consumer’s Voice to Decision-making
Purpose: Enable more informed decision-making by
collecting & synthesizing consumer insights for product and executive team
Why do it? Decisions based on data vs. intuition balances
internal biases Catalyst for product improvements/bug fixes, as
it is impossible to simulate in house all real world use cases
Identify new product features & prioritizes product roadmaps based on market demand
Things to think about Automate feedback for quality and scale Include in business metrics Share with entire product team Hold weekly insights meeting
Consumer Insights
Website feedback
Customer Care Reports
SDS-usage data, DYC
UER- usability testing etc
GMR survey, Focus Group etc
Help Section on website
Internal QA
M-metrics and other industry
reports
3rd party research
User groups - Wired Moms - Young adults
Opinion leaders-blogs, articles
Seek feedback on your service levels
Follow product buzz
Seek deep feedback (especially at launch)
Use strong data platform to track experience over time
Listen and respond…
Invite help on new sites
Let your customers help you innovate
Follow the fans for inspiration
Allow users to allow you to personalize the experience
What’s your business model?
What’s your base price?
How many SKUs?
Pricing and Product Enhancements7.
New business models
Let consumers set the prices in a 2.x world
Enable community to gain market power
Communication and distribution channels
Funnel management
KPIs
Channel and metrics8.
Diet Coke: Building a communications program
Fun with funnels
Consumer marketing funnel
Online marketing funnel
Identify key audiences
Simplify: answer question, “what do you want user to do?”
Make sure the site worksOneLouder
Make it simple; point the user
thisMoment: lead the witness…
thisMoment: lead the witness
Adopt a ProductGroup Exercise
Evaluating the new user experience
Before you get started: See it as they see it: clear cookies, get a new ID. Change PC, screen res... If you can, start by clicking on a banner, or run a web search or the FP Pay attention to tools / experience provided to
get you to convert / try get you started smoothly get you engaged quickly
Bonus points: watch someone else (a prospect) do it
Key questions Was it quick? Easy? Clear? Engaging? Different? Was it simple, unique, daring, innovative, authentic and fun? What do you remember? How did you feel? What made you stay? (or leave?)
Evaluating the overall product experience
Now that you are settled in, is it still as good? What has changed?
Key questions What do you feel is the product’s competitive advantage and differentiator? What are its strengths and weaknesses?
Identify “hesitation” points vs. “obvious” points. After 1 week without using it, what do you remember most? (the ‘highs’ and
the ‘lows’) Is it in line with Yahoo!’s 6 brand attributes? What is, what’s not? How do you feel now?
Evaluating the Product Marketing
Reverse engineer!
Key Questions: Who would the assets make you think they are targeting? What do you think their positioning is? How do the product and marketing fare against it? Was the Mkg and the promise in line with the actual product experience?
Did they over promise or over deliver? Why? Do the Mkg Assets reinforce the brand? Are in-product / education assets clear and helpful? Are they consistent with the “acquisition” assets?