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?