Category Archives: Solution Marketing

July 15, 2010 · 9:00 am

Road Runner, Boats and Manuals

Solution needed: boat operator manuals

Beep Beep!

Solution stories abound – even on boats. My dad has owned a boat for a while. It’s a great boat from Sea Ray, the leading motor boat company in the U.S. Generally the boat runs well and the boat’s features, fittings and accouterments are great.

On July 4 (of course), my dad ran into a problem though. Once the engine was started, it began to emit a mysterious Road Runner beep-beep every 2 or 3 minutes and a mysterious “Check Engine” indicator appeared on the instrument panel. Dad is an experienced boater and he tried everything he could think of, to no avail. Eventually, a neighboring slip-holder came over and generously checked out the engine – and all looked OK – except for the Road Runner beep-beep of course. Eventually, we decided to chance it and took the boat for quick spin. Apparently, the beep-beep did not indicate imminent disaster and the boat returned safely to share at the end of the trip. Continue reading →

Invention or Innovation?

– By Steve Robins

Innovation and Solution Marketing

New inventions are attractive. They’re fresh, unique, clever, first — superlatives abound. We admire inventions — and the people and companies that create them.

What’s Wrong?

That’s why many inventors and entrepreneurs are left wondering why their inventions haven’t been more successful. The reason? Too often they invent technologies that solve a problem that no one cares about or one that does not justify its expense. Or perhaps they solve a problem but lack the right business model. Clever and unique as they may be, unsuccessful inventions offer little value to the people who would buy them. Continue reading →

2 Comments

Filed under Case Studies, Innovation, Solution Marketing, Solutions, Value

Tagged as E1.1, E2.0, Enterprise 2.0, Innovation, Invention, Mass High Tech, MHT, Saul Kaplan, Solution Marketing, Solutions, Steve Robins

May 31, 2010 · 9:40 pm

Products or Solutions?

– By Steve Robins

What Should You Market?

It seems so obvious. If you have a product to sell, you must to market that product. But as it turns out, marketing your product is not always the best way to go.

Depending on the product’s market maturity, you may actually be better off not marketing the product. That’s right, don’t market the product.

Let’s review.

If you’ve read Geoffrey Moore’s Crossing the Chasm, you already know that technology markets move through a bell curve of market adoption, progressing from sales to Innovators and Early Adopters, across The Chasm (we hope) and rising sharply with sales to the Early Majority and Late Majority, and then dropping as only the Laggards remain to purchase the technology.

Continue reading →

Build a Winning Solution Marketing Strategy – ProductCamp Boston

– By Steve Robins

Practical Advice on Building a Solution Marketing Strategy

Session abstract: What is solution marketing strategy and how does it differ from product marketing strategy? Solutions go beyond product to solve business problems. During this session, you’ll learn how to assemble a compelling solution marketing strategy. We’ll look at segmentation, personas, competition, solution portfolios, the solution maturity model, and marketing strategies.

Thanks to everyone that attended the ProductCamp Boston session, Building a Winning Solution Marketing Strategy. Following is additional information. Continue reading →

7 Comments

Filed under Access, Information, Messaging, Overviews, SIVA - Elements of Solution Marketing, Solution Marketing, Solution Maturity Model, Solutions, Value

Tagged as Marketing, ProductCamp, ProductCamp Boston, Software Marketing, Solution Marketing, Solutions