Category Archives: Value

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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 →

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Build a Winning Solution Marketing Strategy – ProductCamp Boston

– By Steve Robins

ProductCamp Boston

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 →

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

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Apple iPad: Solution Evaluation

– By Steve Robins

Rating the Apple iPad as a Solution
iPad Series Part II

Read Part I, Apple iPad: Tablet or Solution

iPad - a complete solution

A complete solution incorporates users, process, content, technology and services

Since January, I’ve been researching the Apple iPad in order to rate it as a solution.  I even took one for a test drive on Sunday (thanks Jeff Berg of Purple Shark Consulting!).  The rating is actually a strategic tool that enables marketers to meet customer needs by offering a complete solution. But the Apple iPad has generated so much hype that it’s a great solution to evaluate.  The iPad received a rating of 4.3 out of 5.  By comparison, most other tablet offerings today would probably score 2.5 or lower on the solution rating scale.  The best possible score is 5 (complete solution) while the lowest is 1 (product, not a solution).  This is an independent evaluation and was not funded by Apple.

Click “Keep reading” below to see the full solution evaluation of the Apple iPad.

Continue reading →

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The Solution Marketing Blog: One Year Later

– By Steve Robins

Celebrating a year of blogging on solution marketing

First, thank you to everyone that reads this blog day-in and day-out – it’s been a great ride since February 2009. Thanks also to everyone who expressed interest in solution marketing at Product Camp Boston #1 and #2, and on the LinkedIn group and elsewhere.  And thanks to those who’ve helped to make this a great blog.  As they say, the best is yet to come.

In celebration of this milestone, following is a solution marketing recap from the last twelve months.

Continue reading →

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Filed under Access, Case Studies, Demos, Information, Message, SIVA - Elements of Solution Marketing, Solution Marketing, Value

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No Value, No Job

– By Steve Robins

SAP Sacks CEO For Failing to Deliver Customer Value

Sometimes the best solution marketing is about value.

It’s been one of the most interesting solution value stories of the last 18 months: ERP vendors’ exhorbitant support prices (at Oracle’s 90% margins) and SAP’s botched attempt to raise prices even further.  It’s pretty obvious that ERP vendor greed has further weakened customer relationships while opening the door to a new cadre of support vendors.

ERP vendors charge high maintenance and support prices that are essentially insurance policies that enable their clients to receive upgrades and support.  Problem is, many companies don’t need – and can’t afford – the broad and expensive maintenance and support provided by ERP vendors, so they’ve moved to competitive support firms like Rimini Street.

Yesterday’s sacking of SAP’s CEO is only the latest chapter in this tale.   Continue reading →

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