The Science of Communicating & Marketing Your Business

VoIP Blog - Tehrani.com has "With all the hoopla surrounding the iPhone it is not surprising that Verizon Wireless is touting a suite of new phones and one -- the LG Electronics Voyager -- is being touted as an iPhone killer. The device runs on the faster Verizon Wireless data network (Probably EVDO Rev. A) and has a keyboard. These are the two Achilles heels of the current iPhone. The device is similar to Apple's phone in that it has a touch screen and web browser built-in."

The questions this time out are:

• What is the best way for companies to compete?
• With a better product or better price?
• How can companies effectively market a new product?
• How can they be innovative?
• What kind of research does it take to know what the market is demanding and give consumers what they want?
• How can companies and business people use technology to improve productivity, efficiency and effectiveness?
• What are the pros and cons of adapting to new technologies in business?
• How do companies train sales people and customer service reps to help customers with new products?

That stated, my responses follow:

• What is the best way for companies to compete?
  That is such a loaded question. A proper response would be "aggressively". My models for competition come from evolutionary dynamics. They apply to societal groups unerringly and when I mention this at conferences or in interviews people often get upset. These same rules apply to companies competing for market share.
• With a better product or better price?
  Companies need to compete first by understand their market as completely as possible. Once they have that they can decide if a better product or better price will work best in that market.
• How can companies effectively market a new product?
  I covered this in Failure: a case study.
• How can they be innovative?
  Another tough question. A company that is too innovative often languishes until society catches up and discovers a need for the innovation. Accepted innovation also comes with a price to society, as noted by Guy Debord in Society of the Spectacle ("The birth of political power, which seems to be related to the last great technological revolution (cast iron), at the threshold of a period which would not experience profound shocks until the appearance of industry, also marks the moment when blood ties began to dissolve.")
  Similarly, innovations once adopted tend to foster new marketing methodologies known as Vraiment etudies des vie aux sauvage: I told a potential client about the benefits of our technology. He asked, "Are there any negative benefits?" Without missing a beat I answered, "We haven't experienced any to date, but we have encountered several negative detriments." His eyes opened wide. "Then you better tell me what they are," he said, and I proceeded to repeat the benefits of our technology. He nodded as I spoke. "I've heard about things like that before," he said.
  I think the best statement comes from the late Richard Feynman, "For a successful technology, honesty must take precedence over public relations for nature cannot be fooled."
  Innovation comes in two forms, usually. Filling a niche that no one knew existed and blending existing technologies in ways no one else thought of. The iPhone was an example of the former, the Verizon Voyager an example of the latter.
• What kind of research does it take to know what the market is demanding and give consumers what they want?
  Glib and completely truthful response: The kind NextStage does routinely.
• How can companies and business people use technology to improve productivity, efficiency and effectiveness?
  Another glib and completely truthful response: Wisely. Companies need to remember New Paradigm CEO Don Tapscott's adage, "Cooler is not better; better is better."
• What are the pros and cons of adapting to new technologies in business?
  Pros - you're thought of as a thought leader. Cons - the new technologies don't work as promised.
• How do companies train sales people and customer service reps to help customers with new products?
  Glib and completely subjective response: Not well enough.

Please contact NextStage for information regarding presentations and trainings on this and other topics.

Upcoming Trainings:

• Audience Focused Optimization

• DC Emetrics Summit on 14-17 Oct '07
• Society for New Communications Research Annual Research Symposium & Awards Gala on 5-6 Dec 07 in Boston.