Roger Grace
President, Roger Grace Associates
November 22, 2011 | 12:00 to 01:00 | 540 Cory Hall, DOP Center Conference Room
Host: John Huggins
Since 1998 I have been reporting on the 14 critical success factors that my research has shown to be the key to MEMS commercialization success via my annual “MEMS Commercialization Report Card.” One of the factors is marketing. While many of the other factors, including R&D funding and infrastructure development, have attained grades up to “A,” marketing has sorely stayed in the “C” range. Why is this? The presentation will look at the root cause of why MEMS marketing is so poor or does not exist … I believe “MEMS marketing” is truly an oxymoron. Because of the heavy emphasis on technology meaning from MEMS industry participants who are advanced degree-enabled, there has been a “technology push” versus a “marketing pull.” Of the classical price, product, position and place elements of the marketing mix, I believe that the lack of effective promotion, including branding and positioning, as well as the lack of the proper market research are the major culprits. While numerous companies provide market research data, this is only a part of the puzzle. For an organization to optimize its success as it “crosses the chasm,” it needs to understand the market need, their internal competencies, and their competitive environment. Once this is done, it is time for them to create this product and promote it in a cost-effective and timely fashion. Our experience with many clients has shown that the judicious use of public relations through the education of the customer process is a successful strategy. Now that MEMS have become a mature technology and many of its components are considered commodities, the need for smart marketing is becoming more critical to help accomplish the much needed product differentiation. The presentation will address these issues and provide a number of case studies that demonstrate these concepts.
Interested in nominating someone to speak at the BSAC Technology Seminar? We welcome you to submit a speaker nomination here