For both new and established technology and service companies, developing and maintaining industry credibility is crucial. Industry analyst firms can provide objective, independent resources for validation and insight, and many corporate buyers of technology and services rely heavily on product and service evaluations conducted by these firms. Our experience developing succesful AR programs is predicated on a few simple basics:

• Find the right firms and analysts — Industry analysts fall primarily into three different categories:

• Firms that provide statistical analysis and market sizing (e.g. IDC and Gartner DataQuest)
• Firms that provide consulting and competitive analysis for potential buyers (e.g. Forrester and Gartner)
• Firms that have specific, in-depth knowledge about a particular vertical niche (e.g. Tower Group for financial services; Telechoice for telecommunications; etc.)
  

Determine your needs before using a blanket approach to contact analysts. Targeting a smaller, more focused, and more relevant group of analysts is far more efficient, more cost-effective, and will help you reach the right prospects with the right messages.

• Find the "Right" Analyst — As you narrow-down your list of analyst firm targets, research the individual analysts within each group, identifying those who are focused specifically on your product category or industry vertical.
• Establish Relationships — Reach out to the specific analysts you've identified. Provide an initial, introductory briefing, and consult with them on your positioning and messaging. Analysts tend to offer brutal, honest feedback that in most cases will help you better position your new offering and give them advance insight into your news. By soliciting their advice on your messaging, you're empowering them to shape your positioning. This in turn, can influence what they have to say about your company or your product.
• Know What They're Working On — Read their existing research reports, and understand what makes them tick. If they're looking to speak with you, be respectful of deadlines, fully answer any questions they might pose, and offer to review their report once it's written to ensure everything about your company is accurately portrayed. This "give-and-take" communicatio demonstrates your sincere interest in the work they do and its importance to your company.
• Ongoing Communications — Once you've established the relationship, maintain communication. Keep them informed about breaking news with a phone call or e-mail. Add them to your PR list, newsletters, corporate updates, competitive insights, and customer wins. Work toward meeting them in-person, if possible. This maintains the relationship, and also keep the analyst updated and current.
• Spread the Wealth — If you're just starting an industry analyst program, you may not realize that many firms offer consulting by the hour or day, If your budget permits, consider purchasing several hours of consulting; in doing so, you achieve several important objectives:
  • You can host the analyst at your location, providing greater insight into your organization
  • You can spend more face time with the analyst, as opposed to the 30 minutes you might get during a "free" briefing
  • You can "try out" different analysts firms for a smaller investment, to determine which best meet your company's needs
  • You can broach areas of discussion that aren't appropriate during a "free" briefing (e.g. competitive insight; market dynamics; etc.) When you're "paying" for their time, they're far more willing to share their insights with you.
    

Ultimately, our goal is to help you get your message out to key thought leaders and influencers within your industry. Our success in doing just that with startups and early-stage companies has taught us how to do so, efficiently and cost-effectively.

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Do you have a marketing challenge that you just can't afford to ignore, but that you simply can't afford to tackle? Give us a call at 609 586 4286, or drop us an email, and learn more about how O&Y can help you meet your marketing objectives!