| Issue 55 |

What do you sell – a product or technology?

The last issue featured the difference between a technology and a product.

The most important question, especially for technology companies,  is “what do we sell?”  We’ve come across numerous companies that find this question difficult to answer. Other companies gave us as many answers as there were employees in the company.

The difficulty arises from a blurred boundary between a technology and product at these companies.

The technology is usually the raison d’être for most technology companies. When we want to answer the question “what do we sell?”, we have to start by taking inventory of the company’s assets.

With young companies, the main asset will be the technology and whoever developed it, and with more mature companies, the assets will include the customer base, the distribution network and the company’s reputation.

The challenge is to understand the assets (such as the technology) and the possibility of offering products based on these assets. The compatibility between technology and product is not unique: you can offer different products based on any given technology.

Take for example a company that developed communication software that runs on a certain component. The product can be the actual software, the component with the software on it, or a card that contains components with the software. Choosing any one of those options has strategic, tactical and operative implications that may ultimately affect the company’s success.

Overly focusing on technology may result in not paying enough attention to the capacity of the actual product, and the options that were outlined above will not be considered at all.

Focusing on technology, instead of on a product and market, has numerous disadvantages. It adversely affects the division of development resources (with an emphasis on adding capabilities instead of QA and consolidation, for example). It dims and weakens the company’s marketing message, distorts the company’s division of functions and can ultimately affect its success. I have no doubt that many of you know of such companies.
 

• The column was written by: Neta Weinrib, an expert on marketing technological products. Information about Neta appears here.
• More information about marketing assistance for technological products appears here.

Project Acceleration and Improving Quality and Profitability

If you are from a high-tech company that has several projects running simultaneously (for example – large software versions) you will almost certainly want to accelerate your pipeline, shorten timelines and adhere to your goals and required quality. Improving project management in an organization will enable you to get to market on time, increase customer satisfaction and sales, and attain a significant competitive advantage. ZOOZ is now offering assistance in this area, given on the basis of an annual retainer agreement, at approx. 40 hours per month for the first quarter, 20 hours per month for the second quarter, and 10 hours per month after that. Assistance is given by Mr. Chai Forsher, one of the leading project management experts in Israel. He was previously a Project Manager at ELTA, Nokia Siemens Networks, and AudioCodes. For more information about this service, contact us.

And if you fall into the category of a manufacturing company, your level of profitability is probably critical to your success. We now offer assistance in this context with the goal of developing and assimilating profitability and quality enhancing processes in your organization. The assistance is given by Mr. Ze’ev Ronen, an expert on Qualitative Management, with extensive practical experience in managing industrial companies. Ronen was previously the CEO and board member of Paltechica Nitzanim Ltd., CEO of the Osem-Nestle facility in Yokneam, CEO and board member of the board of Degania Silicone Ltd., and CEO of Shamir Optical Industries. For more information about this service, contact us.
 

• For more information call +972-9-958-5085 or email [email protected]

Zooommmm!!

 
The logic of taking outcomes to the extreme has been described in this section in the past.

It makes it possible to radically emphasize the benefit of the product you are advertising.

For example – what happens when you have an extremely strong telescope?

Look closely at the flag above. Now you can see that it’s not so American after all.

And what happens when you have a digital camera with an intimidating zoom?

You may very well discover the most wanted terrorist in the world in the Afghanistan plains.

The bottom ad is obvious from first glance.

The top ad is a little more enigmatic, and requires somewhat more effort to decipher.

Maybe this is why it makes a longer-lasting impression.
 

• We would be happy to receive more interesting advertisements Please send them to [email protected].
• Information about Creative Advertising workshops appears here (Page 18 of a Hebrew PDF booklet).