High-Tech Marketing: An Evolution
Jennifer Foster
Issue date: 12/3/01 Section: Technology
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It's probably always been challenging to be a marketing manager in a high tech company. Today marketing executives are facing even greater challenges in a competitive market and uncertain environment. The High Tech and Marketing Clubs were pleased to bring three senior marketing executives to share their insights on how both the enterprise software industry and the role of marketing are evolving.
Lisa Arthur, Vice President CRM Product Marketing at Oracle, believes that the role of marketing is being redefined. The lines between where marketing ends and sales begins are increasingly blurring. Especially online, it is hard to pinpoint exactly when marketing moves the customer from interest to consideration to actual sales.
Marketing focus is also moving from promotional to educational messages. It is no longer enough to tell customers about product features and benefits. Marketing must show what value software will add to a customer's business, its processes, and its own customer management. With an educational approach, marketing has a greater responsibility to get the message content right.
Marge Breya, Vice President Sun ONE at Sun Microsystems, adds that timing is also critical to marketing plans. Marketing must decide when and if to move customer relationships from the atomic level (send CDs, host seminars) to the cellular level (person to person) to e-relationships. Marketing must play a large role in establishing company vision and leadership.
Mike Risse, General Manager .NET Enterprise Servers at Microsoft, illustrated some of the challenges which marketing managers face building an enterprise business. When you think of Microsoft, which comes to mind first, enterprise software or MS Office? It is important to create an enterprise business message that breaks through the Microsoft image of a desktop giant.
At Sun, marketing is driving a culture change from a platform company to a software company. This involves re-evaluating pricing strategies, re-training the sales force, and learning to compete in the software market with smaller advertising budgets than competitors.
Lisa Arthur, Vice President CRM Product Marketing at Oracle, believes that the role of marketing is being redefined. The lines between where marketing ends and sales begins are increasingly blurring. Especially online, it is hard to pinpoint exactly when marketing moves the customer from interest to consideration to actual sales.
Marketing focus is also moving from promotional to educational messages. It is no longer enough to tell customers about product features and benefits. Marketing must show what value software will add to a customer's business, its processes, and its own customer management. With an educational approach, marketing has a greater responsibility to get the message content right.
Marge Breya, Vice President Sun ONE at Sun Microsystems, adds that timing is also critical to marketing plans. Marketing must decide when and if to move customer relationships from the atomic level (send CDs, host seminars) to the cellular level (person to person) to e-relationships. Marketing must play a large role in establishing company vision and leadership.
Mike Risse, General Manager .NET Enterprise Servers at Microsoft, illustrated some of the challenges which marketing managers face building an enterprise business. When you think of Microsoft, which comes to mind first, enterprise software or MS Office? It is important to create an enterprise business message that breaks through the Microsoft image of a desktop giant.
At Sun, marketing is driving a culture change from a platform company to a software company. This involves re-evaluating pricing strategies, re-training the sales force, and learning to compete in the software market with smaller advertising budgets than competitors.
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