Product strategists plot paths to victory in market wars

Electronic News, March 10, 1997 by John W. Koon

General Schwartzkopf was the war hero during the Desert Storm operation in 1991, because he successfully led the fight and won. In the marketing war, the hero is the "product champion" who recommends a product strategy and directs the fight in the market. A fight to win. What is a product champion and what exactly does he or she do? In this article, we interviewed three executives and asked them what a product champion is all about. These three individuals hold various titles and work for companies of different sizes. Three companies we talked to were Motorola, Northstar Systems Inc. and 3Com Corp.

Innovation at Motorola

Motorola, based in Schaumburg, Ill., is a $27 billion electronic powerhouse with 142,000 employees worldwide. It is a leader in mobile computing, wireless communications and semiconductors. To achieve and maintain its success is no trivial task. Multinational corporations such as Motorola depend on strong leadership to tackle problems every day in the competitive, fast-paced technology industry. John Reimer was appointed senior director of the recently formed Mobile Computing Products division to perform the formidable task of developing and guiding this new division for Motorola. Born and raised in Chicago, Mr. Reimer has always enjoyed taking on new challenges.

One of Mr. Reimer's greatest contributions to Motorola is his focus on innovation. In the current technology market, new products often cannot guarantee success for more than six months. Motorola confronts the challenge of short technology life cycles by anticipating market changes well in advance. While the notebook computer 36.6 Kbps modem is climbing in sales, the company concurrently works on higher-performance options. This entrepreneurial division within Motorola employs quick-response skills in getting "best-in-class" products into the market quickly.

Furthermore, John Reimer is a leader in his field because he is versatile and shrewd in his understanding of the market. He capitalizes on his experience as the elected founder and former chairman of the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association. Commenting on his role in the PCMCIA, he stated, "I have personally devoted many of the past years to championing the birth of the PCMCIA standard and the need for standard form factors within the industry." How have his efforts in the PCMCIA affected the Motorola Corp.? Mr. Reimer brought his successful ideas with the PCMCIA into Motorola, and raised the standards within the company. He has the ability to transfer his knowledge and skills from one area to the next.

Another challenge that multinational corporations face is the difficulty of simultaneously promoting multiple product lines to customers. In most cases, multiple divisions sell their products according to their own understanding of the market. Such great diversity among product lines opens the possibility of discrepancy and miscommunication between the divisions. Achieving harmony within various departments of a multinational corporation is comparable to conducting a large four-part choir, whose voices project in unison to a worldwide audience. "In the past, Motorola had different divisions marketing many products in different ways. We now are the focal point for all the PCMCIA products made by Motorola," said Mr. Reimer. It is easier said than done, however. Usually, the process of coordinating with many divisions is long and tedious. His plan of attacking the problem is to "show the various divisions involved that it is the right thing to do for the company in the long run." Mr. Reimer shared with excitement and confidence, "By providing marketing knowledge, leadership and giving other divisions the support they need, you will eventually win them over."

What skills are necessary to be a champion? A champion must gain a good understanding of the market and its customers. Mr. Reimer consistently enhances his market knowledge and sharpens his own skills through continuous customer contacts. As demonstrated by his involvement with the PCMCIA, he collects a storehouse of ideas and problem-solving techniques to tackle every challenge he will face. He has benefited Motorola by seeking out hidden potential and honing in on the strengths of the company. An innovative leader such as John Reimer serves a tremendous asset to the fast-paced and progressive technology industry. In addition to his many years of experience in running large businesses, he sets aside time to read extensively. In the past, he led SanDisk, a California-based compact disc company, in its growth from a start-up company to earning $20 million in sales. Apart from business, he is an accomplished artist and enjoys magic tricks as a hobby.

Customer Relationships at Northstar

Northstar Systems Inc., based in California, is a behind-the-scenes OEM custom interconnect products manufacturer for large Fortune 500 companies. The $20 million company supplies quality molded cables, connectors and turnkey solutions from its ISO 9000-certified factories in Taiwan and China. The success of Northstar depends on the success of the OEM customers. The challenge is to develop new technology products in a timely manner based on the OEM's input and be very responsive in providing support to these design activities.