Marketing with a capital S: strategic planning for knowledge based services

Information Outlook, Feb, 1998 by Ulla de Stricker

Second, what do they care about? What are the problems they are wrestling with? What goals and projects are priorities for them? What do they see as major time-wasters? When do they give up and do without information because they feel it's just too time consuming to get it? In what areas do they believe there is no information to be had? What are their current habits and preferred methods when it comes to information?

The techniques for finding answers here vary (informal conversations, formal focus groups, e-mail discussions), but personal interaction is key.

3. Creating Products to Match the Priorities: Product, Place, Price

Understanding the preoccupation of key stakeholders helps us focus our efforts on activities that will get their attention. Note that the term "product" encompasses the totality of a service and its associated tangibles (such as a digest of current news prepared by staff and delivered via e-mail or Intranet). This is the time when long honored activities get examined: For example, is journal routing really necessary? Would individual user accounts with a table of contents service such as UnCover Reveal (paid for by individual departments) do the job?

What deliverable can we offer that will address the key concerns? (Is it a desktop delivered news alert, an analysis of consulting reports, a daily summary of events in a given industry, a "knowledge map" of expertise/documents/data held in the organization, or ... ???) Since we sometimes tend to project our own value judgments about information onto others, focus group activity can be helpful to pinpoint the products most likely to appeal to stakeholders. One-on-one sessions to observe an individual's use of a current product can be priceless. No matter what the specific methods, it is essential that we do not attempt to apply marketing principles to existing products we believe should be valued and instead focus energies on understanding just what it is that stakeholders value.

How will stakeholders receive the deliverable (push or pull)? Daily fax, hourly email, on demand? It is important to recognize individual work styles and preferences in setting delivery options, and to accommodate those who are not accustomed to our own preferred means.

It is likewise important to acknowledge the value of others' time and adjust the product delivery accordingly. Time and effort are expensive, and we should seek the "cheapest" alternative in the sense that we not require users to go out of their way to obtain our product. The art of being right there without being obtrusive is a subtle one.

What should we charge? What will stakeholders pay? If money is to change hands (even by means of interdepartmental charge-back adjustments) it is important that pricing be clear and easy to calculate and predict. Appropriate prices send a message about value just as inappropriate ones do. Again, some informal sleuthing and focus group work can be helpful in establishing thresholds and acceptable price bands.