Innovators (Tech enthusiasts / Techies)

Audience where high tech marketing starts

They are the gate keepers. Others rely on their first evaluation.

Pursue new technology products aggressively

Seek out before formal program has been launched

Technology is central interest

Intrigued with fundamental advance

Pleasure in exploring new device’s properties

Very limited numbers in each market. They sometimes are inventors themselves

They rely on intuition / vision

Critical to win them through marketing campaign: they are looked by the followers

Buy: a vision, the new possible.

Need: truth, access to the most technically knowledgeable person

Want: be first to get access to the new stuff, OK to work under non-disclosure, cheap availability.

Channels: “direct-response advertising”: literature, free demo, webinar. No image / video (marketing hype)

Identify the ones who have access to the big boss

Early adopters (visionaries)

Buy very early but are not technologists

They find it easy to imagine, understand and appreciate benefits of a new technology

They easily relate these potential benefits to their concerns

If the problem – benefit solving is strong, they will base their purchase decision on this (rational?)

They are then core to open the market to the early majority

They see the order of magnitude for a return on integrating new technology

The take greater interest in technology rather than in their industry

Buy: a potential jump over the competition (cost savings, faster time to market, stronger Customer service, etc.). OK with the bumpy road

Need: project orientation, with milestones, they get there, we help them.

Want: fast answers, fast support, provides the customer with a concrete return

Cautiousness: never manage to get a closure – too high expectations. Thus, important to celebrate regularly the tangible and partial both. Managing expectations, avoid overcommitting.

Big opportunity coming with high risk and also on guiding the company development

Early majority (the Pragmatists)

They can relate to the benefit of technology but are driven by a sense of practicality

Relevant understanding that new innovations can be passing fads

They are content to wait and see how other people are making it through

They want to see well established references before investing substantially

1/3 of the market stands there. It is critical to win over the early majority

They drive the development of the mainstream market. Lining up with competition is not an option.

Buy: productivity improvement. They want evolution, not revolution. Technology shall enhance, not overthrow.

Need: business demands for more productivity, but cautiousness and budget limitations are strong levers too. risk adverse. They care from which they are buying from (reliability, trust, service). Personal relationships matter but shall be kept minimal. They need access to a few points in the organization. Ideally, they know a previous sales rep from previous experience.

Want: purchase from proven market leaders. Because 3^rd party will support personalization, support or services. (service Partner critical). Price affordable services.

Who: can be found in the fortune 2000 IT community. They are hidden, because they do not feel the need to shine.

Patience matters.

Touchpoints: Appears in newsletters and blog that they are reading. Industry-specific conferences and trade shows they attend themselves.

Trust elements: Partnership and alliances with ecosystem partners is key.

Specific development for the industry (at least relevant case study?)

Reputation of quality and service

Late majority (the conservatives)

They share the concerns of the early majority.

They are not filling comfortable to handle a technology product

They wait until this become an establish standard

They still need lot of supports and tend to buy from the large, well-established companies

1/3 of the market. The margin / profit customers to win

Buy: doesn’t buy high tech by definition, low price. Personalized / specific end-user centered package. Easy and obvious distribution channel.

Need: no discontinuity, easy integration or pre-integrated packages in the existing set of product / service

Want: stick to what works.

Who / profile: believe in tradition as opposed to progress

Touchpoints: they still read newspapers…

Trust elements: distributed by their known distribution channels.

Laggards

Would consider this product is included in another product

They do not want to do anything with technology

The chasm comes from the discontinuity in the required offer to lower the barrier for early majority.

The pragmatist early majority, is effectively operating without a reference base and without a support base within a market that is highly reference oriented and highly support oriented.

Definition of a market (high tech scope):

• A set of actual or potential customers,
• A given set of products or services
• Who have a common set of needs or wants, and
• Who reference each other when making a buying decision

The key to smooth transition from the pragmatist to the conservative market segments is to maintain a strong relationship with the former, always giving them an open door to go to the new paradigm.

The longer a products stays in a market, the more mature it becomes, the more important the service element to the customer.

The apple example:

• Enthusiasts and visionaries: it’s cool stuff
• Pragmatists: no training costs
• Conservatives: no training, period!

To enter the mainstream market is an act of aggression.