Our Take: A Report on Words Heard What: From Zero to Hero: How to create market leadership When: February 10th, 2005 Where: OCRI's Zone 5 Who: Joe Aragona, Director of Marketing, BelAir Networks Words Heard: You too can go from Zero to Hero. That was Joe's underlying message as he outlined how BelAir Networks, despite arriving late onto the wireless networking scene, changed the fundamental assumptions and direction of the industry and emerged as its new leader. To succeed as BelAir did, Joe suggested the following three-step process: Step 1: Begin with an assessment of the market you are looking to participate in. Determine the industry's key discussion points*, identify the discussion leaders and understand how each discussion leader affects the industry's discussion. Step 2: Perform an assessment of your company and identify how (if) your product fits into the current discussion. With a fundamentally different point of departure for wireless networking than its competitors, BelAir quickly determined that its products did not fit into the existing industry discussion. Through a combination of behind-the-scenes education of industry discussion leaders and very public marketing efforts, including a live demonstration at an industry convention, BelAir changed the direction of the wireless networking industry discussion and aligned that direction with the unique attributes of BelAir's own products. Step 3: Position your company and product as the industry leader. Begin by adding your company to the industry discussion, Joe advised, then, if necessary, change the nature and direction of that discussion through effective positioning and aggressive marketing. Joe's definition of true industry leadership: perception + awareness + sales = leadership. Joe suggested that BelAir's positioning was so effective, created such a positive public perception of the company and its product that selling became a more efficient and enjoyable exercise. The first five minutes of each sale, typically spent educating an analyst or commercial prospect on the company, the product etc. were eliminated - prospects already knew who BelAir was and had decided that it was offering them a superior product. * Every industry is engaged in a discussion, Joe suggested. That discussion is essentially the cumulative product of the industry leader's products and actions, the competition's products and actions, the industry analysts' words and the market's general understanding and desire for the industry's products. Our Take: Where does Marketing end and Sales begin? Many fail to make any distinction, but a review of Joe's slides will offer substantial food for thought on the subject. If the Dotcom era taught us anything, it should have been that well-financed marketing efforts alone do not make you a market leader. BelAir's success, though ultimately well-financed, was more a product of the company's compelling "change the rules" product positioning than the money it spent communicating that positioning. Success by refocusing a market's discussion requires a significant initial investment, not of money, but of time, energy and thought devoted to learning about and understanding the very discussion trying to be refocused. Your Take: Please write us and give us Your Take on Our Take! In our next instalment we'll report the 'Reader's Digest' version - that is abridged and anonymous - of the comments we get. 708-350 Sparks Street, Ottawa, ON K1R 7S8, t: (613) 563 4588, f: (613) 563 4689, ourtake@acornpartners.com, www.acornpartners.com If you wish to unsubscribe, reply to this email with "unsubscribe" in the subject.