Marketing is in the Middle: Amanda Vega

The series continues with insights from Amanda Vega a online marketing veteran who as you find out many of us can thank for really cool branded coasters in our dorm rooms.  If you haven’t yet read some of the stuff she writes, you have to take a look at it – concise and insightful.  Amanda doesn’t only blog around traditional PR and Brand activities, she has also been doing some interesting work on social media compliance which continues to gain momentum as a topic of extreme interest for individuals and companies alike.

So here’s Amanda’s take on marketing is in the middle:

What marketing roles have you had and in what markets?

Everything from Marketing Assistant, to VP of Marketing in markets coast to coast.

When you look at your career in marketing, what activities have you found most interesting/challenging?

The most interesting by far was the roll out of AOL instant messenger and the marketing activities surrounding the huge influx of AOL users from those annoying CD’s you used to find everywhere.

Additionally, since growing up in the online space (been here for over 20 years now) I’ve seen the power of using data collected from actual behavior online to create not only smarter marketing programs, but more sustainable and profitable businesses.

Based on your experience what activities do you think get the most return?

Branding and PR get the most long-term ROI. It’s sad that more companies don’t invest in them – because they are too focused on direct sales funnels.

What do you feel is the most important component of a successful marketing gig?

The ROI, of course, which has to be judged beyond sales.

How have you seen organizations change in the last 3-5 years to better support the needs of product marketers, product managers and communications teams?

I’ve seen them allow more flexibility and access to technology that help them succeed.

If you could design the perfect corporate environment for a marketer to be successful what would that be?

I’ve built it. Our company offers a completely independent work environment where work product and client happiness, not hours, are counted as success.

How far is this from reality?

It’s clearly difficult for people to do as I know of very few companies run like ours.

So what’s next?

The continued use of data collected from online user data. The demise of using things like Neilson as law in reach. Results are all that is going to matter.

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Twitter: @amandavega
Blog A: http://www.amandavegablog.com
Blog B: http://www.socialmediacomplianceblog.com/

Many thanks to Amanda for her taking time out to provide feedback on marketing’s role from her perspective!

February 10, 2011 by
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Marketing is in the Middle: Joshua Duncan

Josh Duncan took some time out his busy schedule at start-up Zenoss to provide some insights.  Josh is an Austin native and has had a very diverse background which spans hardware and software for both B2B and B2C markets, so he bring a bunch of experience to the table for this effort.

So here is Josh’s take:

What marketing roles have you had and in what markets?

I started the first phase of my career as a software consultant for Accenture and ended up an Enterprise Architect doing technology strategy for Bank of America.  I loved the strategy aspect but wanted to do more on the business side of the organization so I did a career switch over to marketing.

My marketing roles and background have covered both business-to-consumer and business-to-business marketing, all in technology marketing.

As a consumer marketer, I worked planning and launching desktops, netbooks, and tablets for Dell’s consumer product group.

I currently lead the product and social marketing at Zenoss, an enterprise software start-up..

When you look at your career in marketing, what activities have you found most interesting/challenging?

That’s a trick question, right?  One of the reasons that I made the career switch was because of all the interesting aspects of marketing.

Currently, I am finding building a product marketing program, in startup environment, is a very interesting challenge.  When there is more work to do than time to do it and limited resources, what do you focus on to deliver the most results?

Based on your experience what activities do you think get the most return?

Currently, I am a big fan of projects that can be reused across multiple channels.  For example, if we are working on building momentum around a product launch and are thinking of sponsoring a webinar, what else can we do at the same time?  Can we turn this into an interview series, a blog post, a case study, a white paper, etc?

Basically, once we land on a good story, how many ways can we get it out there so that it finds its way to our customers in a manner that works for them.

What do you feel is the most important component of a successful marketing gig?

Being able to work with the organization to effectively build a marketing strategy that delivers results.

How have you seen organizations change in the last 3-5 years to better support the needs of product marketers, product managers and communications teams?

I would say that now, more than ever, successful organizations are finding a way to align their marketing, sales, and support teams to best server their customers.  There is a greater understanding that all of these touch points are important when it comes to the customer experience.

In the past, it might not have been as apparent when there was communication challenges and dysfunction in the company but not any more.  Consumers have much higher expectations and much lower threshold for B.S.

If you could design the perfect corporate environment for a marketer to be successful what would that be?

A great environment for a marketer is at a company that has figured out who their customer is (and whom to avoid) and unmercifully focuses on meeting their needs.

A perfect environment would be a company that isn’t just focused on selling a product for the short term, but is willing to take the time to invest in efforts with a long term horizon – building a movement (borrowing from the Brain’s on Fire terminology) .

How far is this from reality?

I think there are handful of companies out there, small and big, that are starting to figure this out and thriving because of it.

The trouble is that it is hard to bolt this on after the fact. It has to be a result of decisions made early on in the company’s life that are then maintained and built on over time.

So what’s next?

I think the big challenge for 2011 and beyond is going to be finding ways to be relevant. If you think it is noisy now, just wait till you see what the next few years bring.

This was a topic that I spoke on, along with three other marketing leaders, at the last Product Camp conference in Austin, TX.  As we marketers look to grow our business, finding way to become and maintain relevancy are going to be critical.

It is going to be a tremendous challenge but I think if it is done right, is going to be worth the effort and has the potential of being a lot of fun.

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Twitter: @joshua_d

Blog: www.arandomjog.com

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Many thanks to Josh for his answers and make sure you connect with him if you are in Austin.

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February 7, 2011 by
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Marketing is in the Middle: Jennifer Doctor

So the next person to participate in this series of interviews is Jennifer Doctor, she is a product marketer who tirelessly gives time to volunteer for the community of marketers with participation in Product Camp ATL and Product Camp Minnesota.

Jennifer is also an active blogger and I’m thankful she took time out of her hectic schedule to participate.  On to the answers….

What marketing roles have you had and in what markets?

Over the last nearly 20 years, I’ve worked in marketing, product marketing and product management. This includes everything from marketing communications and pr/media work, web development and marketing, and classic product marketing and product management. I’ve been in a variety of industries and technologies, including nonprofit agencies, hardware, b2b software for enterprise and small business – ASP (forerunner to SaaS,) ERP and desktop, and also services.

When you look at your career in marketing, what activities have you found most interesting/challenging?

I haven’t found the activities involved in marketing “hard;” rather, I believe what is hard is understanding and adapting to the different cultures I have entered and left. Each environment brings its own set of expectations and rules, mostly unwritten and tribal driven.   This can make it challenging to drive to what is right and make a difference.


Based on your experience what activities do you think get the most return?

I believe that investing in any activity that brings about a greater understanding of the market is the where you are most likely to get the result. Tactics are driven better when you have that understanding of how your buyers, the potential market, will respond. Without this, no amount of marketing effort will succeed.

What do you feel is the most important component of a successful marketing gig?

The most important element of a successful marketing gig is to understand the buyer.  I believe that you have to understand what the buyer is seeking, so they will invest in the sale. This understanding is important for any size product or sale. Without this knowledge, no amount of marketing of your solution will matter – regardless of how creative, flashy, interactive, or informative.

If you could design the perfect corporate environment for a marketer to be successful what would that be?

Wow. Not easy to answer. A perfect corporate environment is where the silos of the organization do not exist. Teams are formed which are more agile (not capital A agile as in development process,) and combine skills and talents from different focus areas to come together to solve the problem for the market – at that time. These teams need to have a single challenge to tackle, and be in alignment with the overall strategic vision. They also need to be empowered with the right resources – from talents to money to time – to make it happen. It all comes down to creating a collaborative atmosphere, which exists without the barriers.

How far is this from reality?

I have no idea how far my ideal is from reality. I know that when it is achieved – and I have seen it work in  organizations – it can produce amazing results. Unfortunately, I believe that it takes leadership, leadership which embraces collaboration and empowerment.

So what’s next?

Next?  I have seen great strides in recent years from marketing (including product marketing and management) coming closer together in alignment to execute.  I also would like to see more organizational leaders break down the walls that still exist. It’s time more people start worrying about who is right, and focus on what is right. It’s business. It’s not personal. More environments need to embrace this.

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Blog: Outside-In View

Twitter: @jidoctor

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February 4, 2011 by
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Can pricing change your business? Sure it can!

Innovation isn’t only limited to the product, the other P’s can also be leveraged for innovation.  As product marketers / product managers, we can drive innovation with pricing, placement and promotion.   Todd Sattersten has created this presentation which leverages pictures to provide insight into how pricing can change the business.  this is a follow up to the eBook on Pricing he did in early 2010.  Worth the click through – thanks todd!

Pricing Pictures

February 3, 2011 by
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