ABSTRACT

Characterized by lightning quick innovation, abrupt shifts in technology, and shorter lifecycles, the marketing of IT products and services presents a unique set of challenges and often requires IT managers and developers to get involved in the marketing process. Marketing IT Products and Services is written to help busy IT managers and marketing managers get up to speed quickly and easily on what’s needed to develop effective marketing strategies and campaigns.





Focusing on the unique issues involved, this one-stop resource provides everything needed to understand the roles, responsibilities, and management techniques essential for the development of successful strategies. It covers strategic market planning, targeting markets, researching markets, understanding the competition, integrating market and sales strategies, nuances of global markets, developing marketing budgets, pricing, and implementing marketing campaigns. A plethora of appendices included on the book’s downloadable resources allow you to get up and running right away.





Aside from a complete marketing glossary, two complete marketing plans—one for a hardware product; the other for a software product—enable you to bypass the "scut" work of developing a marketing plan so you can focus on the creative aspects of marketing. Because a marketing plan is closely aligned with an organization’s business and strategic plans, this book provides you with templates for both of these, as well as a template for that all-important business plan executive summary.





The downloadable resources also feature loads of fill-in templates including customer and competitor analysis surveys, sample press releases, letters of agreement, demographic and target market worksheets, and cost benefit forms. If you have a marketing need, this book has an effective template to meet that need.



chapter 2|14 pages

Strategy and Implementation

chapter 3|8 pages

Understanding the High-Tech Customer

chapter 4|12 pages

The Expanding Market

chapter 5|12 pages

Market Research

chapter 6|16 pages

Product Strategy

chapter 7|14 pages

Innovation Management

chapter 8|10 pages

The IT Product Development Cycle

chapter 9|10 pages

Pricing Products

chapter 10|20 pages

Communications Strategies

chapter 11|16 pages

Distribution Strategies

chapter 12|14 pages

Marketing Implementation and Control

chapter 13|6 pages

Social Networking and the Sales Strategy

chapter 14|16 pages

E-Commerce as a Sales Medium