Targeted marketing and innovation support
for knowledge organizations

Welcome to Targeted marketing and innovation support: for knowledge organizations. As an innovation professional, you have received this quarterly newsletter because you have either participated in a Calibre activity or you have requested information from us or from one of our associates on marketing and innovation support. Subscribers get discounts to Calibre events and regular free work tools. If you do not wish to receive our innovation alerts, please unsubscribe below. Feel free to pass on the newsletter to colleagues, but note they must email us at calibre.consulting@bigpond.com if they wish to receive alerts from us on a regular basis.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

Calibre Communications and its Associates send every good wish for a holiday season full of joy and for a healthy, happy and successful 2008!

Effective marketing communications: driving the transition from prospect to client

Promotional marketing, often called 'marcomms', has evolved from an art to a precision, multidisciplinary market-research-driven marketing tool. As the contact with a prospect develops, we need increasing information to ensure the content, mechanisms, and messages communicate change appropriately to drive the transition to a client relationship.

Not until  'suspect's' -- or people in your target segment -- have expressed an interest in learning more about your services, do they become 'prospects'. At that stage, you need market research to understand their business, interests and needs, so you can provide tailored information, in the form they find credible, accessible, and relevant.

In the current climate of advertising clutter and privacy litigation, think before contacting a prospect. 'Permission marketing', that is, getting prospects' agreement to accept your email or other collateral is essential. Send a sample of information relevant to their business (try emerging technologies or regulations that impact their business perhaps?) and they will probably agree to your contact. Ask them to review their interest profile online and they will update your contact database for you. If your information is useful enough, the prospect may pass it on to others, potentially growing your prospect database at no additional costs to you. This is known as 'viral marketing'.

Mechanisms should change with the relationship. For example, at this stage, an event with 'speed dating' opportunities to interact confidentially with your technical experts can be effective for converting a prospect. While connecting a prospect with your technical expert can help move the prospect up the ladder to become a 'customer', it isn't enough. Research shows prospects want evidence of a track record of relevant market successes and market knowledge. Show that you have done some pre-project market analyses and have a realistic approach to sharing IP ownership, and you will increase the likelihood of getting that first contract signed. 

Turn a first-time customer into a 'client' as a source of repeat business. A report on uptake opportunities and barriers based on expert market insights that may support a business plan will get their attention.

Effective promotional marketing is driven by sound market and client knowledge. At Calibre Communications, we can help you get that knowledge and/or mentor your inhouse staff to improve the effectiveness of your communications. Our aim is to contribute to building enduring skills that contribute to our clients' independence.

Events and announcements:

Visit us at www.calibrecommunications.biz for announcements of marketing clinics, master classes and workshops near you. Or email us for information about your own in-house workshop.Our exciting and popular new workshops include:

• S2B practitioner marketing clinic (1 day): Effective marketing communications from prospect to client (Valencia, Spain (Universidad Politecnic de Valencia), 23 April 2008; contact tii@tti.org);
• Managing communcations projects effectively: website (re-) design and (re-) development (Sydney, March, final date and venue tbc).
  

Sharp sites: Websites and free newsletters we recommend:

• Portal to the latest US science literature: http://www.science.gov/
• New portal to the latest EU science literature: http://www.worldwidescience.org/
• Ratings of global venture capitalists by the companies in which they have invested: http://www.thefunded.com/
• Information and events related to new business incubation: http://www.nbia.org/resource_center/insights/07jul/

(Please share your own helpful website nominations and send us a short review to calibre.consulting@bigpond.com !)

Future issues: Look out for the following future issue topics:

• B24B ('Business to 4 Billion: incubating profitable businesses that solve problems for people at the base of the economic pyramid)
• Effective communications policies & practices (incl email management) for knowledge organizations 
• Establishing/ retrieving thought leadership: what brand development really means for knowledge organizations