By Linda Forrest
Like many B2B companies, we ourselves have been working hard to fill our sales pipeline in recent weeks and months. I was encouraged to see some statistics reported on eMarketer that validated not only our approach to seeking prospects for ourselves (one tactic being this very blog), but also the content marketing approach that we follow for our clients – whether we’re conducting media relations, analyst relations or community management for them.
The tie that binds those offerings together is content. We develop appropriate content that is then pushed out to the audience over a variety of channels, matching content to the audience through the audience’s preferred delivery channel. It’s the goal of our marketing PR agency to help our clients sell more of their stuff; to see content marketing validated as an effective means of doing just that bolsters the business case for our services.
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By Francis Moran
Marketers are well familiar with the concept of segmenting their marketplace. Segmentation is the process of dividing a broad and undifferentiated set of consumers into ever-smaller segments until you have identified that group of potential customers that is the best match possible for your product or service. My wife is also afflicted with this contagion we call marketing and that gives rise to some strange conversations in our household. One such conversation a few years back resulted in our developing an easy-to-understand explanation of market segmentation we refer to as finding your gay Acadian dog lover. The key to segmenting the marketplace is to identify those traits — some demographic, some taste-based, many certainly geographic — that define the customers most likely to be interested in your product or service. Not only does the process tell you a lot about who you’re trying to sell to, it also gives you a lot of insight into how you might reach them.
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This is the 21st article in a continuing series that examines the state of the ecosystem necessary to successfully bring technology to market. Based on dozens of interviews with entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors, business leaders, academics, tech-transfer experts and policy makers, this series looks at what is working and what can be improved in the go-to-market ecosystem in the United States, Canada and Britain. We invite your feedback.
By Francis Moran and Leo Valiquette
This week we conclude our two-part discussion with Jon Bradford, the man behind The Difference Engine and Springboard, two U.K.-based startup accelerators that took their inspiration from TechStars and Y Combinator in the U.S.
The Difference Engine was an initiative supported by public funds that launched in the north east of England two years ago. While that program was successful, funding cuts to regional economic development, as well as a desire among angel investors to regroup in a more central location, led to what was essentially v2.0 of The Difference Engine, Springboard. Springboard is an intensive 13-week program based at the ideaSpace Enterprise Accelerator, part of Cambridge University’s state-of-the-art Hauser Forum.
Last week, Jon talked about the role that Springboard plays in the commercialization ecosystem, how it selects teams for its program, and the characteristics of a winning team. This week, we continue with his thoughts on why companies fail, how Springboard measures its effectiveness and what it takes to create a successful startup accelerator.
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As part of our ongoing series examining the ecosystem necessary to bring technology to market, we asked investment coach Martin Soorjoo to share his thoughts on how startups can overcome the challenges of securing early-stage financing. This is the first of his commentaries and we welcome your comments.
By Martin Soorjoo
This is the true story of “Ryan” (not his real name), a serial entrepreneur with no qualifications and a very limited understanding of financials or launching a startup. Ryan, however, is an entrepreneur with a deep understanding of people, who consistently and easily raises hundreds of thousands of dollars from savvy, experienced investors.
I first came across Ryan six years ago when he approached me to help him create some pitch materials. He explained that he had persuaded two investors (both bankers) to invest $500,000 in his IDEA (no prototype, company or team) but that one of the investors had asked to see details of his business model and financial projections.
Initially, I was skeptical as to whether the potential investors had, in fact, actually committed or had simply expressed an interest in learning more about Ryan’s idea.
Sensing my skepticism, Ryan called one of the bankers on his cell phone, explained that I was helping him put together the information that had been requested and asked the banker to confirm for me that he was investing. Sure enough, banker X confirmed that both he and banker Y were investing but would appreciate understanding a bit more detail. About a month later, Ryan received the investment.
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By Linda Forrest
Steve Jobs. Mark Zuckerberg. Bill Gates. Jeff Bezos. Mike Lazaridis and Jim Balsillie. Larry Ellison.
I probably don’t need to tell you with what companies these executives are affiliated because they’re such well recognized ambassadors for their respective brands.
Some of these execs, as you likely also know, have had their share of bad press thanks to their behaviour either on or off the record. The media’s fascination with the online indiscretions of an unfortunately named U.S. congressman has reminded all public figures that their activities in the age of social media are never truly private. Leaders’ personas and personalities, good or bad, are tied to their organizations’ reputations in the marketplace.
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