Workshop Branded Business IT

 

Type of training: Lecture / lab (workshop)
Duration: 2 days

Short description:

 

 

Many technology driven IT and communication companies are failing after a short period of success - often without good explanation. These companies, entering the market with a promising technology or an innovative product, quite often lack consolidated knowledge of the interaction of product development, sales, support, infrastructure and marketing. Academic studies and technical literature are typically insufficient to prepare entrepreneurs and employees to cope with the specific conditions of a highly dynamic IT market.

This training explains how product, sales and marketing strategies of high-tech companies have to form a singe consistent approach. Focus is on IT and communication products and services. Besides aquiring basic know-how in the subjects of marketing / CI, sales and infrastructure the participants are introduced to theoretical models that describe the interdependencies between product life cycles, sales channels and sales respectively marketing strategies. It is this systematic approach that enables the participants later to avoid many wrong decisions and bad moves.

In the course of the workshop participants have to draft a basic marketing and sales strategy based on selected example companies and portfolios. This way, working in small groups, the theoretical knowledge is applied to real world cases.

One of the results of the exercises is, besides a basic business planning, also a written summary of the most important aspects of the developed strategy. This written summary is done in a way that it can be used as an "agency brief", a short document that is an important element when working efficiently with external companies (agencies, consultants, etc.). Done properly this document helps to get higher quality results in shorter time and reduced cost especially when dealing with marketing and PR agencies.
Target audience: The training is suitable for (prospective) managing personnel as well as specialists in the areas of marketing, product marketing and sales
Course material: - presentation / set of Powerpoint slides (for instructors)
- printed slide set (for students)
- lab / exercise guide
Language: The course can be delivered in English and German language. The slide set currently is available in English.
Overview course content: - Definitions, terminology
- Integrated, holistic approach (synchronization of disciplines)
- Analysis (market, product, company)
- “Survival strategies” for IT companies (manufacturers)
- Competitive analysis (Competitive Landscape)
- Theories to explain success and failures (Johannsen, Moore)
- Product life cycle and IT channels (topik model)
- Branding & CI (corporate identity)
- Simple planning models (finance, business, margins, etc.)
- Documentation of results
- Critical success factors, organization models
- Discussion and review of the results from the labs / exercises
Overview labs and exercises:
- Review / analysis (example company / portfolio)
- Description of market and competitive analysis
- Determination of position (SWOT, Moore, topik model, etc.)
- Creation of a “preference profile”
- Drafting of a marketing strategy and corresponding CI
- Development of a market strategy / business model
- Writing of an agency briefing document
Prerequisites (participants):
- None
Impressions: topik Communication, Branded Business Slides