Pragmatic Marketing
September 2007 
 Pragmatic Marketing Update
 A newsletter for technology product managers and marketers
In This Issue
Quick Links
Pragmatic Marketing Social Networking

 
Shop Pragmatic Marketing

 
Publications

 
Speaking Events

 
Spotlight on Pragmatic Roadmapping

 


 
Hello,

You are invited to a "fireside chat" with Phil Myers, Pragmatic Marketing's President

As part of research for a new book, Phil is looking for volunteers to discuss how product management and marketing departments are performing in today's challenging business climate.

If you would like to participate, please let us know and we will set up a mutually convenient time to talk. Thanks.

 One Voice of Priority
 By Steve Johnson

How often does this happen? A development team, busily working on a set of features, is interrupted with new priorities. Kevin, the world's worst sales person, needs a new feature to close a deal. The VP of Marketing says that we need to change the splash screen to incorporate our new logo and color schema. The president says, "God spoke to me in a dream." Each feels that their idea is most important. But look at it from the development team's point of view: What do you want me to work on? Which has the highest priority?

Read more... 


 
 There's a Reason No One Is Listening
 By Adele Revella

The content published on most vendor websites and collateral ranges from useless to incomprehensible. If I had a dime for every company that describes their high tech solution as flexible, scalable, and compatible, I could retire. It's difficult to tell what the company does, and impossible to differentiate one solution or vendor from another.

Read more... 


 
 2 Parts Enlightenment, 1 Part Truth, and a Smidge of Creation
 By Nilofer Merchant

A colleague is preparing a competitive defense strategy, and we talked recently about what to do to prepare in terms of process steps: the need to build a common data set, do some role playing that will break traditional roles people already serve in the organization, and then ways to architect new solutions that could leverage the full company arsenal (vs. product business units). Yet, I was left not saying one thing that I think is central to what he's going to need to manage in terms of process.

Read more... 


 
 New Seminar from Pragmatic Marketing
 Harness the power of online marketing

New Rules of Marketing Seminar In the New Rules of Marketing seminar, learn why marketing on the web is different and how you can use the power of blogs, online thought-leadership, viral marketing, podcasts, webcasts and search engine marketing to get noticed in a crowded marketplace (for a recent example, see the note below on our BlogFest).

Based on the best-selling book by David Meerman Scott, this one-day seminar is designed for product managers, product marketing managers, marketing communications and senior-level marketing executives. Learn strategies to reach buyers directly and how to identify the programs that have the best potential for success.

Dates and locations now available

Learn more about this new seminar... 


 
 The Pragmatic Marketer: Volume 5 Issue 4
 In the current issue

Volume 5 Issue 4 Stop Perfuming the Pig: Why "real" marketing is done before the product is created

The Online Media Room: A terrific place to market to buyers

The Power of the Persona

Customer Affinity: How to get it, what to do with it

View the current issue... 


 
 Community Highlights
 What's happening at PragmaticMarketing.com

We recently held our first BlogFest on the topic of "why demo at trade shows?" Several leading bloggers wrote their own opinions on the topic which generated much discussion on our site and their blogs. As a great example of the power of viral marketing, check out the Google search for the topic. Look for more BlogFests in the future, and if you are blogger, feel free to join us.

The next Pragmatic Marketing Network event will be in Scottsdale, AZ on October 22nd to discuss "Start with the ending. When the role of product management changes from tactical to strategic". We hope you can join us.

Don't forget to check out the Job Board where more than 50 open product management and marketing postions at many of today's leading companies are listed.

Do you have a great product management or marketing story to tell?

If you have a great case study, a success story (or failures that you learned from), strategies for overcoming obstacles in creating the perfect product for your market or any tips & tricks you would like to share, we want to hear from you.

Visit the online community... 


 

 
 Upcoming Seminars
 For product managers and marketers

bold = new city for this seminar

New Rules of Marketing [NEW SEMINAR]
Sep 18 Boston, MA
Oct 12 San Francisco, CA
Oct 26 Reston, VA
Nov 9 Boston, MA
Nov 30 Atlanta, GA
Dec 10 San Francisco, CA

Pragmatic Roadmapping
Sep 20 Boston, MA
Sep 27 Reston, VA
Nov 1 San Francisco, CA
Nov 2 Toronto, ON, Canada
Dec 6 San Francisco, CA
Dec 13 Bedford, MA

Practical Product Management
Sep 17 - 18 (19) Boston, MA
Sep 17 - 18 (19) Minneapolis, MN
Sep 17 - 18 (19) San Francisco, CA
Sep 24 - 25 (26) Toronoto, ON, Canada
Sep 24 - 25 (26) Reston, VA
Oct 1 - 2 (3) Atlanta, GA
Oct 9 - 10 (11) San Francisco, CA
Oct 15 - 16 (17) Philadelphia, PA
Oct 15 - 16 (17) Bedford, MA
Oct 22 - 23 (24) Scottsdale, AZ
Oct 22 - 23 (24) Oak Brook, IL
Oct 29- 30 (31) San Francisco, CA
Oct 30 - 31 (1) Toronto, ON, Canada
November 7 - 8 (9) Seattle, WA
November 14 - 15 (16) Bedford, MA
November 14 - 15 (16) Flushing, NY
November 14 - 15 (16) San Francisco, CA
November 28 - 29 (30) Costa Mesa, CA

Requirements That Work
Sep 19 Minneapolis, MN
Sep 19 San Francisco, CA
Sep 26 Toronoto, ON Canada
Sep 26 Reston, VA
Oct 3 Atlanta, GA
Oct 11 San Francisco, CA
Oct 17 Philadelphia, PA
Oct 17 Bedford, MA
Oct 24 Scottsdale, AZ
Oct 24 Oak Brook, IL
Oct 31 San Francisco, CA
Nov 1 Toronto, ON, Canada
November 9 Seattle, WA
November 16 Bedford, MA
November 16 Flushing, NY
November 16 San Francisco, CA
November 30 Costa Mesa, CA

Effective Product Marketing
Sep 19 - 20 Boston, MA
Sep 26 - 27 Vancouver, BC, Canada
Oct 10 - 11 San Francisco, CA
Oct 18 - 19 Austin, TX
Oct 24 - 25 Reston, VA
Nov 7 - 8 Boston, MA
Nov 28 - 29 Atlanta, GA
Dec 11 - 12 San Francisco, CA

View the complete seminar schedule... 


 
 Pragmatic Marketing Consulting Services
 Optimize your implementation of the Pragmatic Marketing Framework

If you are looking to accelerate deployment of the Pragmatic Marketing Framework, our team of industry experts is available to assist.

Starting with a review of what it means to be truly market-driven and how your current organization is aligned to meet that goal, we can then suggest a course of action to achieve success including:

Learn more... 


 
 

In Santa Clara, CA on Oct 2-3 get a $400 Pragmatic Marketing discount when you select the Discounted Registration Fee option.

Learn more...


 
 

In Santa Clara, CA on Oct 2-3 get a 5% Pragmatic Marketing discount when you use the code PMA.

Learn more...


 
 

In Santa Clara, CA on Oct 3-4, use the code PRAGMASAVE50 to receive a $50 Pragmatic Marketing discount off the registration fee.

Learn more...


 
 

In San Jose, CA on Oct 29-30 get a $100 Pragmatic Marketing discount when you use the code PRAGMATIC.

 

Learn more...


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