Strategic Analysis Tools for High Tech Marketing

Strategic Analysis Tools for High Tech Marketing
Carmo A. D’Cruz Xodus Business & Technology Solutions, Inc. www.XodusBTS.com
Abstract High Tech Marketing is characterized by high levels of technical and market uncertainties, rapidly declining prices, collapsing markets and shortening product life cycles. Conventional strategic analysis tools are inadequate for effective analysis in developing high tech marketing strategy. This paper reviews a portfolio of cotemporary strategic analysis tools that have been used effectively in developing high tech marketing strategies and case analyses. These include the Boston Consulting Group’s (BCG) Portfolio Matrix, The Technology Adoption Life Cycle, The Whole Product Concept, and Disruptive Technologies Mapping. Some of these tools have been effective in alleviating the Engineering – Marketing interface issues in high tech start-up companies. The implicit relationships between these tools are also explored. Introduction: The high levels of technical and market uncertainties that characterize high tech marketing have resulted in shortened product life cycles, collapsing markets, and rapidly declining prices. Conventional strategic analysis tools such at SWOT analysis, Michael Porter’s industry structure analysis model and product positioning matrices, by themselves, are inadequate for developing a comprehensive marketing strategy for innovative high tech products and technologies. This paper examines contemporary strategic analysis tools such as the Boston Consulting Group’s BCG Product Portfolio Matrix, the Technology Adoption Lifecycle, the Whole Product Concept and Disruptive technologies Mapping. The implicit relationships between these tools is also explored. These tools have been successfully used and tested by the author in industry to develop comprehensive marketing strategies for innovative high tech products and in academia for case analyses. These tools have also played a critical role in alleviating Engineering –

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