Year of Growth Marketing
Making channel investments pay off
It's time
to reposition your marketing messages
Each year, Launch International identifies a dominant marketing trend
or tactic. We’ve identified 2004 as the Year of Growth Marketing.
Why? Because companies have survived the economic challenges of the last
two to three years. They’re ready to start investing again in technology.
And, we believe that tech companies must be poised to capture this business.
IDC has forecast a 5 percent increase in worldwide IT spending in 2004—and
an average increase of 2.1 percent in vendor marketing budgets. Contrast
that with 2003, when marketing spending was down 1.7 percent, according
to IDC.
Of course, you don’t need IDC to know that the last several years
have brought a tough economy. And, slowly, subtly, but surely, it seems
that the ice is beginning to thaw. While we may never again experience
a tech boom like that of the late 1990s, indicators from IDC and others
suggest an upward trend across the industry.
Most high-tech companies have spent the last several years in survival
mode. They got leaner and meaner, and developed messages around cost reduction
and rapid return on investment. However, the renewed emphasis on growth
demands that tech companies reposition—and that means looking at
messages, solutions, and tools.
For the first time in several years, organizations are poised to invest
for growth. Make sure that you’ve retooled your marketing mindset—and
geared up your sales force—to embrace these new opportunities.
While productivity and efficiency will remain hot
topics, you should also position your solutions around the following growth-oriented
goals:
• Increasing
revenue through improved data access and increased uptime
• Better decision making through collaboration and data mining
• Stronger partner value through better sharing and access
To learn more about how Launch International can help you gear up for
the Year of Growth Marketing, please contact us at info@launchintl.com.
