Institute of Industry Analyst Relations (IIAR)
The IIAR is a not-for-profit organisation established to raise awareness of analyst relations and the value of industry analysts, promote best practice amongst analyst relations professionals, enhance communication between analyst firms and vendors, and offer opportunities for AR practitioners to network with their industry peers.
Industry Analyst Relations Manager, £50-65k base + bens London or Hampshire
Do you drive market trends? Can you utilise Research & Industry data firms to segment business opportunities? Using your pro-active, creative, entrepreneurial spirit you will be developing compelling customised marketing plans to increase our International footprint. We are a recognised Software brand name, Microsoft & Cisco partner experiencing rapid growth.
Job Title: Industry analyst relations manager
Location: Hampshire, Hampshire
Salary: Open to Salary
Job number 113419580, Posted 08/02/2010 (18:54) Continue Reading →
I, like others am driven to compete, produce the best results….or in other words, Win!
I know that I am not alone in this, and am competing for analysts time and attention, not to mention doing everything I can for the highest rating possible. So I instinctively know that others are sucking up the remaining analyst time with a message that favors them once my time is up. So I have to get the time, and make it as meaningful as possible.
I rely on a few tactics that have morphed over the years, but are still true today.
NUMBER 1, IT’S ABOUT THE RELATIONSHIP
This takes time, but it is important to know the other person. I take the time to talk about their children, pets, or at least read their social media which tells me about them as a person. This can set the tone for a relationship, and you also can find the common ground to have more than just a perfunctory relationship.
What do you get out of it? Many things like trust (which matters in good or bad times), an answered email, tweet, or any other form of communication. I talk to analysts and they frankly have email overload and/or avoidance. That means if they see it from you, there is a decision on whether to look at it (or take the call) or brush it off to the dustpile.
My advice is to take the time to build a relationship by knowing them, then helping them by going out of your way to make the transaction more meaningful. You will see results from it, like the answer you were looking for. It’s almost like real estate but instead of location, it’s relationship, relationship, relationship.
NUMBER 2, WHAT IS THEIR BACK CHANNEL
Further on the issue of communicating with the analyst is how to avoid their overload. There is some method they choose that they rank as the one to answer. It could be twitter, email (a personal account could be an option here), a text….whatever. Once you build the relationship, ask them in a crunch, how can I reach you. Murphy’ law will come into play at some point. The analyst will be unavailable when you need them (right now) and the back channel is the way.
A word of advice. If you abuse this, it negates the purpose of having a back channel.
NUMBER 3, IS MY EXECUTIVE THE BEST HE/SHE CAN BE?
At some point, it’s the executive and the analyst and it’s out of your hands. The can make or break it for you. Pick the right one for the right briefing. Tell them how to answer to the analyst base on the relationship you have built and their nuances.
Another issue is how and what you tell. Sometimes you can state the obvious. Other times you need to absolutely not answer a question that will sink your ship. Having the executive ready to know where the landmines are. One in A/R must realize that not all are called out to be an effective spokesperson. Here is a discourse on executives.
If they fall down and you know it, you have to get back to the analyst and sweep up the damage. Get another executive or knowlegable person to fix the mess.
The best of all worlds is when you get the relationship (here’s that word again) with and executive, and they know how to tell the right story and they build a relationship with analyst also.
Point of interest: You must also make sure that they know the difference between a press briefing and an analyst briefing. What is off limits and how far can you push the information limits (NDA may be needed). I want my execs to tell almost everything including some warts. This makes the story believable, especially when you are early in the announcement cycle. This gets you buy in, or if you know a certain analyst is anti-your-message, you’ll know not to go there at announcement time.
Is this a comprehensive list, by no means, mostly because you are dealing with people so outcomes are not predictable. Will it work? Most times as long as you stick to the rules. Will you have issues or times when everything falls apart? Yes, and you have to pick yourself up and begin again, it could even lead you to a better relationship.
I graduated from the school of hard knocks, with a PH.D. If I’d have known this earlier on in my career, it would have avoided many troubling times. Perhaps that’s how I learned to use these tactics?
By Barbara French / Tekrati (LinkedIn, @bfr3nch)
Analyst relations professionals are dealing with more types of analysts and analyst-like influencers every day. How do you know who’s important among these new faces? Some insights from a pharma influencer relations study can give you fresh perspectives on identifying, differentiating and prioritizing your AR targets.
This post is reprinted from my personal blog Sway, where I discuss analyst relations and broad-based influencer relations. You may know me best as founder and managing editor of Tekrati, Inc.
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Solid research is the only way to cut through the chatter about identifying and prioritizing influencers for word-of-mouth marketing and other forms of influencer marketing. Mike Gotta (Burton Group / Gartner ) yesterday pointed out a just such a study, from the pharma industry. I like this study because it focuses on finding the hidden opinion leaders who drive the first wave of word-of-mouth product referrals.
The study identifies two distinct types of opinion leaders among the target physicians:
The opinion leaders identified by their peers are not the traditional targets pursued by marketers. If anything, they contradict current marketing wisdom about influencers and influentials. They are not overtly well connected, outgoing or high profile in terms of being published or public speakers.
Three nuggets to think about:
The study finds little overlap between the two types of influencers. Physicians fell into one group or the other.
The under-the-radar opinion leaders are quicker to use new product and more likely to influencer others to try it. This finding is based on matching network data with perscription records.
The under-the-radar sociometric opinion leaders are more interested in what their peers are doing, and are more open to word-of-mouth or social influence, than the self-reported opinion leaders.
Both types of opinion leaders play important roles in robust influencer marketing programs. One group is not better than the other; they’re just different kinds of people. The best course of action is to identify and address both types of opinion leaders. That means doing more research and more segmentation.
Useful links:
Hat tip: Mike Gotta
Study: Opinion Leadership and Social Contagion in New Product Diffusion – by Raghuram Iyengar, Christophe Van den Bulte, and Thomas Valente, 2008
Summary of Study: Knowledge@Wharton
By Michael Krigsman / ZDnet (LinkedIn, @mkrigsman).
Analyst relations is a world of shifting territory, with convergence arising among blogs, traditional analysts, and even the media. I wrote this post to discuss how one software vendor navigates the blogging aspect of these difficult waters.
This post is reprinted from my blog at ZDNet, which is called IT Project Failures.
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Enterprise software vendors are an important part of the blogging dialog ecosystem, along with technology customers, analysts, system integrators, and public relations firms.
Among enterprise vendors, SAP is an industry leader in working with bloggers, so I thought it would be helpful to start the new year with a post that highlights the company’s Blogger Relations program.
SAP’s blogging outreach efforts are successful for three reasons, which other enterprise vendors should consider when creating their own blogging outreach strategy:
1. Ongoing relationship
SAP runs a formal blogging program that includes regular contact by phone, email, and Twitter; invitations to conferences and special events; and other opportunities to interact with SAP senior management, employees, and customers.
There are two primary contacts for bloggers at SAP, each of whom maintains an open-door policy. When I am working on a post and need a source, this means “one-click” access to virtually any employee in the company.
This convenience and accessibility simplifies gaining detailed information about SAP’s activities and products. The clarity of SAP’s message depends on the particular interviewee, but at least the opportunity for dialog is present.
2. Customized programming
SAP is attentive to the professional interests of bloggers in their program. As a result, each participant receives individual attention regarding his or her specific area of focus. In my case, for example, emphasis tends toward discussion around issues pertaining to projects and the intersection of business and IT. Other bloggers engage SAP in areas such as sustainability or enterprise technology.
This customized programming is especially significant when SAP holds events and arranges meetings with senior executives. Matching bloggers and executives who share specific interests helps keep the discussion relevant to all parties.
3. Mutual expectations
The relationship between SAP and bloggers requires substantial investment of time and effort for both sides. My “covenant” with any vendor is simple and fair: I seek straightforward access to information while the vendor has a right to balanced analysis.
Of course, SAP advances its perspective and I write about IT failures, so natural tensions are present. These tensions are healthy and help ensure that blog posts do not devolve into a glorified press release or a one-sided attack.
To learn more about the history and goals of SAP’s blogging program, I recorded this video with Mike Prosceno, the company’s Vice President of Social Media Relations:
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3zHrCZn0uFg]
Link to Youtube clip of Mike Prosceno / VP Social Media relations at SAP.
THE PROJECT FAILURES ANALYSIS
By demonstrating serious commitment to open up and engage, SAP now participates in conversations that previously eluded the company. This kind of personalization is difficult to achieve, especially for such a large company.
The blogging program actually represents an investment in the rapidly evolving future of corporate communications, which has seen barriers drop in traditional boundaries around media and analyst relations. Blogging offers a particular challenge to corporate communications because it does not fit easily into existing media or analyst definitions.
Serious enterprise bloggers are typically professional experts in some aspect of enterprise software, raising strong parallels with industry analysts. Unlike analysts affiliated with established firms, however, most bloggers are independent and have no contractual relationship with the vendor. At the same time, some industry analysts also write excellent blogs, which further blurs traditional distinctions.
To place these distinctions into broader context, I spoke with Jason Busch, Managing Director of analyst firm, Azul Partners. Jason is also a top enterprise blogger on procurement issues, writing at Spend Matters.
Here’s what Jason told me:
I’ve often found the transparency of bloggers to be a breath of fresh air relative to traditional industry analyst firms.
In general, the better tech bloggers in the enterprise space fully disclose clients, affiliations, advertisers/sponsors, etc. In contrast, traditional analyst revenue waters are often murky; you don’t know who is paying them or how much.
SAP was way ahead of the curve in recognizing the rising role of bloggers and the blurring of analyst/blogger distinctions. It’s probably the most prescient thing they’ve done from a marketing perspective.
My take. SAP understood early on that traditional corporate communications has shifted from a message-based orientation to identifying, building, and nurturing relationships with influencers.
Despite the maturity and excellence of its program, however, SAP now faces competition in blogging relations from other enterprise vendors, some of whom are catching up quickly. To maintain its lead, SAP must continue to innovate and invest in this area.
The growth of enterprise blogging as a recognized form is great news for technology buyers, who rely on independent sources of information when making important technology and business decisions.
Ideas International (IDEAS), the US subsidiary of Ideas International Limited (ASX:IDE) has signed a distribution agreement with US-based competitive intelligence research firm Current Analysis, Inc. The agreement covers the US and EMEA regions …
The Advisory Council (TAC) today announced Benchmark Ultra-Lite, a low-priced modular IT assessment and benchmarking tool designed to help business and IT management improve their performance …
Jim Lundy announced via his personal blog that he has joined Saba. At Saba, he assumes the role of vice president and General Manager of Collaboration. Most recently, Lundy was a managing vice president and distinguished analyst for the Social Software and Collaboration team at Gartner …
Bersin and Associates, a research and advisory firm focused solely on enterprise learning and talent management, has added RWD Technologies to the company’s Certified Consulting Partnership Program. RWD Technologies provides human and operational performance improvement solutions …
Analysys Mason has strengthened its enterprise practice with industry expert Steve Hilton joining the senior ranks. Most recently with Yankee Group, Hilton will lead the research division’s Enterprise program, which identifies the key issues facing the enterprise, small enterprise and small office, home office (SOHO) ecosystems and enables leading players to make the right decisions.
Info-Tech Research Group has partnered with ATA Research. Effectively immediately, ATA Research will sell and distribute select Info-Tech Research Group content. The first Info-Tech Research Group content offered through ATA Research is “IT Fundamentals”, a set of zipped files containing business tools, IT templates, IT policies, IT job descriptions and RFP templates …
IT Europa announced today that it will be staging the European ISV Convention 2010 on 25 February 2010 in London. ISV participation is by invitation and is free of charge to qualifying delegates …
Analysys Mason has strengthened its energy practice with the addition of two senior energy industry experts to its ranks. Richard H. Sellers and Jean-Philippe Larramendy join as associates …
Celent, a research and advisory firm and member of the Oliver Wyman Group, is launching a service dedicated to the Indian financial market. The research service will focus on the Indian financial services space, cutting across Celent’s established service offerings in the areas of Banking, Insurance, and Securities & Investments …
[THIS JOB IS POSTED ON BEHALF OF KRONOS, THE IIAR CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR THE CONTENT]
Kronos Incorporated is seeking a self-starter who is seasoned in high-tech industry influencer relations. In this individual contributor role, you will be responsible for driving a communications program that clearly conveys Kronos messages regarding our company strategy, product and industry direction, and competitive differentiators to influential analysts, associations, and other influencers. Bachelor’s degree and a minimum of five years of experience in communications field preferred. Reports to senior director of corporate communications.
Details here: Job Information: Manager of Analyst Relations Job
[THIS JOB IS POSTED ON BEHALF OF PSD, THE IIAR CANNOT BE HELD LIABLE FOR THE CONTENT]
Senior Analyst Relations Manager (m/f)
Location: Frankfurt am Main
As Senior Analyst Relations Manager you contribute pro-actively to the corporate communication strategy. You act as the primary liaison with all relevant internal groups in planning and implementing communications campaigns, analyst relations initiatives, executive programs, events and product launches. Furthermore you serve as a key contact person with the analysts, with a specific focus on ensuring positive endorsement of our client and its portfolio from the analyst community.
Your tasks:
Your profile:
For further information and to apply, call Tobias Wöhler on +49-(0) 69-138 136-39 or e-mail your detailed CV quoting your salary expectations and your availability/earliest starting date to sales-marketing.frankfurt@psdgroup.com
You can speed up the process of your E-mail if you insert the following Job Reference into the subject of the e-mail: MO/TWO2/419470.
On behalf of our client, a leading global IT Service Provider, we are looking for a
Senior Analyst Relations Manager (m/f)
Location: Frankfurt am Main
As Senior Analyst Relations Manager you contribute pro-actively to the corporate communication strategy. You act as the primary liaison with all relevant internal groups in planning and implementing communications campaigns, analyst relations initiatives, executive programs, events and product launches. Furthermore you serve as a key contact person with the analysts, with a specific focus on ensuring positive endorsement of our client and its portfolio from the analyst community.
Your tasks:
oincluding planning, strategy, internal communication consulting, implementation of new communication initiatives and management of tactics
Your profile:
For further information and to apply, call Tobias Wöhler on +49-(0) 69-138 136-39 or e-mail your detailed CV quoting your salary expectations and your availability/earliest starting date to
sales-marketing.frankfurt@psdgroup.com
You can speed up the process of your E-mail if you insert the following Job Reference into the subject of the e-mail: MO/TWO2/419470.
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The Institute of Industry Analyst Relations
Posting is free for advertisers, just drop an email to our secretary: hkirkman at analystrelations dot org.
Sage Circle also has a jobs page, mostly for US positions.
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