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 | Tuned In: Uncover the Extraordinary Opportunities That Lead to Business Breakthroughs
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 2008-07-19 - Excellent introduction/summary for Pragmatic Marketing Principles
I've been through the seminars on Practical Product Management delivered through the authors' firm (Pragmatic Marketing). As a CTO it was an eye-opener to see an approach to Product Management that meshed with the concepts of Agile Development in the software field. The two disciplines work well together to create software products that resonate with customers.
This book is not so much breaking new ground, but distilling years of learning into a simple introductory form for folks who might be interested in moving from an inside-out/command-and-control view of the market. It makes a strong empirical business case for doing things differently.
Highly recommended if you're starting a business, launching a new business unit or product line, or simple want to spark growth in existing efforts. You might even learn which existing efforts are not tuned-in and pull back on their funding so you can invest in products and services that the market wants.
 2008-07-16 - 3 stars for the content, 5 stars for the examples; 3.5 stars altogether
Remove the examples from the book, and you have for the most part a collection of already known high level concepts without much depth. Granted, marketing does not have to be complicated and it should not be, but creating innovative products requires more than concepts. For example, the first step in the authors' Tuned-in "process" is "Find unresolved problems". OK, good point, but I knew that and you probably did know that too! How do I do it? The authors's advice: "ask the customers"! But I knew that too. Tell me more. "Ask your non-customers". Wow,I would never have thought of that. Tell me more. "Go to trade shows" say the authors. I knew that too. Tell me more. "Ask open questions", "Keep an open mind", etc. say the authors. At the end of this chapter and of most chapters, I fell frustrated of not learning approaches or tips I have not heard about before and of not learning more how to do it.
At the end of Chapter 4, I was going to drop the book, but the examples kept me going. There are at least 50 examples of Tuned-in companies from Disneyland to the Maganavox remote control that locates itself to the ubiquitous iPod. These examples are interesting by themselves. They are spread through the book to illustrate each step and to validate the entire tuned-in "process".
I keep putting process in between quotes because what the authors present is not really a process. It is more a framework. In addition, it seems that not one of the examples was actually the result of applying the authors' framework under their guidance. So the whole edifice is an after-the-fact analysis of successful innovations that serves to justify the author's framework. I would have liked to see at least one example of a product that the authors actually helped develop.
The book itself is an example of the framework the authors propose, and in particular of "Step 5: Articulate Powerful Ideas". This chapter develops the idea of establishing "memorable concepts that speak to the problems the customers have". The authors here eat their own dog food, and it is clear that they spent time thinking about how they should name that book and what memorable concepts they should articulate it in. "Tuned-in" is a sgood and simple concept that is repeated over and over throughout the book so that it sticks in your mind. There is an other one that is used over and over; it is "resonators" to designate successful products that resonate with customers.
In summary, the value of this book is probably in this Chapter 5. At least it is for me. We typically underestimate that the least number of words a concept can be described in, the more powerful it is. "Tuned in" is a useful concept to keep in mind to designate that idea that we need to be "tuned in" to the market and the customer. But you will need many other books and workshops to know how to do it. But, that's what the authors' core business is: delivering seminars! No doubt that they will have demand.
 2008-07-15 - Tuned In
I read this book at just the right time - I was in the crucial "needing to test my product on real people" (but not really wanting to) phase, and this book made me buckle down and focus on how important it was to talk with, poll, and listen to your potential customers. i.e. being "tuned in."
The process outlined in the book is somewhat simple, and is likely stuff we've all heard before, but it's presented in a way that makes you realize exactly how important it is to really tune into your customer base - whether you have a company, are a musician, pastor, leader, or just want to market yourself better!
2008-07-14 - A good book for todays marketing challenges
Tuned In. Uncover the extraordinary opportunities that lead to business breakthroughs. Craig Stull, Phil Myers & David Meerman Scott. 2008. ISBN9780470260364. I am a David Meerman Scott fan and this book does not disappoint. The book does a very good job pointing out ways to discover your key value proposition, how to clearly articulate it as well as how to get to the present non consumers of your product. A good book for todays marketing challenges with exceptional application to differentiation and finding high value segmentation.
Read about resonators such as :
* clubhub
* RIM
* BillMeLAter
* Nalgene
* TheatreChurch.com
* Boeing's Dreamliner
* ZipCar
* GoPro
* IPod
* Cold Stone Creamery
* Cincom
* Hubspot
2008-07-12 - Get Tuned In or You will be turned out
Interruption marketing (most mass media advertising) is becoming more expensive and reaching fewer people that care. And if you compound the problem by creating a product that you are trying to sell rather than creating one that is "Tuned In" to your market, you have compounded the problem.
When creating a product or service, most businesses make these common mistakes: They assume that the company insiders know more than the buyers about what the buyers want/need. They based their market research on their current customer base - thus eliminating a much larger potnetial market share of potential customers. And they try to create a need - the tell their customers what to buy rather than providing what the customers want.
To be successful in today's highly competitve marketplace, you need a breakthrough product that resonates with your customers so that they immediately understand the benefit to them and are eager to buy the product. This only happens if you are totally Tuned In to the customer's wants/needs.
"The Tuned In company constantly listens to, observes and understands the problems the buyers are willing to pay money to solve." for the most part, Tuned In companies ignore the competition - listening instead to the customers.
Too many companies get caught up in their own egos. They think they know what the customer wants. Most innovation-driven companies listen only to themselves - they obsess about who will get credit for the next innovation or the most unique invention. And all too often the newest innovation does not solve a problem for the customer, so they simply do not care.
If you are going to be successful, your product or service must resonate with your target market. And resonators are in the market - not in your head. A product or service that resonates with the market will sell itself. You do not need to push the product. Customers will seek out your product or service.
One of the most powerful (but probably difficult concepts to come to grips with) statements is "Your opinion, although interesting, is irrelevant." The only thing that matters is the buyer's opinion.
There are six steps to becoming a Tuned In company.
Step one - Find unresolved problems.
Step two - Understand the buyer persona. Who is the buyer, what are their problems, what moves them to take action.
Step three - Quantify the impact. You must determine that the problem you are solving is urgent, pervasive and the buyer is willing to spend money to solve the problem.
Step four - Create a breakthrough experience - the most successful companies understand that the customer buys a total experience - one that resonates.
Step five - Articulate a powerful idea. Your message must focus on the problem it is solving and must be immediately understood by the buyer.
Step six - Establish authentic Connections - you must understand and focus on the buyer. The buyer must feel like you really understand and care about them and their problems.
It is no longer possible to push product by using mass advertising. Buyers are more concerned about their problems and getting them solved. They no longer wait for a solution to come to them. They are actively looking for solutions to their problems. If you are going to be successful, you must understand their problems and be Tuned In to the buyer.
The book is well written and give plenty of examples of Tuned In companies such as: Zipcar, iPod, National Community Church and the new Dutch Boy paint containers.
It is very important to understand that to be successful today that you must take a different approach than has worked in the past. Buyers have many more choices. Markets are fragmented. And interruption marketing no longer has the impact it once did. You cannot focus on your product. You must focus on the problems your product solves for the buyer.
It is easy to believe that being Tuned In does not apply to your business. It is also very easy to fail. This is a very important concept and a very easy to understand gateway to what it takes to market successfully in a world that changed the way buyers respond.
You don't have to get Tuned In, but if you don't the chances are very high you will be tuned out by your cusomters.
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