HOW THE ROLE OF

MARKETING DRIVES
INNOVATION FORWARDS
E. Telmanova

INTRODUCTION

Peter Drucker, themanagement visionary and guru,

was fond of saying, Because its purpose is to
create a customer, the business has twoand only
twofunctions:
Marketing
and
Innovation.
Marketing and innovation create value; all the rest
are costs.
Philip Kotlerhas defined his life-long discipline as,
Generating the strategy that underlies sales
techniques, business communication and business
development. Marketing is an integrated process
through which companies build strong customer
relationships, and create value for their customers
and for themselves.

OUTSIDE-IN, NOT INSIDEOUT

Drucker and Kotler would each vehemently

disagree and argue that, not only is marketing
clearly a value; but, in targeting the behemoth
that is the U.S. federal government, critical
success factors must include strong and
sustained marketing strategy, planning, and
execution. Contractors must take a customerfirst (Outside-In) approach.

OUTSIDE-IN, NOT INSIDEOUT

How many senior and executive managers at

federal contractors can quickly and candidly
answer these basic, yet critical, go-to-market
questions:
Are your companys mission, vision, and value
proposition(s) internally documented?
Communicated? Managed and measured?
When your company wins, why does it win?
When your company loses, why does it lose?
Is your company unknown to the market? Known
to the market? Known for something? Known for
something good? Preferred for something good?
How is your company preparing for the
dynamic/changing landscape (e.g.,

10 KEY COMPONENTS

Its no secret that the most successful companies in their

respective industriesbusiness-to- consumer, business-tobusiness, and business-to-governmentare also leaders in
marketing strategy, planning, and execution and in marketing
practices, processes, and methodologies.
Successful marketing fuels successful business, and a
successful go-to-market strategy should include the basic
blocking and tackling elements of:
1.Current-state business mission and objectives
2.Situational
analysis
(strengths/weaknesses/opportunities/threats)
3.Target market (industry/segment) knowledge and dynamics
4.Competitive environment
5.Solution offering (products/services) and gaps
6.Positioning, pricing, and branding
7.Go-to-market launch marketing plan
8.Go-to-market launch budget

TOP THOUGHT LEADERS

As Drucker stated, a Business has only two

functions: Marketing and Innovation.
A few other successful business and thought leaders
would trumpet the importance of marketing.
Begin with the end in mind, wrote Stephen R. Covey
(The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People), which
speaks to strategy and planning.
Never invest in a business you cannot understand, said
investor, businessman, and philanthropist Warren E.
Buffett, which speaks to knowing what you do not know
(re: market and competitive knowledge).
Next to doing the right thing, the most important thing
is to let people know you are doing the right thing,
wrote tycoon, investor, and philanthropist John D.

STANDING STILL MEANS

YOURE LOSING GROUND

So, where is your company today, this very minute,

in terms of marketing strategy, planning, and
execution?
Is your company, for the most part, just standing
still? Perhaps running in place? Treading water?
If so, be confident in the fact that doing nothingor
doing littlemeans youre going to be losing
ground:
Losing in mind share.
Losing in heart share.
Losing in market share.