Lighthouse AR ¦ Analyst Equity

Why AnalystEquity.com is changing course

Duncan — Sun, 15 Jan 2012 17:03:54 +0000

Analyst relations has matured as a profession and a process. That’s our conclusion from reviewing which articles readers to this blog have been reading the most. The day-to-day challenges for AR managers are about tracking competitive changes in the analyst [...]

2012 must be the year when Analyst Relations generates leads

Duncan — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 15:22:41 +0000

Because analysts’ opinions are amongst the most authoritative content being discussed about technology, both online and offline, analyst relations should be an essential element of both B2B and B2C marketing in 2012. Sadly, the profession of analyst relations is struggling [...]

Stoic Approach Helps Businesses to Succeed Online

Duncan — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 23:03:40 +0000

Explaining his new ‘Stoic’ approach to social media on December 2, Professor Ronan Gruenbaum is proposing a simple framework for businesses aiming for increase success online. Gruenbaum teaches digital marketing at the London campus of the Hult International Business School, founded in [...]

Presentation: 10 lessons AR needs to learn from 2011

Duncan — Tue, 29 Nov 2011 15:48:55 +0000

Here you can find our 10 tips from 2011 presentation from our November conference call. If the file opens in portrait view, you can rotate it into landscape by going View -> Rotate counter-clockwise. You can listen to the call in the [...]

Get Your Message Right Before You Tweet

Duncan — Tue, 22 Nov 2011 18:11:26 +0000

Just as with software, the messaging process is primary for social media – but why do so few people get that? Having started off in tech as a database administrator and systems analyst, I’m often struck by the usefulness of software [...]

Spokespeople need a coach, not just a briefing note

Duncan — Mon, 14 Nov 2011 15:22:10 +0000

Because analysts are under more pressure to deliver insights that correspond closely to end-users’ needs, solution providers have a huge advantage when spokespeople are able to develop influential conversations focussed on the analysts’ clients’ needs. Sadly, spokespeople are badly selected, [...]

10 lessons Analyst Relations needs to learn from 2011

Duncan — Sat, 12 Nov 2011 12:50:58 +0000

The analyst relations community is slowly emerging from a prolonged battering. Budgets have been in short supply and spokespeoples’ time has been fought for in many companies. At the same time, AR teams (both in-house and in agencies) have struggled [...]

How the new second tier of analyst firms can rise to the next level

Duncan — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 11:29:06 +0000

A new second tier of analyst firms is being formed by the recession. Companies like Canalys, PAC and the newly independent Ovum are expanding into space relinquished or ignored by larger analyst firms. Their strategic asset is that their managers [...]

Marketing communications has to start with the brand story

Duncan — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:21:51 +0000

In my recent interviews with many communications managers, one of the key problems that comes up is the time spent on coordination. However, a few companies seem to have a much lower communication overhead because a strong brand story allows [...]

Should other analysts copy Yankee’s affiliate network?

Duncan — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 22:56:47 +0000

Last week’s launch of Yankee Group’s affiliate network is an interesting response to a number of challenges that other analyst firms face. Certainly the network is a reaction to Yankee’s specific challenges, which Laura surveyed well: it was developed as [...]

Yankee Group launches affiliate network

Duncan — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 17:50:52 +0000

Three Yankee Group vice-presidents and two independent European analysts are the first members of the firm’s affiliate network. As Lighthouse clients heard in July, the firm’s restructuring produced numerous rumours, including the departure of SVP Zeus Kerravala and VPs Jennifer [...]

Always Be Closing: use research to drive business leads

Duncan — Thu, 22 Sep 2011 13:21:58 +0000

AR professionals can build sales by focussing on analysts who influence sales, and by turning the conversation to the impact of market changes on customers. Market analysts, quite understandably, look at the whole market and will welcome informed conversation with [...]

Research Round-up: Five forces determine CRM vendors’ uncertain future

Duncan — Fri, 16 Sep 2011 10:00:37 +0000

The last few months have seen a shift in how analysts are viewing the market for customer relationship marketing solutions. In the enterprise, analysts say business managers must act fast to regain the initiative to innovate customer relationship management (CRM) [...]

What’s happening at Yankee Group?

Duncan — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 12:45:53 +0000

Yankee’s Group’s summer repositioning and restructuring has, more or less, completed the firm’s evolution from a full-service analyst and consulting firm into a data-driven research and advisory firm focussed on mobility (which the firm defines as advancements that enable fluid [...]

Change workshops must start with the customer

Duncan — Thu, 21 Jul 2011 14:38:28 +0000

Now we’re into the second half of the year, many teams use the summer slow-down to re-plan and structure for the rest of year. By the firms have their mid-year summits and analyst days behind them, and they start to [...]