Three absolutely crucial lessons about marketing I learned while launching a brand of GPS products across Europe

1. Three lessons in practical marketingor Applying 4Ps in real-life situation By Leo Exter With many, many thanks to

2. There really is NO “silver bullet”

3. Clever is good… well-funded is better

4. Marketing isn’tcomplex… it’scomplicated

5. Oh, and… Theoretical frameworks don’t mean … …without understanding that comes with experience

6. Beginning of complexity: the small differences

7. Company dominated by engineers and sales guys

8. This is what I started with…

9. State-of-the-art marketing Taiwan 2004

10. A bit of an eyesore really…

11. 11 We did develop better-looking stuff. Eventually. Now back to our story

12. Trend: GPS moves into Mainstream Key consequence: women play more important role in buying decision

13. Good Value for Money Strong brand image, but one dimension only:

14. Real problem, though: 30+ competitors Same product Same price Same channel

15. We chose to differentiate on PROMOTION Branding and more SERVICE Accessory sales Repairs

16. First, make sure men are convinced Coverage in all technical and automotive press (and Playboy) Online visibility via social media In-store presence Training sales staff in channel Promotions in through catalogues/folders

17. Second, do whatever else we can Softer visual on package … and that’s about it Can’t get coverage in relevant media. No relevant social media Features don’t matter

18. Our PRODUCT solution: Mio H610 Pretty, handbag-friendly – perfect for women!

19. Key feature (according to media, at least):swappable cover

20. PRICED to support high-end positioning € 399 Our mid-range best seller: € 299 Our entry-level product: € 199

21. PROMOTIONEpicenter:youngprofessionaltech-savvywomen

22. Dedicated mini-site

23. PR campaign with strong visuals and content

24. Cosmopolitan

25. POS materials

26. It didn’t go well…So we did a bit more PROMOTION(limited budget)… It still didn’t help. Because our P(DISTRIBUTION) was wrong.

27. Years later I found out that… 20,000 units of H610 ended up at an automotive parts discounter. Next to Chinese-made tires.

28. Lessons learned More dimensions to marketing than you think: e.g. relationship with your sales guys Remember ogres and onions? Doing something well is not enough – you need budget to amplify Fund it well or don’t do it at all Any one thing done well doesn’t assure success No silver bullets (well, maybe one if you’re Dropbox)

29. Don’t hesitate to ask questions! leo.exter@westartup.eu www.westartup.eu @westartup www.facebook.com/westartup