Your points are dead on and you raise an interesting point about Marketing. In essence, all “R” functions are essentially some form of marketing, we’ve just found different ways to differentiate & label the various sub-functions. But at the end of the day, it is all about promoting the brand, getting the message across and helping to drive awareness and sales.

What was interesting to me was the feedback that I got in response to some of the questions “offline” (the post was originally done as a lead-in to #ARchat). There are still quite a few who don’t yet understand the value of an integrated and broad-based/well-coordinated structure. Perhaps some are protective of their turf?

Again, thanks for the comments!

Fred

Thank you for your comments. You are correct when you state that “an analyst would resist being influenced” and yet that is the job of an Analyst Relations professional – to subtly (or in some cases quite overtly) provide information that influences or shapes the opinions of an analyst, and there are clearly (from my own experience in the analytical field) analysts that are more malleable than others.

To put this in perspective (with regard to your 3rd point), the top two analyst firms in the IT market generate nearly $2B in annual revenue “influencing” their user/client communities

Of course not all analysts will be receptive to a vendor’s message, nor will all consumers be receptive to being influenced by an analyst (although that is often the case in certain market sectors – especially within the fast-moving IT market). With that in mind, it becomes important for Analyst Relations professionals to find ways to convey their message direct to the consuming public – not necessarily as a means to directly market (that is the job of Marketing – which should be coordinated with Analyst Relations), but as a means to ensure that the consumers (and especially the “influencial connectors) are hearing the same message as the analyst and thus can make their own informed/empowered decision.

Thanks again for your comments. Looking forward to #LeadershipChat tonight.

Fred

Such complex questions you raise. I wonder if your chat participants found them difficult to grapple with?

A few of my thoughts:

1. I would think an analyst would resist being influenced – that they’d want their analysis to be based solely on their own criteria so that they can stand by it as “authentic” – and not affected by outside factors
2. At the same time, the role the analyst plays is to give insight and information – both of which will naturally influence others’ purchase decisions. And I don’t see anything wrong with that…!
3. The key to me is that the purchaser is empowered to choose – on their own – whether to listen to the analyst.

I really appreciate your kind words about my post and the fact that you shared it with your community. Thank you so much for that! I wrote it from a place of wanting to feel more empowerment in my life…

All the best, Fred –
@LisaPetrilli