myths & truths marketing your startup (1)

PRESENTED BY:

Myths & Truths - Building a

Product

January 28, 2015PRESENTED BY:

PRESENTER:

ROBERT WALLACE

EVP MARKETING, TALLWAVE

[email protected]

INTRODUCTION

ROBERT WALLACE

Executive Vice President, Marketing

Tallwave LLC

Marketer, entrepreneur and problem

solver.

Helps early stage tech startups take

their products to market and stake a

claim to a winning position in the

marketplace.

In a previous life:

● Affinnova

● Internet Venture Works

● Airwalk

[email protected]

WWW.TALLWAVE.COM/MARKETING [email protected]

AGENDA


• Myth 1: You need a PR firm or ad agency to launch

your startup.

• Myth 2: (a) You should focus on product and sales

before thinking about marketing, (b) A great product

alone solves all my marketing problems.

• Myth 3: Investors don’t care about branding and

marketing.

• Myth 4: You need a CMO or VP of Marketing to market

your startup.

THE MYTHS


MYTH #1: YOU NEED A PR FIRM OR AD

AGENCY TO LAUNCH YOUR STARTUP


MISCONCEPTION

Marketing is only about awareness.


REALITY #1

Advertising is not marketing.

Neither is PR.


THE TRUTH: MARKETING IS ABOUT REVENUE

WWW.TALLWAVE.COM/SANDCASTLE [email protected]/MARKETING [email protected]

TIPS:

1. Focus = Strength

1. Use cheap marketing tools such as MailChimp, Sprout

Social, Pr.co, JustReachOut, Mixrank, PromoJam

1. Tap into inexpensive resources such as Elance, fiverr,

or oDesk

1. Measure everything, and experiment until you see what

works


MYTH #2a: YOU SHOULD FOCUS ON

PRODUCT AND SALES BEFORE

THINKING ABOUT MARKETING

MYTH #2b: A GREAT PRODUCT ALONE

SOLVES ALL MY MARKETING

PROBLEMS


MISCONCEPTION: THESE GUYS DID IT!

“Uber is such a great experience it markets

itself.”


Marketing is hard, non-sexy, work.


THE TRUTH:


TIPS:

1. Focus on how you plan to get to revenue for your

company - forcing product, marketing, and sales to be

at the table.

1. Map the detailed customer journey from the moment

they purchase/use your product backwards.


MYTH #4: INVESTORS DON’T CARE

ABOUT BRANDING AND MARKETING


MISCONCEPTION

Branding is just about logos and colors.

Marketing is just about spending money.



“GREAT BRANDING ISN'T JUST ABOUT THE

PRODUCT YOU'RE SELLING NOW, BUT

ABOUT MAINTAINING THE SALES

MOMENTUM INTO THE PRODUCT YOU'LL BE

SELLING TOMORROW.” BEN MACK, THINK TWO PRODUCTS AHEAD


Investors want to invest in companies that can

win in the marketplace.

Branding and marketing are critical facets to

doing that.

TRUTH: YOUR FOUNDATION FOR GROWTH

AND RAISING MONEY EXISTS IN YOUR POSITIONING

STATEMENT


Wholesalefund to Shelvspace – Company Rebrand & Reposition

There is no clear solution for brands looking to integrate, optimize and measure

their local, social and mobile marketing & sales efforts in the digital out of home

(DOOH) marketplace.

Clearly Articulate the Problem You’re Solving

Define Your Position, Differentiate Your Solution, Create New Markets

“Company Name” is the social out of home (SOOH) media company.

Unlike traditional and next generation DOOH solutions that deliver impressions

and actions; the “Company Name” media network delivers impressions, creates

consumer engagement and drives leads and sales by integrating local, social

and mobile marketing for brands, agencies and dooh networks via a single

platform.

• STRATEGY: CURRENT COMPETITION


TIP:

THE FIVE ELEMENTS OF A POSITIONING STATEMENT

(AKA YOUR MARKETING STRATEGY)

“Company Name” is the leading type of company

that provides unique benefit to target customers.

Unlike competitors, company does unique

differentiator(s).

MYTH #4: YOU NEED A CMO OR VP OF

MARKETING TO LAUNCH YOUR

STARTUP


MISCONCEPTION

“As the founder/CEO, I don’t have time to do

marketing myself.”

“I’m not a marketing person.”


REALITY #2

A startup’s marketing strategy is too

important NOT to be owned by the

founder/CEO.


• Defines your

business

• Defines who you are

and who you are not

• Foundation for how

you address the

marketplace

THE TRUTH: Your startup’s brand, positioning, and

messaging matter...a lot.



TIPS:

1. Spend the time and effort to nail your positioning

statement, messaging, and marketing objectives.

1. Understand what marketing metrics are driving your

business.

1. Hire more junior marketers to execute and test different

tactics until you know what’s working and what’s not.

AN INTENSIVE 2-WEEK BRANDING + MESSAGING SPRINT

Articulate a compelling story around your unique value

Stake claim to a differentiated position in the market

Reduce confusion with your target stakeholders

Package your company for sales and fundraising

TALLWAVE.COM/MARKETING

[email protected]

Questions?

WWW.TALLWAVE.COM/SANDCASTLE [email protected]

PRESENTED BY:

Myths & Truths - Building a

Product

January 28, 2015PRESENTED BY:

PRESENTER:

ROBERT WALLACE

EVP MARKETING, TALLWAVE

[email protected]

myths & truths marketing your startup (1)

Small Business & Entrepreneurship