The Monthly Meeting of the Marketing SIG
Title: Strategy on a Shoestring: How to develop product and market strategy quickly
Speaker: Niti Agrawal, Principal & Founder, Stage 4 Solutions, Inc.
Synopsis:
A common strength among B-to-B high technology companies is that many potential markets and solution areas exist for their technology. However, these companies often don’t have the time, money, or resources to step back and decide, out of the plethora of choices, on which market segments, and on which solution capabilities to focus. By creating a focus for the company, the organization can move from being a technology developer to being a market driven and focused organization. Stage 4 Solutions, Inc. has created a 6 step strategy development process that organizations can use to rapidly develop and validate their business strategy.
During this presentation, the following 6 steps for creating a strategy will be discussed:
1. Development of decision making criteria
2. Identification of strategic options
3. Target market characteristics & competition definition
4. Investigation/research of target markets & competition
5. Market Validation: Target market customer interviews
6. Development of strategy recommendation
For each step, practical advice and detailed action items will be provided so that audience members can use the process in the development or refinement of their companies' strategies.
Niti Agrawal’s Bio
Stage 4 Solutions is a product marketing firm with four consecutive years of double-digit growth. The firm specializes in maximizing marketing investments for Fortune 500 high-techs and emerging high-tech leaders by providing strategic business and product plans, focused sales tools, competitive analyses, new product launches, and interim marketing staffing solutions. Stage 4 Solutions is staffed by senior-level consultants in the Silicon Valley and India.
Since founding the company in 2001, Niti and the team of senior marketing professionals have achieved 100% referenceability with market leading clients such as HP, Symantec, SAP, HP, Sun Microsystems, Yahoo!, Symantec, Nokia, Wind River, and a host of start up companies.
Prior to founding Stage 4 Solutions, Niti was the Director of Product Marketing for Agile Software, a leading provider of Product Lifecycle Management solutions. Previously Niti led the team at HP responsible for a $400M PC server product line. In this role she was responsible for managing channel inventory, forecasting, pricing, service and support operations, end of life transitions and new product introductions.
Niti holds an MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Accounting and Finance with highest honors from The Wharton School of Business.
Event Logistics
Location
DLA Piper Rudnick Gray Cary LLP
2000 University Ave.(University Circle)
East Palo Alto, CA 94303
Tel: 650.833.2000
Note: These are the tall buildings on the corner of University Avenue and Woodland Avenue on the west side of Hwy. 101. They are in the University Circle complex.
Directions
Agenda
6:30 - 7:00 p.m. Registration / Networking / Refreshments*
*Refreshments provided by our monthly sponsor, Athol Foden, of Brighter Naming
Pizza & soda is available for additional cost.
7:00 - 7:15 p.m. Announcements and Introductions
7:15 - 8:30 p.m. Presentation and Discussion
8:30 - 8:45 p.m. Wrap-up / Networking
Cost
$15 at the door for non-SDForum members
No charge for SDForum members
No registration required
For more information about the Marketing SIG, please visit the Marketing SIG Main Page, at www.sdforum.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Page.viewPage&pageId=664&parentID=659&nodeID=1.
