One of the challenges facing high tech marketing is how to update existing analyst relations programs, given the growing importance of more types of influencers. No one wants to lose valuable AR skills. Yet, companies want to realize better returns from these staffs and programs.

This puts AR at risk on 2 fronts. The first is a matter of perception: becoming marginalized as other types of influencers win more share of mind with vendor sales and management.

The second risk is that AR will fall out of step with marketing priorities as new
disciplines displace traditional marketing silos and spend.

I believe that, like the analyst business, the analyst relations profession is not going away anytime soon. However, there are good reasons to start aligning analyst relations with newer
ideas about who’s influencing whom, how to fund influencer programs and how to measure results.