While tech providers have had formal analyst relations programs for 30-odd years, only Gartner and Forrester Research have reciprocated with influencer programs dedicated to vendor AR teams.  GigaOM Pro, the industry research arm of GigaOM, is about to shake up the status quo with today’s formal debut of their Analyst Relations program. The GigaOM Pro Analyst Relations program shares some expected similarities … Read More
Top analyst blogs – two views
Influence is in the eye of the beholder, and that certainly holds true with the industry analyst bloggers. I wanted to know how the blogs I highlighted at Tekrati during 2009 ranked in Jonny Bentwood’s (Edelman analyst relations specialist) “top analyst blogs” table. I’ve posted the cross-reference below. It’s a good reminder that there’s no single correct list of top … Read More
Analyst relations – the historical links archive I
Ten years ago 91 analysts and journalists went on record with their top gripes about vendor briefings and vendor PR representatives – in other words, “AR”. Jeffrey Tarter, then the mastermind behind Softletter, did the research and compiled the results. That report is still useful perspective for analyst relations professionals today. It’s one of the links I’m posting here, part … Read More
Analyst relations to influencer relations – the ‘Wallah’ principle
Seth Godin recently pointed out the benefit of focusing on just one thing — being a “wallah” — as opposed to trying to do a little bit of everything. Being a wallah means focusing on excelling in one particular area of business. That strikes a chord with me and the evolution I see for analyst relations within tech marketing. Today, … Read More
What’s another word for influencer?
There are several good reasons to replace the terms “influencer” and “influencer marketing” in the marketing vocabulary. What are the best  alternatives? I don’t know the answer, however I see signs of a backlash against misuse and abuse of these terms. What are the issues with the word influencer? To start, not everyone likes being branded as an influencer. As Evan … Read More
Analyst relations skills: building a checklist for wider influencer opportunities
Analyst relations is entering a time when the tech industry not only acknowledges – but celebrates – the rich diversity of decision-maker influencers. This shift to influencer marketing presents new opportunities for transforming AR programs and careers. Many of the skills that contribute to successful analyst relations translate smoothly to relations with other types of influencers.  And some skills do not. … Read More
Farewell to Noreen Theede
A cherished analyst relations colleague, Noreen Theede, passed away recently. Her humor, intellect, focus and enthusiasm are well known among analysts and PR/AR pro’s working in the networks and telecom sector since the early 90s. I met Noreen during a whirlwind stint at Novell. We left the company around the same time. Shortly after, Noreen was the first person to … Read More
Updating analyst relations to support new research-focused influencers
The web has revolutionized the media and research businesses. Freely available and low-cost research is gaining stature as a viable alternative to higher-priced analyst research. Those who publish so-called “good enough†research are becoming trusted influencers in their own right. Plus, maturing web search services make it easier to find premium and sponsored research stored on the web in a … Read More
Ray Wang and Jon Collins voted Analyst of the Year
Personal congratulations to Ray Wang, formerly with Forrester Research, and Jon Collins, head of Freeform Dynamics for taking top honors as “Analyst of the Year” in a survey of analyst relations professionals. More at Tekrati.
TechCrunch muscles in on syndicated research
TechCrunch has edged into the syndicated research business, the traditional turf of analyst firms such as Gartner, Forrester Research, IDC, Burton Group, et al. The idea behind TechCrunch Research is elegantly simple: package up quarterly reports based on the open source CrunchBase wiki database, sell the reports at economical price points and promote the service across the TechCrunch media network. … Read More