Selling Technology

Several years ago, I wrote an article on a new product. I do not recall the trademarked name, but I do recall that an innovative combination of design and technology intrigued me enough to test it on a deer hunt. I was impressed by its performance in the field, and on my return home discussed the potential of success of this product with the company’s marketing manager.  

I thought consumers would embrace it. So did he. They didn’t. Soon after launch, it quickly sank without a trace. When I circled back to the marketing manager for his take, he said, “We think it was just a few years ahead of its time.”

The experience taught me that getting consumers to accept new technology can be difficult. It’s not simply a matter of “build it and they will come.” You have to give them a reason to embrace something new, which is the job of the marketing department.

All of which leads us to an interview with Rafe Nielsen, Browning’s director of marketing and communications. He told me that one of the company’s challenges is “not only keeping up with the demands of customers, but how we stay ahead of the curve. From a product standpoint, we have to keep up with technology.”

At the same time, “From a marketing standpoint, we have to constantly be up to date on how to communicate with customers. Digital and social media strategies are constantly changing, and companies that don’t keep up will fall by the wayside.”

An industry veteran, he told me how much marketing has changed over the course of his career. Essentially, it requires him to be nimble in adapting to new marketing approaches.

“I’ve now been in the industry 20 years,” he says. “Back in those days marketing and advertising were dominated by print ads and TV commercials. And honestly, it was pretty simple. The channels to our customers were narrow and direct. Now our customers get their information from so many different channels it’s hard to target and focus a message. Print and TV are still relevant, but the digital world is so much bigger and diverse. You have to broaden your message to accommodate many different channels, and those messages need to reach the totality of your audience. Essentially, now you have to be good at all forms of communication, from print to social to video, and on and on. It’s a far more complex world, but frankly, it’s more rewarding, too. You can see the immediate impact of your efforts, make real time adjustments, and capitalize on your successes.”

Well said. And, I would add, it also helps to be part of company that knows it customers well, protects the integrity of its brand, and, while taking advantage of emerging technology, doesn’t get too far out ahead of its customers.