Y2G Associates will audit your product marketing and overall marketing operations and provide you with Planning Assistance, Product and Vertical Launch Plans, Management Systems and Implementation Services to exceed your expectations.
With so much at stake, Y2G Associates' helps their clients develop and execute analyst relations plans. Typical plans include bottom-line analysis of trends, development in the analyst industry itself, best practices and practical advice to building relationships and gaining mindshare.
Y2G Associates offers clients an unbiased approach, helping them to clarify options, simplify decisions, manage cost, save time and ultimately, reduce risk.
The typical buyer of technology relies - to a significant degree - on the advice, recommendations and research of industry analyst firms. Developing high level relationships and gaining mindshare with these analysts are critical to the success of software vendors. Those vendors that succeed will be those who devote a significant effort to their analyst relations function - particularly true for those experiencing M&A activity, significant expansion, new technologies and/or organic revenue growth.
Analyst Relations Solutions
The role and importance of Analyst Relations (AR) is often misunderstood. Executive leaders often have an enlightening perspective on their corporate strategy and can establish initial rapport with industry analysts. However, they do not have the bandwidth to service ongoing requirements for inbound and outbound product information, case studies, sales successes, competitive information and market trends impacting their focus area(s). After being on both the customer and the analyst sides of the table, Y2G Associates are in a unique position to help you develop relationships and gain mindshare with industry analysts – vital to obtaining a competitive edge.
Your products and services are regularly ranked by mission-critical analysts and you may struggle with how to obtain the greatest value from your analyst relationships. Whether capitalizing on an internal dedicated resource, leveraging an outsourced resource, or working as a team, Y2G Associates helps you optimize your critical-time investment with custom materials and presentations that meet the highest knowledge transfer objectives for targeted analyst firms. Y2G Associates works as a dedicated AR manager, establishing and extending relationships with influential analysts and becomes a valuable conduit of advice regarding competitors, market trends and new technologies.
Analyst Relations Program Assessment
Y2G Associates evaluates the extent to which you have established a proactive process for ongoing communication and education of industry analysts. Y2G reviews your overall budget and deliverables and provides recommendations for current and future purchased analyst research services. We measure the response rate to your proactive ad-hoc analyst inquiries, monitor feedback, ensure the correct deliverables are provided and suggest research topics to be explored. Y2G emphasizes a ‘Push Distribution’ process of “flash” information to analysts, while simultaneously deploying a ‘Demand Pull’ of information from the analyst community, thereby insuring a two-way communication channel. In addition, Y2G measures your ability to influence analyst perceptions of, and writings about your products and services.
Deliverables for the program assessment include a summary document driven by on-site visits to determine your current effectiveness based on best practices; identification and recommendations on how to enhance your analysts relations program; and, suggestions on how to drive maximum return on benefit in the shortest amount of time.
Analyst Relations Program Development
Y2G Associates’ customized Analyst Relations Strategy and Execution Plan is necessary to ensure the delivery of the right message to your market. Decisions we make today about analyst relations can pose high risks or deliver great rewards. With so much at stake, it makes sense to have a plan of attack toward analyst relations. Y2G’s plan addresses bottom-line analysis of industry trends, developments in the analyst industry itself, best practices and practical advice to guide you through the process of building relationships with the industry analysts and gaining mind share. Y2G’s unbiased approach toward analyst relations will help you clarify options, simplify decisions, manage cost, save time and ultimately, reduce risk.
The Program Development deliverables include an immediately actionable plan and program that leverages your resources directed towards Analyst Relations for both external (the analysts) and internal (e.g., sales, product marketing, engineering, support, et al) impact. Y2G also develops an Analyst Relations Calendar and Schedule of Activities that highlights major events and ensures that all participants are on the same page relative to analyst relations
Competitive Landscape of Analysts
The competitive landscape is an analytical exercise that determines which analyst firms are most suited to your needs; and specifically, which analysts are appropriate for your areas of coverage. Y2G provides you with a list of ‘targeted’ analysts, and develops a ranking of the analysts on a number of criteria to assist in segmenting and prioritizing the analysts. Based on this segmentation, a recommended cost and time benefit correlation is developed to optimize resources for each analyst and tier. Y2G works with each of the analyst firms on your behalf and provides you with input on products, trends, sales activities and client relations.
Competitive Landscape deliverables include a review of the current environment of each analyst firm, key analyst profiles, topics they are actively tracking, specific core competencies, timeframe of research projections and offerings for standard and custom research interaction.
Analyst Relations Performance Metrics
Y2G Associates helps you measure both objective and subjective performance metrics of the Analyst Relations Strategy and Plan. Five key areas are periodically monitored to assess performance verses plan. The five areas are:
Analyst Interactions – purely a quantitative measure of activities, that indirectly indicates level of effort toward analyst interaction
Coverage – quantity of coverage is objectively determined; quality of coverage will be subjectively appraised
Referrals – leads originating from the Analyst Community
Analyst Reference Case - ability to use a particular Analyst as an indirect reference (indirect in that they are not user clients and are often restricted form being direct references)
Level to which Analysts are a sounding board for Product Direction (subjective measurement)
Deliverables include reporting on performance targets and objectives and refinement of Analyst Relations Plan to ensure we achieve your goals.
Analyst Road-Show groundwork
This offering is designed to help you maximize the investment of time and resources when you personally interact with the analyst community. The primary goals are to hone your message and prepare your spokesperson. Y2G’s road-show preparation process is a structured approach that includes review & critique, education, analysis, guided discussions, recommendations, role-playing and decision-making. Decision making is very important as it is an actionable, bottom line component in preparation for the road-show.
Deliverables include working with product marketing to secure complete and detailed presentation materials to ensure delivery of quality information to individual analysts in a way that is perceived in the best possible light.
Analyst Conference Preparation
Y2G’s analyst conference preparation activities are designed to ensure that you maximize your investment in analyst conferences, where analysts from multiple firms converge for intensive briefings on strategy and products. Y2G works with you to develop a proactive ‘attack’ plan for attendance at an event, with defined tasks for each participant. Plans often emphasize data gathering, networking, key message delivery and post conference follow-up activities.
Deliverables include pre-scheduled meetings with analysts critical to your communication plan; evaluation of sponsor-based opportunities at analyst conferences to determine cost-benefit impact; and identification and development of key messages for each event.
Analyst Relations for Start Ups
Analyst Relations for Start Ups is a one-day workshop designed to give an accelerated launch to a new company’s Analyst Relations program.
Deliverables include an overview of the analyst landscape and best practice recommendations in creating an Analyst Program; and, strategic and tactical activities and tasks for managing expectations from the analyst community.
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Learn more about our Tools & Services:
Competitive Performance Calculator
Channel & Alliance Management
Product Life Cycle
Product Marketing
Sales Operations
M&A Advice and Capital Raising
Professional Services
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