This presentation helps non-US high-tech companies understand market conditions in the US and specifically the Silicon Valley 1) US Market Conditions 2) Marketing structure and “lingo” 3) Integrated Marketing and Sales 4) Position your product/service for the US Market 5) Be ready for life at Internet speed 6) Become a “virtual” communicator 7) Network, network, network… 8) It Takes a Village 9) Before you Leave Home 10) A few Silicon Valley Secrets For help with your US marketing, contact frances@addisonmarketing.com

1. Top 10 Marketing Tips for Non-US
Companies Expanding to the US
Frances Mann-Craik
CEO, Addison Marketing
frances@addisonmarketing.com
www.addisonmarketing.com

2. Marketing in the US – Top 10
1. Understand US market conditions
2. US marketing structure and “lingo”
3. Integrated Marketing and Sales
4. Position your product/service for the US Market
5. Be ready for life at Internet speed
6. Become a “virtual” communicator
7. Network, network, network…
8. It Takes a Village
9. Before you Leave Home
10. A few Valley secrets

3. 1. Understand US Market Conditions
 The US is a big country – 3000 miles, 3 times zones
 Many tech centers - New York, Boston, North
Carolina, San Diego, Austin Silicon Valley
 Competition is fierce
 Relationships help build your reputation and business
– Influencers, partners, resellers, customers
 Engagements are changing – from push to pull

4. 2. US Marketing Structure and Lingo
 Marketing Functions:
– Product Marketing
– Channels and Alliances
– Marketing Communications
 Marketing Lingo:
– Chasms, Gorillas…Inbound marketing, Blogs,
Widgets…
– http://onlineslangdictionary.com

5. Marketing’s Charter
 Marketing as a strategic function:
– Position your company for market leadership
– Focus on awareness building -- for fund
raising, alliances and partnerships, sales to
early adopters
 Marketing for sales development:
- Generate leads
- Drive interactions down
the funnel to the ultimate sale

6. US Marketing Department
Structure

7. Product Marketing
In the early days, the entire company does
product marketing!
 Define market requirements
 Evaluate competition
 Liaison with development and manufacturing
 Determine pricing
 Launch and evangelize
 Life cycle management

8. Channels and Alliances
 Broaden sales reach – geography, vertical
 Product distribution and/or support
 Partners to create “whole product”
 Partners to provide credibility

9. Marketing Communications
 Outbound and inbound -- spread the word, be
easily “found,” build awareness, generate leads:
– Website
– SEO/SEM
– Content development
– Public Relations
– Social engagements
– Advertising
– Events

10. Marcom Strategy & Tactics

11. 3. Integrated Marketing and Sales
 Sales Force Automation
 Marketing Automation
 Continuously reach out and touch customers as
they move through the funnel
 On-going visibility into customer
nurturing
 Sales steps in after the customer is
warm and knowledgeable

12. 4. Position Your Product/Service
for the US Market
 Define how your product is different from the
competition (better, cheaper, faster) and why
customers NEED your product
 Identify the key customers you should go “above
and beyond”
 Leverage references from the
first customer to adjacent
“bowling pins” to help you
move across the chasm

13. The Landscape of the Technology
Adoption Life Cycle – Crossing the Chasm – Silicon
Valley Tech Marketing “Bible”
Main Street
The
Tornado
Early
End of Life
Chasm
Market The
Bowling
The
Alley
Excerpted from Inside the Tornado by Geoffrey Moore. HarperBusiness, 1995. Reproduced with permission from The Chasm Group.

14. 5. Life at Internet Speed
 “I don’t mean to be rude, but I’m in a hurry”
 Meetings are set 2-3 days ahead, not weeks
 “Nice to meet you, now give me the details”
 Decisions are often made in real time, at a meeting,
summarized by a one-page email of understanding
(then the lawyers work the details)
 Projects are delegated to specialists
 Good employees are hard to find – hire fast

15. 6. Become a Virtual Communicator
 There are no longer secretaries or admins
 Technology people use email, voicemail and texting
-- and write and answer themselves
 Many editors and journalists prefer email “pitches”
 Focus hard on the email subject line – it’s your one
chance to open the door
 Answer your emails in a timely way – opportunities
come and go quickly

16. 7. Network
 Who you know will get you into who you
need to know – it’s all about networks
 Online networking – social media expands your reach
and the speed of networking
 Seminars and conferences increase your knowledge
and make valuable connections
 Follow up – start a business relationship, perhaps a
friendship

17. Networking
 Churchill Club: www.churchillclub.com
 Silicon Valley Association of Software Entrepreneurs and
Silicon Valley Forum: www.svforum.org
 World Internet Center: www.worldinternetcenter.com
 AlwaysOn – Networking for the Global Silicon Valley:
aonetwork.com
 Chinese Information and Networking Association: CINA.org

18. 8. It Takes a Village
Customers
Employees
Fellow Entrepreneurs Facilities
Equity Capital Web Hosting
Distribution Partners
Web Design Firm
People
Accountants with Advisors
Passion
Editors Recruiters
Blogger
s Public Relations
Marketing Services Analysts
Lawyers HR, ISHardware Resellers
Value Partners
Bankers

19. 9. Before You Leave Home
 Make sure your website is rich and relevant for the US
market
– Positioning, messages, communications platform
– Provide Keyword-rich relevant content
– Have a native review the website content for correct
American English
– Fix your META tags – title, description, URL, keywords
 Watch/engage the social media channels around your
technology – Twitter, LinkedIn, Google+, Facebook
 Follow key influencers for your space on Social
Media… join the conversation

20. 10. First Serious Steps in the US
 Engage a Valley law firm
 Immigration (before you leave home!)
 Incorporation – different laws in different states
 Intellectual Property – trademarks, copyrights, patents
 Contracts – employee, partnerships, licensee agreements…
 Contacts – VCs, Angels, Consultants…
 An impressive law firm gives you “instant credibility”
 US Address – Regus or other office rental
 US Launch – with a local marketing agency

21. Some Silicon Valley Secrets
 For PR attention – position your news into “hot”
topics – for example, this month:
 B2C – Facebook, Google, Apple, Mobile, Apps,
Tablets
 B2B – Big Data, Cloud, SaaS
 No laws to protect employment -- California is
“At will.” No company interest in skills retention,
retraining,etc. it’s all on the individual
 Youth is “good”; Maturity is “good”

22. Some Silicon Valley Secrets
 “Pay-It-Forward” culture – Silicon Valley people
are willing to help, network and connect
strangers
 Failure…Success…Success…Failure…Success
- A seasoned Silicon Valley entrepreneur has
failed and--more often--succeeded, past failures
are a stepping stone to future success
 Passion, tenacity, intelligence, and a willingness
to work hard are essential and revered –
regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnicity…

23. Reference Materials
 Cross the Chasm, Geoffrry Moore
 The Art of the Start, Guy Kawasaki
 Business Model Generation, Alexander Osterwalder
 The Lean Startup, Eric Ries
 The Startups Owners Manual – By Steve Blank and
Bob Dorf
 Free Class: How to Build a Startup (EP245) The
Lean LaunchPad
http://www.udacity.com/overview/Course/ep245/Cour
seRev/1