Why do we need MarketWise?

Most companies struggle to research, plan and successfully launch new growth initiatives. While the ingredients may exist within the company, often times, there just aren't enough resources to develop, fully vet and execute great strategy. MarketWise helps to guide the process and fill any gaps in expertise that may exist.

What's different about MarketWise?

MarketWise is solely focused on growth. From finding new market opportunities, to competing more effectively, to expanding to new geographies and much more, MarketWise drives the strategies that work, based on many years of practical experience, in a variety of industries, selling to all types of customers.

While many firms can assist with research, strategy, or execution, MarketWise is unique, in that it is made up of project teams that have successfully run significant growth initiatives within other companies, many times; and they've succeeded by ensuring the very best talent is applied to each project. With MarketWise, you get seasoned, best-in-class commercialization experts who have dedicated their careers to experimenting, learning and then applying those lessons to drive revenue growth. They're known as the MarketWise Network of Experts™.

How should we get started?

A really good place to start is typically with a MarketWise Growth Readiness Assessment. This is a short-term engagement (often just a week or two), where MarketWise will work with your organization's leadership team to analyze the current state, gaps and barriers as they relate to setting the organization up for growth. The assessment begins with interviews of key stakeholders, in all functional areas. Each interview is done separately, but the questions asked are the same. Once a cross-functional set of views are understood, a report of findings is written and presented, along with recommendations and a discussion of next steps. This is the end of the engagement, unless or until the client is ready to move forward with additional projects, whether market research, help with development of a strategic plan, assistance with execution or a fractional role.

"Over the past four years, my professional career has been greatly enriched by the privilege of working closely with Mike. His role as a marketing, sales and product leader has consistently demonstrated immense value to our organization. In numerous instances, he has showcased his ability to excel across a variety of industries, crafting innovative strategies that consistently set us apart from the competition. Mike's profound understanding of both business and marketing has proven to be a key differentiator in his impact on our company's success." - Josh Lehman, Senior Product Manager

Why can't we do our own market research?

Some companies can, but here are a few reasons they often choose to outsource at least some of their market research to a firm like MarketWise:

They don't have the internal expertise to conduct market research and/or perform statistical analysis of the data collected (for quantitative research)
They're testing a new business or product/service concept and want to keep the study blind (i.e., they don't want the participants to know who sponsored the study)
They want to remove any internal bias that may exist (e.g., while facilitating focus groups)
They don't have the time to conduct market research with their existing staffing levels

Don't most companies build their own strategies?

A lot of companies have some sort of strategic planning process, but often, we find that it's incomplete and sometimes, it's altogether absent. Good strategic planning starts with the mission and vision and then moves to:

Determining the strat objectives for years 1-3
Building the strat initiatives for year 1
Writing the project, product and marketing plans for year 1
Assembling the operating plan for year 1
Setting up the infrastructure to manage the year 1 plan

We should be able to execute our strategic plan on our own though, right?

In many cases yes, but sometimes, companies build their strategic plan and then it gets put on the shelf and doesn't get looked at until the following year.

To truly execute strategy, it takes a disciplined approach to: 1) establish milestones and owners, 2) review progress monthly and 3) solve unanticipated challenges as they occur. Additionally, there's frequently a significant amount to build for initiatives that are growth oriented. Here are a few examples:

Creating pricing models/tools
Building marketing/technical content
Developing commission plans
Assembling lead generation programs
Executing press relations plans
Scoping needed partnerships (and/or acquisitions)

"Since 1998, I’ve had the pleasure of working with Mike on many large, high-profile market research projects while he was at Intel, Imation, 3M and Wolters Kluwer. I’m always impressed with Mike’s enthusiasm, optimism and ability to quickly grasp complex information to solve marketing problems. The way he balances professionalism with a down-to-earth demeanor will always make him a strong leader and easy to work with. He’s always had a way with making people proud to be part of his team." - Steve Boespflug, Head of Market and Customer Insights

What are fractional executives?

Some organizations need the broad base of expertise and involvement of a chief marketing officer (CMO), chief commercial officer (CCO) or chief revenue officer (CRO), but they can't yet justify a full-time role. In these cases, MarketWise can provide fractional executives for a defined or open-ended period of time. Fractional roles are typically contracted at 25%, 50% or 75% commitments.

How are services priced?

In most cases, projects, workshops, fractional roles and speaking engagements are priced at a fixed amount. This enables ease of budgeting and the assurance that each engagement will have the appropriate amount of time and effort applied to achieve an excellent result.

Who manages my project?

Mike will be the key contact for all engagements. As a content expert on all the topics covered, Mike will play a role in every project. However, Mike works with a network of experts from throughout the United States, Canada and Europe who are applied where appropriate, as subcontractors to MarketWise.

Is there an agreement for services?

Yes, there is a master services agreement (MSA) that will be provided to outline the engagement, standard terms and conditions, etc. Schedule A serves as the scope of work, which includes milestones, dates and pricing.

What is "as a service?"

As a service is a model that allows your customers to bypass the need for a capital budget and instead buy your offerings as a service out of their operating budget, typically paid for with cost savings along the way. To the customer, as a service offerings can often be budget neutral, which for you can mean not having to wait for the new fiscal year/budget to make a sale. Additionally, an as a service offering can be a great way to begin building a recurring revenue base, thus increasing the valuation of your organization.

"I had the pleasure of working with Mike closely for three years as we began to shift our organization towards an "as a service" business model versus traditional capital expenditure sales. Mike is a leader that always thinks strategically and is not only willing, but quick to roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty to ensure success, whether he is driving the channel efforts, contract negotiations, marketing strategy, market analysis or performing media interviews. He ensures communication and relationships are strong internally, with customers and partners; and he strives to develop himself and his team." - Jan Ruderman, SVP of Sales