Question

Topic: Other

Inventorying Competitors, Partners, Etc.

Posted by memmakersorg on 5/5/2015 at 1:45 PM ET 250 Points
Are there tools, best practices that allow one to map an organizations marketing space [Knowledge, artifacts, etc.]

I'd like a system/method where members of an organization can inventory the marketing knowledge of a group. Kind of an organization's marketing Wikipedia.

Stuff this marketing Wikipedia would track might include:
1. Competitors [web site url, important people, important search terms, ...]
2. Products [Name, launch date, features, ...]
3. Events [Name, start date, end date, ...]
4. Influencers [Name, Type, description, ...]
5. Channels [Name, Type, description, ...]
...

Needless to say the tool would be easy to edit, add users to, roll-back changes, etc.

I currently build one using wiki like tools everywhere I go — but wonder if there is a best practice for doing so.

Thanks.
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RESPONSES

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 5/5/2015 at 4:41 PM Member
    You're looking at a good chunk of it.

    The search function of this forum does 45 percent of what you've listed.
  • Posted by memmakersorg on 5/5/2015 at 7:24 PM Author
    mmm @Gary, I think my question may not have been clear.

    I want to track key items:
    1. Events for my organization
    2. Competitors for my organization.

    So a Competitor page may be
    ..Name
    ..Website
    ..Description
    ..Address
    ..Founded
    ..Notes

    So I'm not looking to create a wiki that is general purpose

    Thanks,

    Arman.
  • Posted by Jay Hamilton-Roth on 5/5/2015 at 11:50 PM Accepted
    I'd focus my inventory around the goals you're trying to achieve/measure. If it's dates of launches, use a calendar. If it's major clients, then consider an influencer graph/map, etc. Basically, gather what you need, and not simply information for information's sake.
  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 5/6/2015 at 8:42 AM Member
    For a tool that's easy to use for your business, your best bet is Basecamp. By all means monitor the top competitive performers in your niche, and consider creating alliances with them, but you can can probably ignore 80 to 90 percent of the rest.

    As for your initial list of 1 through 5 and creating an inventory the marketing knowledge of a group, knowledge, by definition depends on people, not on when products were launched, what features this channel has, and so on. So here, I'd be asking your team what they know about X, with X being the blank in whatever set of variables their knowledge can help you fill in.
  • Posted by memmakersorg on 5/6/2015 at 4:58 PM Author
    Hi all, so basically what I'm here is that there is no structured wiki like too -- besides say something like basecamp?

  • Posted by Gary Bloomer on 5/6/2015 at 5:15 PM Accepted
    Probably not.
  • Posted by memmakersorg on 5/6/2015 at 5:19 PM Author
    Would there be a need is such a system -- web based system existed that allowed in inventorying, discussion of marketing artifacts.

    If so I'm looking for a listing of the Marketing Artifacts -- I've created one and might be interested in releasing a cleaned up version as open source.

    The artifacts I typically track are:

    1. Competitors
    2. Products
    3. Product Features
    4. Channel Partners
    5. Partners
    6. Events
    7. Important People
  • Posted on 5/6/2015 at 6:23 PM Accepted
    It seems to me that you have selected a very mechanical/sterile set of parameters. What about target audience, key segments, positioning, marketing strategy, sales/distribution, advertising and media strategy, pricing, promotion, etc. -- especially important for competitors.
  • Posted by memmakersorg on 5/6/2015 at 10:04 PM Author
    Agreed,

    Where would one get a more comprehensive list of Artifacts?
  • Posted by Shelley Ryan on 5/21/2015 at 9:47 PM Moderator
    Hi Everyone,

    I am closing this question since there hasn't been much recent activity.

    Thanks for participating!

    Shelley
    MarketingProfs
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