Successful Market Entry

Several years back Geoffrey Moore and I discussed attack points across the chasm. We were interested in learning about the beachhead and what criteria a firm would use to pick a new market. This also applies when non-profits target a new audience for funding.

For example, game consoles require renewed market uptake each generation, but is fairly far along the adoption curve; whereas a new security product, like an eyeball analyzer, is way to the left on the adoption/volume curve. In the same fashion as game vendors, kiva.org builds their message on top of audiences awareness (micro-finance).

Three Requirements For Successful Market Entry. In strategic communications I identified three familiar circumstances that help predict market entry success.

1/ Media infrastructure dedicated to the product. For example, a game box with a blogosphere in the tens of thousands, along with its traditional media is a huge opportunity. But, security products have only a small, traditional media following.

2/ Does the well known PR rule, editors love competition, apply? Wii versus PlayStation or Sony versus Microsoft. The story has legs due to their rivalry.

3/ Intense user interest drives growth. From iPods to In-N-Out Burger, this is true. A game box has millions of avid users, a security system has only few champions.

In my analysis, only two indicators need be present for success.