文档介绍：Rosen, Schroeder, Purinton, / Marketing High Tech Products
Marketing High Tech Products:
Lessons in Customer Focus from the Marketplace
Deborah E. Rosen
University of Rhode Island
Jonathan E. Schroeder
University of Rhode Island
Elizabeth F. Purinton
University of Rhode Island
This research was supported by a research grant from the University of Rhode Island College of Business Administration. Contact
Deborah E. Rosen at: University of Rhode Island Department of Marketing 7 Lippitt Road Kingston, RI 02881 e-mail:
******@.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Nystrom (1990) described high tech markets as marketing dependent and technologically driven. Unfortunately, there is
evidence that this linkage is not often recognized anizations (Gupta, Ray and Wilemon 1985). High tech markets
are characterized plex. In addition, they exist under rapidly changing technological conditions which lead to shorter
life cycles (Davidow 1986) and the need for rapid decisions (Bridges, Coughlan, and Kalish 1991). The importance of
speed in high tech markets is driven by petition and the continually evolving expectations of customers
(Doyle and Saunders 1985). All of this pounded by higher levels of risk for both the customer and the producer.
As a result of these dynamic market conditions high panies frequently rely on a product focus (Dugal and
Schroeder 1995, Marcus and Segal 1989) driven by innovations in technology rather than by the needs of the customer.
This failure to incorporate a customer focus is pounded by an absence of attention to the critical role which the
diffusion of innovation plays in essful product launch.
As illustrated by the three cases presented in this paper, the e of a product focus is often a product launch which
does not live up to its technological promise. The launch of Philips’ CD-I, Apple’s Newton, and Sony’s BetaMax,
illustrate the critical role which the diffusion of innovation proc