Industry Analyst Relations - An Extension to PR

In today's world companies in almost all industries depend more and more on a powerful IT infrastructure. Networked computer solutions are no longer just an electronic filing system or an infrastructure for an email system. Today, a company's superior IT infrastructure can become the most dangerous weapon of a company. It allows for quick adaptation to changing business requirements, it enables an agile corporation, it allows fast access to data to support fast decisions, it can become the most powerful sales tool of the company - rather than just supporting a sales organization.

IT vendors who sell mainly to businesses - rather than to consumers - should be interested in industry analysts praising or recommending their products to their clients, i.e. to the vendor's potential customers.

An analyst program is all about becoming a trusted advisor, to use a popular phrase. We will understand later that we actually do not want to influence the influencer, but a good industry analyst program is about building the trusted relations that overcomes the obstacles to informing industry analysts properly. In fact, the influential analysts do not need at all "to be sold to". They will insist on receiving facts. They will not allow their objectivity and independence to be compromised.

But a true industry analyst relations program goes beyond providing information
to industry analysts. A true industry analyst relations program consists of several dimensions. It is based on the idea of bringing top industry analysts into a strategic partnership with a company. Once a true partnership is established, a corporation can benefit in multiple ways from the knowledge that sits with the analysts.