Daily Archives: November 11, 2007

The Sourcing Innovation Open Pricing Model

SPONSORSHIPS TEMPORARILY SUSPENDED

Since most of the new generation of marketers in the space don’t get the value of brand visibility and the value of being associated with a leading, independent, authority who focuses on education and not marketing or propaganda, and

Since SI will not adopt the “sponsored post” model as SI does not believe in “pay-to-play“, and more importantly, will not risk selling out its principals for extra $$$’s (as it’s very hard to maintain relationships when a “sponsor” thinks they can push what they want when they pay — as Lead Consulting Analyst on Advanced Sourcing for Spend Matters, <i>the doctor</i> is aware of the agony Client Relations and Editorial goes through on a weekly basis enforcing Spend Matters’ editorial ethics and just doesn’t want that headache)

SI temporarily suspended sponsorships when the doctor was writing for Spend Matters Pro and the M&A mania erupted the space into chaos.  However, now that the doctor is no longer associated with Spend Matters, and the M&A mania has calmed down, the doctor may re-open sponsorships this year under the right set of conditions.

SI will keep intermittently publishing and keep addressing relevant issues in the interim, and in particular will cover those issues that are going unaddressed by the “leaders“, but SI will not keep up a daily schedule going forward (but will definitely continue to publish a few pieces each month).

FYI, if you are wondering what THE VALUE OF SI ASSOCIATION is:

Over 1/3 of all companies that have had a commercial relationship with SI since its inception have merged or been acquired and are now bigger, more successful entities

Over 2/3 of all companies that have sponsored SI have merged or been acquired and are now bigger, more successful entities

To the best of SI’s knowledge, NO OTHER INDEPENDENT PUBLICATION or Independent Analyst Entity HAD THIS SUCCESS RATE.

Consistent with SI’s goal of openness and knowledge sharing, SI’s sponsorship model is public.

Basic Sponsorship

Overview (A MAXIMUM OF 5 Slots Available in 2023!)

  • linked company logo on the topmost section of the right-hand sidebar
  • “Sponsor Welcome” post and up to one “interview”, “commentary”, or “subject of interest” post per quarter (where SI maintains final editorial oversight)
  • unlimited permission to reproduce blog posts, with citation and URL, during the sponsorship period (subject to the Sourcing Innovation copyright requirements and restrictions)
  • attendance, and blog coverage, of one sponsor event per year in North America or Western Europe (at sponsor’s expense) [minimum twleve month sponsorship]
  • assistance with up to two webcasts / per year [one per six months of continuous sponsorship] (max 60 minutes for the Xcasts)
  • one affiliate content link

Payment Options

  • one lump sum up front or
  • equal payments at the start of every quarter

PRICING

The following pricing model is valid until June 30, 2023.

$3,000 / month (minimum 3 month commitment)
$2,700 / month with a 6 month commitment
$2,400 / month with a 12 month commitment

These rates are valid for the length of the initial contract period (up to twelve months). Sponsors get first right of refusal on continued sponsorship beyond their initial sponsorship period at the rates in effect 60 days before the end-date of their current sponsorship period and will then have 30 days to make a decision before the exclusive first right of refusal expires. The advertised rates will not change more than once per quarter, regardless of demand or change in site popularity.

You can e-mail thedoctor <at> sourcinginnovation <dot> com at any time to discuss sponsorship opportunities.

Why I’m Going to Sponsor SI … for Executives

I believe in an open business environment enabled by education and knowledge sharing.
Furthermore, I believe that independent blogs, and not trade publications and analyst firms, are the future of knowledge dissemination on the internet.

I believe in the power of informed, independent opinions.
Sourcing Innovation is a breath of fresh air compared to the vendor blogs that seem to dominate the space.

I know that an informed customer is better than an uninformed one.
It’s easier to sell to a customer who understands what they need.

I believe in the power of the brand.
I know that the average life-span of a business is 14 years and shrinking, that only 33% of companies in the Fortune 500 will get through the next decade unscathed, and that there is a strong correlation between the top 100 brands and those companies that have survived relatively unscathed for more than 5 years. I believe that SI will help me build my brand.

I know that when it comes to enterprise software, click-through advertising doesn’t cut it.
Click-throughs work when you’re selling commodity goods that can be bought on an impulse. They don’t work when you’re selling sophisticated enterprise software systems that require layers of budget approvals.

I know that throwing up a companion website to a traditional print publication doesn’t guarantee hits, and that this means that advertising in on-line versions of traditional publications isn’t useful.
Brand value comes from brand recognition, and that comes from continual exposure. Most publications haven’t embraced the power of the new media, and still publish the bulk of their new material on a traditional monthly publication schedule. As a result, visitors to those sites tend to check them only once or twice a month, which implies that they will have very limited exposure, if any, to my advertisement. Thus, the return on the (large amount of) money I paid will be minimal.

I believe that a SI sponsorship is perfect for me.
There are no advertisements – just a small, restricted number of sponsor logos. Even if readers don’t notice my logo every day, they’re still going to notice it regularly. This will give me brand recognition every day. Readers will remember the intro post, they’ll know what I do, and I’ll get invited to the table. One informational SI post is worth a dozen press releases, because it is passed around, reviewed, and re-reviewed by my customers and their peers. Regular reading of SI allows readers to understand what they’re looking for and be able to see where my solution adds value. I believe I win when the customer best understands the value I offer.

I’m going to e-mail thedoctor <at> sourcinginnovation <dot> com, because I know where my market is going – they’re going to Sourcing Innovation!

P.S. If you want the long version, it can still be found here in the original post: Why I’m Going to Sponsor SI!

Why I’m Going To Sponsor SI

Note: If you’re short on time, please see Why I’m Going To Sponsor SI … For Executives for an abbreviated version.

I believe in an open business environment, where knowledge is shared and users are educated and informed. I choose to support independent thought leaders who can cut through marketing double-speak, veils of secrecy, and accepted myths, and who can drill to the truth of the matter. And I believe that independent blogs, not trade publications and analyst firms, are the future of knowledge dissemination on the internet.

SI is the first and only blog that is focused primarily on end user education and knowledge sharing. It is also the only major blog written by a technologist who understands what technology can (and cannot) do, and therefore it is the only blog capable of diving deep into solution offerings and not just the marketing around them. This allows the editor to understand what a solution provider can do, what they could do, and what they ought to do, and to pass that knowledge on so that buyers can make an informed decision. And it’s one of the only blogs where the author is not afraid to have an informed and independent opinion. In a space populated primarily by vendor blogs with vendor messages, it’s a breath of fresh air.

By sponsoring SI, I’m letting the world know that I believe in openness, knowledge sharing, and honesty. I’m confident in the value of my offering, so I want to help my prospective customers understand my products as well as those of my competitors. My prospective customers, who understand what they’re looking for thanks to great expository posts on SI, get a good sense of what my products and I are all about before they make the first contact. This allows us to have a meaningful dialogue from day one! And I serve my current customers by insuring the continued availability of a great resource that expands their minds, knowledge, and capabilities.

Furthermore, an investment in SI, which will be seen as a positive by my target market, helps me to build my brand for the long term. I’m familiar with the research by Bain & Co which determined that the average business life-span is now 14 years, that only 33% of the companies in the Fortune 500 will get through the next decade unscathed, and that the other 67% will either have to merge, acquire, or drastically change their business model to survive. I’m familiar with the Interbrand rankings that rank the top 100 most valuable brands. And I see the strong correlation between those companies that have survived more than 5 years in the Fortune 500 unscathed and those with a high brand value.

I understand that click-through advertising doesn’t cut it – because, as easily measurable as clicks are, clicks alone don’t have value. It’s not clicks, it’s not registrations, it’s sales and market-place recognition. Just because I paid $3 for a Google ad-word doesn’t mean that a click I get from that ad-word is going to have value. First of all, most search terms mean different things to different people, so “purchasing solution” could mean a P-card to one user and a full-fledged “e-Procurement Solution” to another. Secondly, there’s no way to know if I’m reaching my target market. Maybe it’s a senior buyer typing “sourcing” — but maybe it’s an HR recruiter who also does talent sourcing.

I also believe that advertising in on-line variants of traditional publications is insufficient. Brand value comes from brand recognition, and that comes from continual exposure. Most publications haven’t embraced the power of the new media, and still publish the bulk of their new material on a traditional monthly publication schedule. As a result, visitors to those sites tend to check them only once or twice a month, which gives them little exposure to my advertisement. Furthermore, since these sites use traditional advertising models and allow virtually unlimited ads — scattered throughout, over, and under, the page — there’s no guarantee that my ad is going to be seen at all! And even though I may get a click-through from someone in the space, it’s not necessarily someone interested in what I have to offer.

I’m selling enterprise software and services – not books and CDs. I’m not going to get a sale on a click, even if it’s from a purchasing director looking to buy a solution that does almost exactly what my solution does. I’m going to get the sale by winning the deal against all the other vendors that get invited to the table in the selection process. And the way I win this deal is (1) by getting invited to the table in the first place, which will not happen if I’m not known, and (2) by selling to a buyer who understands the value in what I’m selling, which will not happen unless the buyer has been able to educate himself or herself on what my products do and the important problems they solve.

That’s why a SI sponsorship is perfect for me! There are no ads – just a small, restricted number of sponsor logos. Even if readers don’t notice my logo every day, they’re still going to notice it regularly. This will give me brand recognition, readers will remember the intro post, they’ll know what I do, and I’ll get invited to the table. Furthermore, through regular reading of SI and referenced materials, they’ll also understand what they’re looking for and be able to see where my solution adds value. I believe I win when the customer best understands the value I offer.

Finally, I want to be a partner in moving the space forward. I want readers to know that I have sponsored SI, what it is that I do, and why my products may be worth checking out. One informational post on my product in SI is worth a dozen press releases. I’m excited about the positive marketing campaign I can spin around an SI sponsorship – and about my support of a market leading resource with similar goals in terms of open business and end user education.

And I’m getting involved at a great time. Over the past year, SI has increased in popularity over 500%. With readership beginning to increase at an even more rapid pace, it’s poised to take the space by storm.

I’m going to e-mail thedoctor <at> sourcinginnovation <dot> com right now to see about reserving my sponsorship slot!

Start the Year with Sourcing Innovation

This post also deals with a sustainability issue important to me – the sustainability of this blog!

The new year is approaching fast and that means it’s time to figure out where best to spend that new marketing budget. Why not commit to a Sourcing Innovation Sponsorship and have your logo on the top right-hand side of the screen? Although I won’t hold a slot until the new year, I am more than willing to either delay payment until January (with the minimum 3-month commitment) or give you (up to) the rest of the year free with a long term commitment.

And the best part of making a commitment now? You get to lock in 2007 rates! Considering that the average number of unique page views per day has increased over 520%, and that statistics are still trending upward at an aggressive rate, this could be a great deal. The charts below show an increase from an average number of 690 unique page views per day this time last year to the current average number of 4305 unique page views per day.  The average number of unique click-throughs to specific posts per day is also trending upward. In the last four months, the average number of unique click-throughs to specific posts per day (blue) has trended up about 40% and the number of unique click-throughs to specific posts on peak days (red) has almost doubled!

Average Daily Hits

Average Unique Hits

As per previous posts, you have two options for sponsorship. Basic Sponsorship, which requires a minimum commitment of three months, and the Sponsorship Advisory Package, which requires a minimum commitment of six months.

Basic Sponsorship Benefits include:

  • linked company logo on the topmost section of the right-hand sidebar
  • “Sponsor Welcome” post and one “interview”, “commentary”, or “update” post per quarter (with subject matter at blogger’s discretion)
  • unlimited permission to reproduce blog content, with citation and URL, during the sponsorship period
  • attendance, and blog coverage, of one sponsor event per year in Canada or the US (at sponsor’s expense)
  • assistance with two webcast / podcasts / web brochures per year
  • one affiliate content link

The Sponsorship Advisory Package Benefits include:

  • all of the basic sponsorship benefits
  • off-site conference-call advisory services (up to 6 hours of call time per month)
  • unlimited e-mail advisory services
  • one free day of on-site advisory services per six month period (at sponsor’s expense)
  • one original vendor-independent technology, process, or solution white paper (of up to 10 pages) at a 50% discount per six month period

So e-mail thedoctor <at> sourcinginnovation <dot> com to reserve your slot today!