Welcome MTA, MI for ME at last!
... written for Panbo by Ben Ellison and posted on Feb 8, 2010
I'm not the sort of guy who usually spends time looking for diagrams and explanations regarding a field like Market Intelligence (MI), but I'm pretty darn sure that the Marine Electronics (ME) industry could really use some help from such specialists. That's why I'm very pleased to introduce a new company called Marine Technology Advisors, whose entire focus is market intelligence. And I'm super pleased to add that Panbo is involved, and that you -- the readers of Panbo -- can really help. It's a win-win-win situation, I think, and I'm excited. You can read more details below, or just dive right into MTA's first Panbo marine electronics survey.
As you may well know, the whole marine electronics industry is relatively small, and it's fractured into a global mishmash of companies ranging from one-man shops to substantial public corporations (and even those don't necessarily reveal the size of their marine components). The customer base is also highly fragmented, particularly on the recreational side, given the enormous variety of boats and the ways people use them. And there's no trade organization, let alone an MI firm, trying to track and analyze ME. Heck, I could only get a vague gross sales figure when I asked around five years ago, and I don't think that situation has changed a bit.Lack of information makes it hard for an industry to evolve rationally and to serve its customers. Without good MI, how does a bank or investor judge the potential value of some company's great new idea? Without good MI, how does an ME company truly know its market position, let alone what customers actually want? Those are just a couple of ways MTA hopes to serve this industry. While its web site is still under construction, the company is already collecting market information in a number of ways, and it's partnered with Panbo in order to survey marine electronics consumers like you all.
In exchange, I'll get to share some of the survey findings here, and Panbo will also get a portion of revenues derived from more detailed reports sold to companies. Plus I'll get some demographic information on readers which may help attract more advertisers. And more revenue means that I get more time to work on Panbo. Meanwhile, the industry gets a new way to understand how much you value specific technologies, and what qualities you're looking for. The survey will also give you a chance to name brands and sources, appreciated ones or otherwise. In other words, you get an anonymous, professionally organized way to express yourself. And, as an added kicker, each completed survey -- it takes about ten minutes -- earns a dollar donation to your choice of two good aid organizations.
All of which is why I call this win-win-win...for the ME industry, for Panbo, and for marine electronics users. The only downside I can foresee is that I will feel compelled to harass readers mercilessly until we collect a statistically significant number of surveys. So, please, fill out the survey now!
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Incidentally, members of the marine electronics industry who also buy and use electronics are certainly encouraged to fill out the poll like any other boaters. Please be honest, of course, and remember that your responses are completely anonymous.