Security Product Marketing and Deployment Should Emphasize Intangible Assets

Michael D. Moberly   February 7, 2013

Important, but often overlooked aspects today to marketing – promoting security products, systems, and/or services is recognizing the globally universal economic fact that 65+% of most company’s value, sources of revenue, and ‘building blocks’ for growth, profitability, and sustainability today, lie in – evolve directly from intangible assets!

Thus, when security products are deployed properly and integrated with supportive practices and culture, their functionality is threefold, i.e., contribute to…

  1. safeguarding tangible (physical) assets, i.e., equipment, inventory, access control, intrusion detection, etc.
  2. producing valuable assets that are intangible, e.g., users’ sense – feeling of being (more) safe, secure, and productive, company reputation, structural and relationship capital, etc.
  3. mitigating risks to intangible assets., e.g. the best way to describe this is that today, any deal or transaction under consideration or about to be executed, valuable intangible assets will be not just be in play, they will be directly relevant to the outcome.

Number one and number two above are intuitive and generally, from my experience, serve as the primary starting points for framing promotional pitches related to security products because most buyers (aside from security practitioners) (a.) assume these outcomes are what’s needed – necessary and (b.) are unfamiliar (un-schooled) in other contributions and/or functions of security products, systems, or services like producing or mitigating risks to intangible assets.

With respect to #2 above, it’s essential, in my view, to incorporate the correct descriptor in ‘the pitch’, i.e., intangible asset to (a.) elevate awareness of the assortment of intangible assets that are commonly embedded in every environments representing all business sectors, (b.) ensure the functionality – deliverables of security products are distinguished relative the sector they are deployed, and (c.) recognize intangible by-products of security products, systems, and services.

For example, when users of an environment, e.g., retail, office, etc., feel (sense) that environment respects their patronage or productivity by introducing sector specific security measures to make it as safe, secure, and productive/efficient as feasible, they will be inclined to return that respect by (a.) being a repeat customer/client, or (b.) be more productive and elevate employee retention rates.

Security product developers, producers, and vendors would be well served by adapting and incorporating variants of this (sector specific) language in their marketing/promotional materials and/or sales pitches.  Again, the rationale for incorporating this language is that today’s business environment is global, increasingly competitive, predatorial, and aggressive, and dominated by knowledge-intangible asset intensive firms regardless of sector.

It seems obligatory then, that security products, and how they are marketed, promoted, and ‘pitched’ reflect these irreversible and paradigm shifting economic facts and business realities particularly as management teams, c-suites, and boards become more attuned to intangible assets in fiduciary (responsibility) contexts.

Various combinations of #1 and #2 are the dominant marketing – promotional messages relied upon by security product vendors.  However I have yet to hear a ‘pitch’ related to #2 using the correct descriptor, i.e., intangible assets.

Important, but often overlooked aspects today to marketing – promoting security products, systems, and/or services is recognizing the globally universal economic fact that 65+% of most company’s value, sources of revenue, and ‘building blocks’ for growth, profitability, and sustainability today, lie in – evolve directly from intangible assets!

Various combinations of #1 and #2 are the dominant marketing – promotional messages relied upon by security product vendors.  However I have yet to hear a ‘pitch’ related to #2 using intangible asset descriptors.

Here are two important guides…

1.      Focus on business realities and economic facts, i.e., 65+% of most company’s value, sources of revenue, and ‘building blocks’ for growth, sustainability, and profitability lie in – evolve directly from intangible assets. These are irrefutable. Every existing, as well as prospective client produces, possesses, and should be engaging their intangibles as part of their enterprise risk management program.

Real and sustainable value can be brought to clients by helping (training) them to identify, unravel, and sustain control, use, ownership, and monitor (asset) value, materiality, and risks. This can be achieved by respectfully guiding clients to recognize what intangible are, their relevance, and the expanding fiduciary responsibilities to safeguard them.

2.      The conventional practice of framing security product ‘pitches’ that emphasize fear, uncertainty, and doubt (FUD), while difficult to completely set aside, especially when existing and/or prospective clients are dismissive of and/or express reluctance to apply metrics or principles of enterprise risk management.

If security product (system, service) vendors commence engagements with a strong methodology and narrative that is not based exclusively on the subjective and conventional FUD approach, and instead, replace it with a ‘forward looking’ focus on safeguarding the value and sources of revenue produced by a client’s intangible assets, the probability of experiencing consistent success increases.

My blog posts are researched and written by me with the genuine intent they serve as a worthy and respectful venue to elevate awareness and appreciation for intangible assets throughout the global business community.  Most of my posts focus on issues related to identifying, unraveling, and sustaining control, use, ownership, and monitoring asset value, materiality, and risk.  As such, my blog posts are not intended to be quick bites of information, unsubstantiated commentary, or single paragraphed platforms to reference other media. 

Comments regarding my blog posts are encouraged and respected. Should any reader elect to utilize all or a portion of any of my posts, attribution is expected and always appreciated. While visiting my blog readers are encouraged to browse other topics (posts) which may be relevant to their circumstance or business transaction.  I always welcome your inquiry at 314-440-3593 or [email protected].

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