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AMA: Shopify VP Global Head of Product Marketing, Desiree Motamedi on Competitive Positioning
November 16 @ 10:00AM PST
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Shopify VP Global Head of Product Marketing, Desiree Motamedi on Competitive Positioning
Top Questions
How do you obtain competitive intelligence on a competitor's product that has very little public-facing marketing around it?
I'm about to just call and ask them if they still sell it.
Desiree Motamedi
Salesforce CMO - Next Gen Platform • November 16
We typically begin by looking at their financial information, social media channels, and forums like Reddit to get a sense of what their customers are saying. We sometimes call competitors directly, acting as a customer. We can also get some great insights from our own customers about why they le......Read More
900 Views
3 requests
What's your approach to competitive differentiation?
How does this inform your core messaging, how do you enable sales to understand what makes you different/better, how do you know if it's working with your target buyers?
Desiree Motamedi
Salesforce CMO - Next Gen Platform • November 16
With messaging, the one thing that I always push my team to think about is what’s unique to Shopify that no one else can own. Can someone slap their brand on top and say the same things? If so, the messaging and positioning is not good enough. We want to ensure that we are sharing what is most va......Read More
452 Views
2 requests
Desiree Motamedi
Salesforce CMO - Next Gen Platform • November 16
Google did a great job with this as they are rigorous when it comes to alphas, betas, and general availability. They conduct regular market research through the different stages. To get the signal that we were on the right track with an early alpha, we met with customers regularly to see if the p......Read More
640 Views
3 requests
How often do you talk to customers, or do qualitative + VOC research?
Is it continuous or at specific campaigns?
Desiree Motamedi
Salesforce CMO - Next Gen Platform • November 16
Ideally, I think this should be systematic and conducted on a weekly basis in order to keep research fresh. Something Shopify does amazingly well is setting up time with the merchants and listening to support calls. We also enjoy connecting and meeting in-person with local merchants to hear about......Read More
572 Views
4 requests
Desiree Motamedi
Salesforce CMO - Next Gen Platform • November 16
We’re able to stay organized and updated on competitors largely due to crowd-sourcing information. We have a Competitive Intelligence Slack channel that extends across teams throughout the entire company so that individuals and groups can contribute any notable findings or insights. Updates, pres......Read More
432 Views
3 requests
Desiree Motamedi
Salesforce CMO - Next Gen Platform • November 16
When we do competitive positioning, we try to take a holistic approach, examining companies across numerous areas. 1. We put together a general overview focused on their overall positioning and messaging from their website. 2. We dive a little deeper to look at specific product features an......Read More
738 Views
5 requests
Desiree Motamedi
Salesforce CMO - Next Gen Platform • November 16
An example that stands out to me was Steve Jobs’ manifesto on Flash and its security problems. What was fascinating about it was actually Adobe’s response to it. They bought full-page ads in newspapers around the world, including the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times that said “We Love A......Read More
1390 Views
6 requests
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