What can we do if there's no Wave or MQ for our category?

I am actually dealing with this right now! And there is quite a bit you can do to continue building analyst relations despite not fitting into a current Wave or MQ. Take advantage of (free) analyst briefings: Proactively reach out to Forrester and Gartner to set up briefings to let the analysts know what you product does, what major challenges you are solving, why you dont fit into a category, and what you might suggest to be considered as a new category. While they may not have a dedicated repo ...Read More

This is the situation we're in right now. Our AR program is three years old and it's an ongoing initiative to identify and vet the right analysts, build relationships, and education/inform/influence their research roadmap. Here are a few tactics I'm using: Identify the analysts who (will) write the vendor guides that are relevant to your category. These usually precede a Wave or MQ. Write out your Wave or MQ criteria. Plot out your company and your competitors. Keeping those close to your chest ...Read More

This is a fun, but challenging question. If there's no Wave or Magic Quadrant (MQ) for your category, long-term and strategic thinking becomes incredibly important. Here are some approaches to consider: Play the Long Game: Understand that establishing recognition in a category is a journey that typically spans 2-4 years. Be ready to commit to a firm and analyst practice for an extended period, getting placed doesn't happen in a single cycle. Explore Adjacent Categories: Look for existing reports ...Read More

Even without a Gartner MQ or Forrester Wave, there are a lot of ways to understand the competitive landscape. Take a look at some of my answers around getting competitive intel ethically and good sources of competitive intel. I've also worked in product areas where Gartner/Forrester/IDC were not yet investing significant resources, however there were other very influential analysts and research groups that produced high quality analysis of the competitive landscape. So all to say, take a look at ...Read More

Oh I love this question ... lots you can do to pave the way. If there’s no Forrester Wave or Gartner Magic Quadrant (MQ) for your category, that doesn’t mean you’re at a disadvantage—it means you have an opportunity to shape the category narrative on your own terms. Rather than relying on analysts to validate your market, you can build credibility through alternative influence channels, customer proof, and category leadership. Own the Category Definition Yourself Without a Wave or MQ, analysts h ...Read More

Waves / MQs etc are a long pull, and if you are early on in your AR journey they should be far from your mind. Approach initial inquiries and conversations with analysts from a place of curiosity and humility - What are they interested in? How does your company relate? What adjacencies do they see between your company and areas they cover? Over time, you can use their feedback and input to shape your own positioning and category definition. Who knows, in a few years you may create a totally new ...Read More

Honestly, this is a GREAT problem to have. If there’s no Wave or MQ for your category, then all the more reason for you to be in the top right quadrant once one comes out :) The first thing I would recommend is identifying which analysts are covering your space generally. Whether or not it’s specific to your category matters less, but having a mapping of who the 2-5 analysts are who might care about your space, and ultimately who might be the ones to create a Wave or MQ is what matters. Next, un ...Read More

You should always be researching your competitors even if there is no officially published report like an MQ or Wave. Nowadays there are so many peer review places to find competitive information. You can look at sites like G2, TrustRadius etc to find information that might be valuable for your company. You may need to read individual reviews which can be tedious but could surface valuable swords (places where you can attack them) or shields (areas you need to have talking points on how to handl ...Read More

As I mentioned in the other answer, even if your market does not have a comparative report such as a Wave, Quadrant, Marketscape, etc. it doesn't mean you should not engage with an analyst firm. These reports typically come out for markets at a certain maturity stage and by engaging with analysts early, you can ensure they have your company in their radar as they start thinking about such a report.  Especially important for companies in emerging markets are the early days of forming analysts' op ...Read More

First, take a step back and understand why you would need to participate in AR activities. Is it for PR? Product validation? Make sure you partner with your AR/PR team to align on the strategy for how you intend to leverage analyst relations and reports from these firms. If market/product validation is your goal, here are some approaches to consider: Engage directly with these firms to explore opportunities. Analyst firms have other reports they use in industries where there is no Wave or MQ. I ...Read More