Product Champions and Champion Products

The American Marketing Association defines a product champion as "a person who takes an inordinate interest in seeing that a particular process or product is fully developed and marketed." While this is an excellent definition, it should be added that product champions have the power to make or break a product. A committed product champion can serve as an outstanding resource in product development and has the ability to influence product success. As the definition states, their impact is seen in both product development and product marketing.

Product champions are usually well respected industry thought leaders. They may be practicing or teaching physicians, other healthcare providers, expert scientists, industry activists, or some combination of these. Product champions have achieved a respected position in their industry community due to their knowledge of industry needs and trends and their contributions to the state of art.

A product champion's wealth of knowledge and relationships can be an invaluable asset for a small medical technology company. Listed below are a few ways that product champion can create champion products.

Product Development
A product champion's industry expertise and understanding of both provider and patient needs serve as invaluable tool during all stages of product development. A company can lean on their product champions from initial product strategy development to fine-tuning of a finished product. They can be equally helpful in providing suggestions relating to product requirement specifications and pointers for user interface details. Their in-depth industry knowledge and expertise makes them a great link between the industry and the manufacturer. This leads to a final product that meets the needs of care providers, patients, scientific community and manufacturers alike.

Product Marketing
The role of product champions in product marketing is multifold. They can assist in better defining the target markets and marketing messages as well as provide product visibility and awareness. Through their research and speaking engagements, product champions can raise awareness of the current problem at hand and the solution embodied in the company's product. Increased awareness can lead to greater problem recognition and ultimately to greater interest in the solution, available technology, procedures, reimbursements, and endorsements.

Another important role product champions play in product marketing is the development of credibility. Lack of credibility is one of the top reasons new and effective technologies fail. In today's overcrowded markets customers are inundated with new products every day. Because they simply do not have the time to explore all that is new they rely on industry though leaders for direction. This can be especially helpful on a regional level, where product champions can act as sources of information and references for potential customers in the area.

So, how can a company align with a product champion? Companies with products that offer true benefit to both providers and patients, as well as know how to appropriately demonstrate the benefits will have little trouble obtaining product champions. Industry thought leaders are just as eager to be a part of breakthrough, market-disrupting technologies as manufacturers. After all, their constant work on the forefront of the industry is what has earned them the "thought leader" title.