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TWB Position Paper - Technical Marketing Comms
1. Technical Marketing for better market
differentiation and enhanced customer
experience at moderate cost
TWB provides technical marketing back-office support to Lenovo, Microsoft, McAfee, Citrix
and others. We produce complex management thought papers, white papers, customer
success stories, datasheets and other content that complement their IP and help them
acquire customers.
A large part of the technical marketing collaterals distributed worldwide by these companies is
produced by TWB, in Bangalore.
See how we help differentiate technology in the market, achieve better customer satisfaction and manage this at
much better cost.
2.
3. Introduction
This paper presents the value and the importance of
Why Technical Marketing?
technical marketing communication to position and
differentiate products of a company in a highly hyper-
competitive market.
In today’s highly competitive world, the need for and
importance of technical marketing is
Technical Marketing Communication uncompromisable for any organization that wants to
documents include a wide variety of stay ahead of competition.
marketing collaterals such as Technology
White Papers, Case Studies, Datasheets, There are slews of new products that reach the
Cheat Sheets, Solution Briefs/Solution market each day with unthinkable and unimaginable
Brochures, Presentations - quickness. An interesting point to note in this hyper
Products/Corporate Profile, Web Content, production and hyper competitive market is that
Flash Demos, Press Releases and multiple companies come up with products that cater
Newsletters. to similar needs of a customer (products that are
otherwise not easy for the customer to differentiate).
This, in turn, makes the decision making of
Technical marketing documents serve a dual consumers more difficult since they have to choose
purpose. They highlight the technical capabilities of a from a host of products that satisfy the same needs.
company’s product or service as well as support Together with a number of products reaching the
selling. Unfortunately, documents produced by many market everyday, consumers are constantly
organizations do not hold the attention of their bombarded with too many marketing messages and
audiences and lack intelligent marketing techniques. documents. This adds to the woes of consumers.
They also fail to deliver the right message to the
audience with crispness, quality, and impact.
Moreover, today there is a paradigm shift in the way
customers behave. In a world characterized by
An effective, customer-focused technical marketing networked communications and competition, today’s
communication can sell your products better and customer behavior can be summed up in the
faster. By effectively communicating products’ following way:
features and benefits, technical marketing
communication can aid the customer in making a
Customers define brands
purchasing decision.
Customers consume more customized products
Apart from providing technical information and Customers control when to consume information
support selling, technical marketing documents also and in which formats
enhance your image in the eyes of your customer.
Hence, effective differentiation of a company’s
Technical marketing documents provide you the
product from that of its competitor has become
following advantages:
extensively difficult today. All companies, especially
technology companies, require effective, well-written
Increase your selling opportunities technical marketing communication for two main
Reduce marketing costs reasons:
Reach out to potential customers
Indispensable need for differentiation of products
Achieve consistent, branded information across all
from those of competitors
materials
Need to reduce the costs of acquiring new
Streamline and deliver critical information to
customers and retaining the existing customer
prospective clients
base
Customize communication to provide impact
In short, how effectively a company communicates
Achieve an appropriate and effective marketing the attributes of its products/services will determine
presence its position in the marketplace. Delivering right
However, creation of technical marketing documents messages about products in an appropriate manner
is an uphill task as it requires sufficient expertise, through carefully chosen means of communication
technical and marketing knowledge of the will help:
product/service concerned, as well as excellent
writing skills. This paper explores the importance of Establish strong relationships with customers
technical marketing communication and TWB’s role Build strong customer base
and expertise in the field.
Produce results
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4. Outsourcing and Solutions
Why Outsource? TWB’ Solutions: Being Different to Help
Differentiate
There are various reasons why a company should TWB is a leader in providing technical documentation
outsource its technical marketing communication and technical marketing communication services.
requirements. TWB’s team of highly skilled technical writers can set
new trends, break the barriers and raise the bar for
Lack of product knowledge and any product through their unquestionable ability in
documentation skills: More often an technical marketing communication. TWB
organization’s sales / marketing team involved in understands quality documentation can be the
the promotion of its products does not have the differentiator to a company’s product.
required documentation expertise and the
personnel involved in documentation lack product Various domain experts and highly skilled
knowledge. documentation experts: Our team of
Resultant overheads and time wastage: Not documentation experts with industry-leading
outsourcing can result in unnecessary overheads experience and domain expertise will take the
and time wastage. Outsourcing the technical burden off the marketing team. TWB is equipped
marketing communication requirements to an with the latest documentation tools and processes
established documentation organization can prove that can meet any marketing challenge, by
to be advantageous. It can be cost effective and providing accurate, well-written, high quality
produce results with quicker turnaround times, marketing collaterals.
allowing an organization’s marketing team to Project management and Estimation: Through
focus on their actual work. our established project management system,
Full-spectrum activity: Technical marketing TWB ensures that the marketing documents are
documentation is a full-spectrum activity. It produced with quicker turnaround times, without
requires thorough research skills, understanding compromising quality.
of market behavior, analytical abilities, good Full-spectrum activity: TWB can take your
writing skills and dedication. In many marketing collaterals to a new level because TWB
organizations, promotion teams multitask without has a full spectrum documentation process that
completely dedicating their time and effort to involves researching, documenting, designing the
creating technical marketing documents. This can layout and publishing the marketing collaterals
result in inaccurate and poor quality documents, with quality.
which in turn will affect the performance of a Value-added Service: Our long track record in
product in the marketplace. documentation and expertise in marketing has
A bird’s-eye view by an outsourcing partner: earned us a unique position that enables us to
An outsourcing company can view the marketing analyze and suggest solutions that are innovative
needs of a company dispassionately and without and effective.
being influenced by established processes and
practices. This will enable the outsourcing partner
to provide innovative solutions, suggestions and
strategies for marketing a company’s product.
Benefits
Through their association with TWB, a company can produce quality, accurate, well-designed technical
marketing documents that will help:
Influence and inspire customers to make purchasing decisions
Sell products faster
Achieve quicker turnaround time
Cut costs
Focus on high-value work within the organization
5. Case Studies
Case Study 1: Largest Microprocessor Manufacturer
The world’s largest semiconductor chip and microprocessor maker launches a Community PC for India’s rural
population. For this product launch, the company requires marketing collaterals and user manuals to support their
product. Documentation needs to be simple, easily translatable, and user-friendly for the target audience. This task
is particularly challenging as the company needs the documentation within a span of 10 days. The company
requires 10 simple, technically accurate documents, specifically designed for the target audience.
TWB works out a plan which ensures that documentation is provided in the required format and timeframe, without
quality compromise.
TWB’s team of documentation experts, monitored by an excellent project management team, reviews customer
requirements and initiates project plans that ensure high quality & delivery within set deadlines. These resources,
possessing an in-depth understanding of rural populations, work onsite and offsite towards the completion of the
project, with flexible timings to suit a customer’s every convenience. They create marketing documents that are on
par with international standards - simple, accurate, and masterful. The TWB resources are able to deliver the
project within the stipulated timeframe, with high quality and accuracy.
TWB helps companies: Market and launch product lines in time, reach out to wider rural populations with the
simplicity of documentation, achieve quality and accuracy in technical marketing communications, obtain
documents that are easily translatable, and to cut costs and save time.
Case Study 2: Largest PC Manufacturer
A leading manufacturer of award-winning PCs, spanning operations across continents, requires to launch their
products with supporting marketing collaterals. With a vision to capture the world market, this computer
manufacturer starts developing products. With their global teams working on the technical aspects, the in-house
documentation team busy with pre-launch marketing activities, and launch deadlines drawing closer, it becomes
difficult for them to concentrate on marketing collaterals. Time constraints further add to the company’s woes. With
end-users of the PCs ranging from individuals to large enterprises across the globe, it becomes imperative to have
simple, crisp, and accurate documentation in place, to aid easy translations for a cross section of populace. As the
company is engaged in aggressively introducing new products every two months, the need for high-quality
marketing documentation with quicker turnaround times becomes a great challenge. The company approaches
TWB for documentation solutions.
TWB, reputed for its documentation expertise, formulates a team of documentation experts, marketing experts,
and quality auditors to create marketing collaterals that satisfy the specifications and exacting demands of the
customer. The entire documentation procedure goes through a process of research, comparison, analysis
(competitor products, target audience and market), documentation, and quality audition. This results in documents
that are factual and simple, with a customer-friendly marketing tone. The greatest achievement is being able to
produce these marketing collaterals in a quicker turnaround time, helping the customer meet product-launch
deadlines.
The customer draws a number of benefits from TWB’s services. They are able to meet their goals in terms of
product launch and product marketing with reduced costs and effort. Sales of their products shoot up and the
customer is able to launch a range of 25 products in one year and market it with great success.
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6. Value of Technical Publications
Technical Communication for Communication for Different Levels of
Transferring Product Knowledge Technical and Product Knowledge
The purpose of technical communication is to transfer In technical publications, audience is the focal
product knowledge to end users in a comprehensible point. Hence, the style, language, and content must
manner. The strategies of communication and levels vary depending on the type of audience being
of information vary depending on the type of product addressed. Every user has a specific role in the
and audience. implementation and usage of the technology.
Therefore, it is important that documents be
created keeping in mind the role of the person who
Providing end users with information about a
will use the document.
product’s operation and maintenance is critical to the
market performance of the product. Hence, the need
for quality documentation is imperative. For example, when you document a software
application designed for highly technical users, it is
sufficient to provide the users with quick reference
In today’s business scenario, technical publications
information to use the application.
are often developed as an afterthought. This usually
results in inaccurate and incomprehensible
documentation, which, in turn, renders the users For users who start without technical or product
incapable of using the products. knowledge, it is important to provide detailed
product information along with instructions on how
to use the product.
Accurate, readily understandable, and quality
documents determine how a product sells in the
market and result in increased customer satisfaction. Attractive Publications as Useful
Marketing Tools
Faulty Assumptions that Result in
Problems in Documentation Besides transferring knowledge, technical
publications are also used for marketing a product.
Before a product is released in the market,
The faulty assumptions listed below result in information about the product needs to be
incomprehensible documents: effectively communicated to the customers.
Developers know their products better than Well-designed, accurately presented, and attractive
anyone else – due to time constraints and limited marketing collaterals increase the market prospects
resources, many companies assign their of a product and reduce support costs.
documentation tasks to the programmers. This
more often results in the creation of technology-
centered information, while end users require
task-oriented information.
Documentation of complex applications requires a
longer learning curve for the writer - learning the
product will not be a major obstacle for writers
with the right technical background.
7. TWB Services
TWB is India’s leader in technical communication outsourcing and education. TWB offers a complete suite of services that
allows our customers to effectively publish their technical knowledge with their people and processes. TWB’s customers range
from Global 500 – including Cisco, Accenture, McAfee, LG, Samsung, Citrix, SAP, Siemens, AOL, Intel; Indian technology
majors – including Infosys, Wipro; Global defense majors - Pratt & Whitney, Honeywell, DRDO, HAL; and exciting technology
startups. TWB's expertise in technical communication ranges from IT Products and Outsourcing, ITES, Banking, Financial,
Aerospace, Defense, Ship Building to Hi-tech Manufacturing, and Discrete and Process Manufacturing.
TWB’s services include:
Technical Marketing Technical Product Documentation Quality
Solutions Documentation Management
Datasheets
Datasheets Administrator’s Guide Copy Editing and Proof Reading
Cheat sheets API Document Managing Writing
Solution Briefs/Solution Brochures Configuration Guide Editing Services
Presentations – Functional Specifications Document
Products/Corporate Profile Layout and Design
Installation Manual Creating SLAs
Brochures and marketing collateral
Interface Document
Web content
Interactive Electronic Technical Business Documentation
Audio and video scripts Manual (IETM)
Press releases Maintenance Manual Business Proposals
Direct mail Online Help Legal Disclaimers
Newsletter design copy Operation Manual Policy Manuals
Sales catalogues Product Demo Style Guide Design
Sales sheets Product Specifications Document Template Design
Product Overview Document
Business Communication Quick Reference Guide Content Management
Short Reports Release Notes
Single Sourcing
Proposals Requirement Analysis Document
File Version Control
Case Studies SDK Document
Document Naming Conventions
Lab Reports Troubleshooting Manual
Consistent Document Formatting
Memos User Manual
Data Transformation
Progress/Interim Reports Open Source Documentation
Writing for Electronic Media Programmers Guides Web site Development
Functional Specifications Document
Web 2.0 development
Illustrations Use Cases Analytics for
Qualitative Web content
Decision Support
Online Help /Context Sensitive Help
Graphic Designing Web applications
Troubleshooting Guides
Info graphics Economic Business Research
2D & 3D animation Industry Analysis Translation and Localization
Services
Line drawings and illustrations Market Opportunity Analysis
Competitive Business Analysis Software Translation Services
Process Documentation Company & Prospect Profiling Document Translation Services
Workflows Reporting Solutions Localization (L10N) Testing
Standard Operating Procedures Assessment of Unmet Market Needs Internationalization (I18N) Testing
ISO Documentation Status and Potential of Technologies
CMM Documentation Benchmarking of Strategies Vs
Competition Records Management
Deployment and Support Forecasting Document Management Solutions
Sales Force Effectiveness Record Management Storage and
Market Assessments Retrieval
Installation and Configuration
Guides Competitive Intelligence
Operations Manual Opinion Leadership
Emerging Markets - evaluation and
research
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8. TWB Software Tools Expertise
Our technical proficiency in software and authoring tools includes:
Unstructured Content XML Structured Editors Multimedia/Authoring
Development
Epic Adobe Flash®
Microsoft Word® FrameMaker+SGML Adobe Dreamweaver®
Adobe FrameMaker® X-Metal® Microsoft FrontPage®
Adobe InDesign® Adobe Captivate®
QuarkXPress® Macromedia Captivate
Adobe PageMaker® Graphics/Animations Multimedia/Authoring/
Supporting tools
Illustrations Adobe Flash®
Adobe Photoshop® Adobe Flash®
Adobe Flash CS4 Professional Adobe Fireworks® Adobe Flex®
Adobe Illustrator CS3 Online Help Adobe AIR®
CorelDRAW Adobe Dreamweaver®
Microsoft-Expression Graphic Adobe Acrobat®
Designer JavaHelp
Microsoft Silverlight®
Xara Xtreme (Windows & Linux) Adobe RoboHelp 7.0
Adobe Authorware®
CuteDraw HelpScribble
Adobe Director®
Publisher3D(for animation) WebWorks Publisher
Adobe Captivate®
Sketsa SVG Editor (for vector PowerCHM
Trivantis Lectora®
graphics) Doc-To-Help
ASP.NET
Techsmith Camtasia WinCHM
JSP
Arbortext IsoDraw (technical HelpSmith 2.1.1(Windows) Standards
illustrations for 2D and 3D) JAVA
Fast-Help
MadCap Flare SCORM 1.2 / 2004
Graphics/Animation
Help-Server AICC
NVU Help W3C
Adobe Flash® XML
Section 508
Adobe Photoshop®
QTI XML
Adobe Illustrator® XMetal®
Adobe Fireworks® Microsoft Word 2003®,
Microsoft Silverlight® Microsoft Word 2007® Development and Publishing
tools
Databases CMS/ LMS
XSLT/XSL
EDD
Microsoft Access Sharepoint®
Microsoft SQL Server Moodle
Joomla,
Flowcharting WordPress
Media Wiki
Microsoft Visio CMS Builder
iGrafx Author-it (formerly AuthorIT)
EDraw Alfresco
RFFlow
Flowbreeze
Smart Draw
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9. Industries Served
TWB services a wide range of technology and knowledge-driven industries, helping them meet their markets better. These
include:
Banking, Insurance and Financial Services ITES/ KPO/ BPO
Consulting and Business Services Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology
Defense, Aerospace and Hi-Tech Manufacturing Process Manufacturing and Allied Industries
Education and Learning Steel, Ship Building, Construction and Aviation
IT, ITES Telecom and Digital Communications
TWB has been the preferred technical documentation outsourcing company for:
The TWB Building US Office:
No: 4062, 19th Main Road, TWB
HAL 2nd Stage, 11701 Norwegian Wood Drive
Bangalore – 560008 Austin, TX 78758
India.
Landmark: Behind Carlton Towers
Telephone: Telephone:
+91.80.40741400 / +1.512.586.8357
+91.80.41256367
Corporate Enquiries:
corp@twb.in
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