Duncan S Chapple
Duncan Chapple is co-director of the Analyst Observatory at the University of Edinburgh Business School. His research focuses on how digital technologies are driving changes in product and service categories. He completed a masters in research at the University of Edinburgh Business School late in 2021, and is writing up a PhD looking at how industry analysts and analyst relations professionals shape expectations and hype in business-to-business markets.
Duncan's academic career started in 1997 when he became a business computing researcher at City University London. Since then he has held both commercial and academic roles combining research, education and consultancy, including senior positions at Ovum, Omnicom, Deloitte, Kea and Nottingham Business School (where he is Alumni Fellow). He is the co-author of books on social media, business influence and customer relationship marketing.
Duncan is a graduate of the University of Manchester, City University London and London Business School, where he served on the International Alumni Council (2013-2016). He is an alumnus of King's College London, the Ashridge, EDHEC, Newcastle and Alliance Manchester business schools, and UCLA.
Supervisors: Robin Williams and Neil Pollock
Phone: 020 7993 8655
Duncan's academic career started in 1997 when he became a business computing researcher at City University London. Since then he has held both commercial and academic roles combining research, education and consultancy, including senior positions at Ovum, Omnicom, Deloitte, Kea and Nottingham Business School (where he is Alumni Fellow). He is the co-author of books on social media, business influence and customer relationship marketing.
Duncan is a graduate of the University of Manchester, City University London and London Business School, where he served on the International Alumni Council (2013-2016). He is an alumnus of King's College London, the Ashridge, EDHEC, Newcastle and Alliance Manchester business schools, and UCLA.
Supervisors: Robin Williams and Neil Pollock
Phone: 020 7993 8655
less
InterestsView All (36)
Uploads
Papers by Duncan S Chapple
• Analyst influence is felt through the entire buying and selection cycle.
• Over 40 per cent of businesses with revenues of over $100 million use analysts: so do 80 per cent of Fortune 1000 companies.
• Independent analysis and consulting on high technology is a five billion dollar market, according to market leader Gartner.
• Analysts’ influence keeps on rising over businesses that buy
technology.
• However, even vendors with well-resourced and positive media
relations often develop poor relationships with analysts.
• Analyst relations without objective measurement make proving
ROI difficult for vendors because they are not measuring how well they are doing. Typically, they are using measures which are bad, one-sided or just self-serving.
• Analyst relations programs need require objective measures that are both qualitative and quantitative – and focusing us on the analysts who really impact sales.
One of the most important things that product managers are looking for is feedback about products and services – that can be hard to find. In many markets, product development is an iterative process requiring small amounts of regular feedback on features, positioning, design and other detailed questions.
LinkedIn is an invaluable tool when feedback is otherwise hard to find, for example before products are launched or in niche B2B markets where traditional market research methods may not work. Without the traditional opening for field study, LinkedIn is one of the most effective ways to understand clients’ habits, pain points and unmet needs
- Former Gartner account manager Bram Weerts spent two years at Gartner negotiating vendors’ renewal contracts, and is now managing director of Kea Company.
- Progress Software’s Rachel Harnden, Director of Press and Industry Analyst Relations in EMEA, has the client’s perspective.
- Former analyst Duncan Chapple works with firms to help them get better RoI from their spend with analyst firms.
Using a framework developed by Duncan Chapple, the presentation steps through the experiences of real-life challenges and solutions.
PMB brings huge benefits, including greater transparency, choice and insight. However, it requires analytical and technical skills that differ from the strong negotiation skills of media buying professionals. It has produced new opportunities for media organizations and new challenges for the CIO.
This report summarizes the trends behind PMB, its impact on marketing operations and on the traditional media holding companies, and the risks and rewards that PMB produce for both marketers and the CIO.
• Decision makers in western European SMEs are agreed that information security is the highest risk to business. The top risk, identified by 66% of SMEs from a range of factors, is a breach of company-confidential information.
• However, technology itself is perceived to be a low risk aspect of business management for European SMEs, creating a risk gap between business information and the systems that manage it.
• Low employee morale is the top risk facing businesses in France, with 59% of SMEs rating it as a high risk.
• The highest risk in Germany, according to 70% of SMEs there, is a security breach, such as hacking into company-confidential information.
• The UK is more likely to cite challenges with customer payment (70%) and executive management team changes (70%) as higher risk factors than its European counterparts.
Security professionals and small- and mid-sized enterprise (SME) business leaders have a frustrating relationship; while information technology (IT) managers talk about security as a technology issue, that doesn’t connect with business leaders, who are more focussed on business information. In this study, McAfee closes the gap between these two communities. Using the data from more than 1,000 interviews with decision makers in the three major western European markets, we show how they see risk – and how that differs between countries.
The online interviews have been conducted for McAfee by Loudhouse Research, an independent consultancy based in the UK. In total, 1,005 decision makers in SMEs have given their opinions, in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The survey asks SMEs about their operational strategy and the risks that threaten their business. The survey identifies which of 24 risk scenarios, ranging from HR and finance, through to business information, are seen as high or low risk by decision makers."
2 - Do analyst relations in every country where you want to sell
3 - Be honest and consistent
4 - Fit into their box, but don’t make it a coffin
5 – Focus on the analysts who influence customers, not the easy analysts
6 - Send in your top people as well as your techies
7 - Draw a roadmap and stick to it
insight with its enterprise and vendors clients as part of a strategy
of growing core subscription revenues.
This is reflected in three ways, which we explore below:
1. The growing impact of its emphasis on data-driven analysis.
2. The emphasis on business drivers rather than technology
trends, both generally and at GigaWorld.
3. Forrester’s intense distain for potential consulting approaches
that are quite unlike its WholeView research methodology."
The purchase represents a 31% premium on Eloqua’s share price: that’s a notable markup, coming just a four months after Eloqua’s IPO. Even if Oracle overpaid, it’s a major step forward in Oracle’s plans to develop Oracle CX, its customer experience platform, and the Oracle Marketing Cloud.
This report outlines how Eloqua fits into Oracle’s strategy for marketing automation, suggests the likely implications of the accelerating series of similar acquisitions that will unfold in 2013 and summarizes some of the likely implications.
[This paper was drafted as an internal primer for a Brodeur client in 2000. In 2003, the client gave us permission to use it publicly. It remains a working draft.]
• A few vendors focus their outreach to analysts almost exclusively in the US. This seems to make sense because US-based analyst houses comprise the majority of the analyst industry.
• However, analysts outside the US influence billions of high tech spending
– and meeting analysts in the US doesn’t transfer knowledge across to them.
• US vendors will lose sales, the opportunity to validate their strategy as well as an insight into local markets if they only speak to US analysts.
• To avoid this loss, vendors should allocate their analyst outreach between the regions in line with their desired sales."
[This is an updated version of a paper written in 2002].
• SageCircle to close after departure of founder Carter Lusher
• SageCircle’s successful analyst relations model was overwhelmed by the
attempt to become a software and measurement company
• SageCircle’s substantial contribution to the body of knowledge about analyst
relations had overwhelming strengths, but some key flaws
CONCLUSIONS
• A defeat for the whole industry: SageCircle’s services and products will lose
momentum; its assets will dissipate; suspicion of other suppliers will rise
• Software analysts are not the best people to lead a software company
• SageCircle clients: re-read your contacts… and your negotiation textbooks
• Analyst influence is felt through the entire buying and selection cycle.
• Over 40 per cent of businesses with revenues of over $100 million use analysts: so do 80 per cent of Fortune 1000 companies.
• Independent analysis and consulting on high technology is a five billion dollar market, according to market leader Gartner.
• Analysts’ influence keeps on rising over businesses that buy
technology.
• However, even vendors with well-resourced and positive media
relations often develop poor relationships with analysts.
• Analyst relations without objective measurement make proving
ROI difficult for vendors because they are not measuring how well they are doing. Typically, they are using measures which are bad, one-sided or just self-serving.
• Analyst relations programs need require objective measures that are both qualitative and quantitative – and focusing us on the analysts who really impact sales.
One of the most important things that product managers are looking for is feedback about products and services – that can be hard to find. In many markets, product development is an iterative process requiring small amounts of regular feedback on features, positioning, design and other detailed questions.
LinkedIn is an invaluable tool when feedback is otherwise hard to find, for example before products are launched or in niche B2B markets where traditional market research methods may not work. Without the traditional opening for field study, LinkedIn is one of the most effective ways to understand clients’ habits, pain points and unmet needs
- Former Gartner account manager Bram Weerts spent two years at Gartner negotiating vendors’ renewal contracts, and is now managing director of Kea Company.
- Progress Software’s Rachel Harnden, Director of Press and Industry Analyst Relations in EMEA, has the client’s perspective.
- Former analyst Duncan Chapple works with firms to help them get better RoI from their spend with analyst firms.
Using a framework developed by Duncan Chapple, the presentation steps through the experiences of real-life challenges and solutions.
PMB brings huge benefits, including greater transparency, choice and insight. However, it requires analytical and technical skills that differ from the strong negotiation skills of media buying professionals. It has produced new opportunities for media organizations and new challenges for the CIO.
This report summarizes the trends behind PMB, its impact on marketing operations and on the traditional media holding companies, and the risks and rewards that PMB produce for both marketers and the CIO.
• Decision makers in western European SMEs are agreed that information security is the highest risk to business. The top risk, identified by 66% of SMEs from a range of factors, is a breach of company-confidential information.
• However, technology itself is perceived to be a low risk aspect of business management for European SMEs, creating a risk gap between business information and the systems that manage it.
• Low employee morale is the top risk facing businesses in France, with 59% of SMEs rating it as a high risk.
• The highest risk in Germany, according to 70% of SMEs there, is a security breach, such as hacking into company-confidential information.
• The UK is more likely to cite challenges with customer payment (70%) and executive management team changes (70%) as higher risk factors than its European counterparts.
Security professionals and small- and mid-sized enterprise (SME) business leaders have a frustrating relationship; while information technology (IT) managers talk about security as a technology issue, that doesn’t connect with business leaders, who are more focussed on business information. In this study, McAfee closes the gap between these two communities. Using the data from more than 1,000 interviews with decision makers in the three major western European markets, we show how they see risk – and how that differs between countries.
The online interviews have been conducted for McAfee by Loudhouse Research, an independent consultancy based in the UK. In total, 1,005 decision makers in SMEs have given their opinions, in France, Germany and the United Kingdom.
The survey asks SMEs about their operational strategy and the risks that threaten their business. The survey identifies which of 24 risk scenarios, ranging from HR and finance, through to business information, are seen as high or low risk by decision makers."
2 - Do analyst relations in every country where you want to sell
3 - Be honest and consistent
4 - Fit into their box, but don’t make it a coffin
5 – Focus on the analysts who influence customers, not the easy analysts
6 - Send in your top people as well as your techies
7 - Draw a roadmap and stick to it
insight with its enterprise and vendors clients as part of a strategy
of growing core subscription revenues.
This is reflected in three ways, which we explore below:
1. The growing impact of its emphasis on data-driven analysis.
2. The emphasis on business drivers rather than technology
trends, both generally and at GigaWorld.
3. Forrester’s intense distain for potential consulting approaches
that are quite unlike its WholeView research methodology."
The purchase represents a 31% premium on Eloqua’s share price: that’s a notable markup, coming just a four months after Eloqua’s IPO. Even if Oracle overpaid, it’s a major step forward in Oracle’s plans to develop Oracle CX, its customer experience platform, and the Oracle Marketing Cloud.
This report outlines how Eloqua fits into Oracle’s strategy for marketing automation, suggests the likely implications of the accelerating series of similar acquisitions that will unfold in 2013 and summarizes some of the likely implications.
[This paper was drafted as an internal primer for a Brodeur client in 2000. In 2003, the client gave us permission to use it publicly. It remains a working draft.]
• A few vendors focus their outreach to analysts almost exclusively in the US. This seems to make sense because US-based analyst houses comprise the majority of the analyst industry.
• However, analysts outside the US influence billions of high tech spending
– and meeting analysts in the US doesn’t transfer knowledge across to them.
• US vendors will lose sales, the opportunity to validate their strategy as well as an insight into local markets if they only speak to US analysts.
• To avoid this loss, vendors should allocate their analyst outreach between the regions in line with their desired sales."
[This is an updated version of a paper written in 2002].
• SageCircle to close after departure of founder Carter Lusher
• SageCircle’s successful analyst relations model was overwhelmed by the
attempt to become a software and measurement company
• SageCircle’s substantial contribution to the body of knowledge about analyst
relations had overwhelming strengths, but some key flaws
CONCLUSIONS
• A defeat for the whole industry: SageCircle’s services and products will lose
momentum; its assets will dissipate; suspicion of other suppliers will rise
• Software analysts are not the best people to lead a software company
• SageCircle clients: re-read your contacts… and your negotiation textbooks
"Get the business vision right. If your killer business model isn't supported by existing software, think seriously about building software to enable the vision.
Implement features incrementally, only after you are sure that the scalability, security and architecture exist to support them.
Sticky sites need complex personalisation and customer relationship management.
The biggest technical challenge is complexity. Business-to-consumer commerce involves rapidly changing content and business rules. Simple off-the-shelf web shops can freeze your business, so look for process workflow, eCRM and web content management software that gives good support to changing business needs.
Don't take the vendor's word for it - or the reference site that got the software for free. Try software before you buy it.
Build and buy. Don't build everything from scratch: use existing software and pre-built components where you can. "
From the Author
You should read this report if you are in one these sectors:--
Retail - Whether you already have a web presence, or you are considering your options before building a site, you need to know how you can see a return on your considerable investment. Find out how you can maximise the information you may already have gained through dealing with your customers and how you can gather more through personalisation in e-CRM: Personalisation technologies for the Web.
Finance - With more entrants into this marketplace, you need to maximise the knowledge you have about your customers. Only by embracing the opportunities e-CRM offers will you be able to maximise market share.
dotcoms - As the traditional bricks and mortar retailers increasingly establish an online presence, how do you stay one jump ahead? e-CRM: Personalisation technologies for the Web guides you through the multiple approaches you can take to increase customer retention and give you the opportunity to operate profitably.
Telcos - You are increasingly marketing your products on-line. An understanding of this new technology is essential especially as you move into supporting mobile commerce.
Product Vendors - The e-CRM market is growing quickly and your customers have high expectations. But how can you successfully position both your products and your company for survival and success in this rapidly changing market? Find out in e-CRM: Personalisation technologies for the Web.
Systems Integrators and Consultants - Your clients will be increasingly demanding information and advice about customer management for their on-line clients. You need to understand the new market opportunities and issues involved in the move to e-CRM, who are the new suppliers and what are their strategies to be able to offer best advice.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
The e-CRM market
The e-CRM market is highly fragmented, consisting of hundreds of vendors, each addressing some of the operational or analytical requirements of e-CRM, and some offering a combination of both categories. There is a mix of start-ups, formed specifically to address e-CRM, and established companies that have tailored existing products to this market.
There has already been significant merger and acquisition activity involving new and old companies. This is quite normal in an immature market, but the ease with which some of the newer ones have gained access to the stock market and their subsequent valuations ¡V out of all proportion to sales or earnings in the period before the Nasdaq correction in March 2000 ¡V created a highly unusual situation.
High valuations protected the newer companies from acquisition, while allowing them to be very acquisitive themselves. For example, Kana and E.piphany both made several small acquisitions in close succession in the run up to their respective big ones: Silknet for around $4 billion in stock (announced February 2000) and Octane for around $3 billion in stock (announced early March 2000).
After March 2000, this activity eased, and companies were left to concentrate on the substantial product and organisational integration tasks. The stock market¡¦s affair with ¡¥dot coms¡¦, CRM and e-business had forced these companies to grow up very quickly; now they must re-focus and concentrate on using what they have to deliver to customers.
Market forecast in summary
The overall market will enjoy a sustained high growth, yielding a compound annual growth rate of more than 50% from 2000 to 2005. There will be a new round of merger and acquisition activity through 2001, resulting in consolidation around two or three major e-CRM suite vendors.
North America will lead the other major regions in terms of the adoption of packages; more leading-edge buyers in Europe and Asia-Pacific will experiment with them, but most in these regions will wait until they can buy from the leaders, which will be established from 2002.
They will not allow their objectivity and independence to be compromised. But a true industry analyst relations program goes beyond providing information to industry analysts. A true industry analyst relations program consists of several dimensions. It is based on the idea of bringing top industry analysts into a strategic partnership with a company. Once a true partnership is established, a corporation can benefit in multiple ways from the knowledge that sits with the analysts.