o Early Market: time of great excitement when customers are technology enthusiasts
o Chasm: early-market interest wanes
o Bowling Alley: Niche-based adoption in advance of general marketplace
o Tornado: mass-market adoption
o Main Street: aftermarket development
o End of Life: leaders are supplanted by new paradigms/technology
The individual chapters on The Bowling Alley, Inside the Tornado, and On Main Street were full of company examples and useful advice and warnings.
The last chapter on Organization Leadership which described the types of recruiting and management talent appropriate for each stage of the TALC contains very valuable advice.
However, I found the gorilla, monkey and chimp metaphors silly and tedious (I had trouble remembering which animal symbolized what). Surely Moore could have found a more descriptive way of indicating the strengths and strategies of the competitors during each of the phases of the TALC.
Primates aside, I will keep this book and add it to my library of professional marketing reference sources. It's worth picking up from time to time to re-read specific sections to refresh your memory. When you're in the "tornado" you won't have time for this kind of reading, so read it now!
To me, this is more like staying ahead of the wave in surfing rather than riding a tornado, but whatever the metaphor, these are accurate descriptions of how high growth companies kept their products rolling and revenues coming in during high-demand times.
But do any of these rules apply to staying ahead of the competition during the lean times? Where have the tornados dropped everyone during the inevitable slowdown after a long, strong period of growth? Look at HP--who drove these rules to high success with the laser and deskjets and unbeknownst to many, took the lead in the home PC market too before the recession hit. Now, when spending on technology has been frozen by corporations seeking to hold costs down during the downturn, how do any of the marketing rules set out by Moore apply?
Well, the author points out that one has to be alert to when a new tornado is coming, though that is difficult. Now, when companies are slowing down is when technology developments in the skunk works are allowed to flourish; R&D has more time to perfect new technologies when there is little pressure to get out in a heated marketplace. Sooner or later, then next tornado is coming and the companies that are ready with strategic partnerships, competitive advantage, proper "bowling pin" positioning of product will profit. Right now may be the Year of the Monkey ("monkeys" compete on low price and low overhead) but the fundamentals have not changed for the next wave of a technology boom.
I like this book for looking at the fundamentals of companies who will be up and coming in the next recovery period, and for setting up marketing strategies for new products we are developing in house at our firm. Who has the best in-house R&D? What are the coming new technologies? Who's positioned to profit--look at the rules put forth in "Inside the Tornado" and see if you can make any predictions.
Recommended reading.