Strategic marketing: from product roadmap to needs roadmap focus, a cultural-practical shift

The paper has the aim to represent an empirical model of Needs and Trends caption, analysis, definition and prioritization in a crowded Market with an extended presence of Competitors, and characterized by extensive Product complexity (regarding technical, application, user typology, scenarios of use, needs and request satisfaction capabilities). Diagnostic Ultrasound scanners were utilized for the practical implementation of the model. A general overview of the Market and Competition scenario will be given, as well as the Company’s Global Marketing organization and its related interactions within the Company in a 3-year period (2014-2017). The definition of the Needs Roadmap (expressed, unexpressed, not understood – by the customer/user, by the Market, Marketing, etc. - just touched on/at their embryonal stage) and its interfacing/definition of the Product Roadmap, will be presented and discussed.