A symposium on Product Strategy that combined industry and academic presentations on a wide variety of topics was recently sponsored by the Center for Research in Marketing. The day's program and a brief description of each session is provided in this document. The panel expects to entertain questions from the audience. Mr. Lefferts will describe the motivation for and the mechanics of the change in corporate identity at American Express Financial Advisors. Topics that will be discussed include the reasons for forming alliances, the communication issues involved in promoting an alliance, and the management of alliances once they have occurred.
Audience participation is encouraged through questions directed at the panel.
In this research, controllable company policies, procedures, and practices are expected to impact the success of product development teams. Variations in how organizations use such teams across industry contexts are examined to explain why these teams look, behave, and perform so differently across companies. Five factors are suggested as key elements in organizing for improved product development. The panel expects an interactive session with questions and perspectives from members of the audience. To successfully capitalize on these opportunities, new product planning and development are likely to change fundamentally.