TABLE OF CONTENTS The best knowledge must be embedded into all products and services.
(Karl Wiig, CEO, Knowledge Research Institute)
So far, we have considered the various ways in which developments in electronic commerce and the Internet open up new opportunities for marketing knowledge. Although knowledge can be sold in an ad hoc way, such as offering expertise in response to a request for help, repeat sales can be gained by explicitly packaging knowledge products and services. This is the process of 'productizing', even though in most cases the 'product' contains a strong intangible and services element.
This chapter analyses strategies for developing a knowledge product and service portfolio. The two main types of product and service that can be developed are object-based and people-based. These are closely related to an organization's structural capital and human capital. An essential accompaniment to a knowledge product is its 'surround'. This is the bundle of related attributes and services that make it attractive to buyers and users. Many of these aspects, such as brand image, customer relationship, and access to expertise, are relatively intangible. They therefore need special attention when the product or service is marketed or delivered over the Internet. A related element is the product 'wrapper'. This is used to describe and promote the product.
The process of productizing evolves naturally from an organizational knowledge management programme. It is a good example of inside-out thinking (see Chapter 1), where internal knowledge is taken to the outside world in a potentially profitable way. The...
