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Technology Stocks : Novell (NOVL) dirt cheap, good buy? -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: Don Earl who wrote (21195)	3/17/1998 5:17:00 PM
From: ToySoldier	Read Replies (3) \| Respond to of 42771

Hey Don, Novell has been told for countless years that there one true weakness is in their weak message. I personally have voiced this concern to them at Executive Briefings and Partner Forums. Prior to the Microsoft Marketing machine pointing their guns at Novell about 5 years ago, Novell didn't have to market. They were the industry leader and they reached that position mainly because of their superior product. Then, Microsoft taught Novell a lesson on business reality - you don't need a good technology, all you have to do is develop a great marketing strategy that puts its competitor constantly on the defensive (dont want to elaborate on the key points they used on Novell - takes too long). Every year after that, they have tried a different angle on how they were going to deal with the problem. From a do-nothing different ("our technology is better") approach, parachuting new Marketing Directors, boosting the advertising budgets and blitzes, etc. Every year we would return to them and complain again about the same thing. Novell has recently (last year) come to the realization (and wisely so in my opinion) that they could spend their entire vault of cash and still not be able to regain any mindshare from Microsoft. The media just isn't interested in Novell. If its not a Microsoft news story or announcement then they don't want to hear it. Microsoft simply burps and they are on the front cover of most trade magazines - Novell puts out a major product release and its usually a buried article. Its these articles that are far more powerful than an out-right advertisement or commercial from the company. Their most recent strategy is to perform focused marketing to the product decision makers and the the industry influencers (i.e. System Integrators and Consultants). That is why you don't hear much at all from Novell anymore unless your one of these targets. They have reduced their reliance on the trade rags. Unless your an influencer in some way then your not really in their sights. I agree with this strategy, because as I said earlier, the only press they can get is if its paid for by them or its another hit against them by some gloom and doom fortune-teller. I'm sure that from the surface many non-industry players may not agree with this strategy, but if you were in their shoes Don, what strategy would you use to better market your company and products? I would honestly like to hear it (I'll tell you if they haven't already tried it). You are right though, Novell is more of a techie machine than Microsoft's marketing machine. ToySoldier