After Tom Rebbeck, our Analyst of the Month awards start a new cycle with Shelly DeMotte Kramer. We had the chance to speak with Shelly face to face at the Analyst Relations Summit and Kansas City, just as she was leaving The Futurum Group for theCUBE Research (previously Wikibon).
Tell us a bit about yourself….
I’m a quintessential tech nerd: I’m curious, a teller of stories, asker of questions, and connector of dots. I love working alongside clients to solve business challenges, develop solid strategies, messaging that will resonate with their audience and compel action, and helping with the process of telling those brand stories to the tech community.
How did you get involved with the analyst industry?
I spent 20 years as a marketing brand strategist, largely helping clients plan and navigate their digital transformation journeys. I began working as an analyst when I co-founded a tech-focused research/advisory firm in 2016, not only working as an analyst, but also leading, mentoring, and growing our analyst team, while also managing operations for our firm and ensuring we were meeting the objectives established by our AR-lead clients.
How did you get involved in working with analyst relations people?
I am generally one of our team’s main points of contact with our analyst relations counterparts.
What do you think makes an excellent industry analyst?
I think the best industry analysts are thinkers: people who like solving problems, always thinking about how we do things and how we can improve upon our processes, asking questions, and thinking about delivering on the customer experience front. Happy customers make for successful companies, and analysts who can help brands never lose sight of that in terms of their product/solution development and their brand messaging, which are incredibly valuable.
Tell us your biggest analyst, or analyst relations, horror story…
I don’t really have any horror stories – I’ve mostly had great experiences over the years. That said, I I think that as is the case with many analysts, we cringe a little when we are referred to or considered “influencers.” That word evokes images of silly “influencers” cavorting in Millennial pink rooms or doing ridiculous things. In my opinion, some of the best analysts were early adopters in the social media realm and, as a result, have built credibility and large audiences over the years. That makes us “analysts with influence” not “influencers” and I think we, as a whole, would love it if AR/PR/MarCom teams understood that.
Naturally, things have been affected because of COVID-19: How do you think the industry overall is changing? How has your business had to adapt?
I have been a remote worker and part of a distributed team for 20+ years, so the pandemic years did not impact me or my business personally. That said, it ushered in a few things: 1) the pandemic hastened digital transformation journeys, which is a good thing, and 2) it quickly taught us to collaborate via video (meetings) and virtual events, which was not widespread before the pandemic. Businesses had to quickly solve for and accommodate a distributed workforce, which ushered in the hybrid work era, which has been a game-changer for the world of work. While there are many instances in which employees have returned to offices, in many other instances, organizations have embraced hybrid work practices and schedules. For many employees, this shift has been a game-changer.
Which industry analysts inspire you?
Oh my goodness, there are so many. This is an abridged version of a very long list of people I greatly admire.
- Leonard Lee is the quintessential asker of questions, which I love, alongside his deep industry expertise.
- David Linthicum, one of my colleagues here at theCUBE Research, is not only a brilliant thinker, he’s passionately committed to educating. He spends much time teaching the next generation of tech workers.
- Zeus Kerravala is not only a good friend, but at the top of my lists of inspirational analysts: his coverage areas are broad, but his depth of knowledge in those areas is vast and he’s incredibly well-respected in the industry.
- Liz Miller at Constellation is one of my all-time favorite human beings. She’s smart as a whip with her finger on the pulse of so many things. I learn from her every single time we have a conversation. Even better, Liz and her sunny disposition always brings fun to every interaction.
- Carolina Milanese is always impressive, not only because of her deep industry knowledge and expertise but also because of her commitment to supporting diversity in all things.
I could go on, but I’ll stop here – we have such an amazing community of tech analysts, I’m grateful to be a part of it.
What advice would you give to CIOs who want to stand out as a technology leader?
In my opinion, the way any leader stands out is to step up and step out on the limb. I mean that having a bonafide presence in social media channels is important, creating and sharing content that showcases your thinking is important, and working to build a network, and building relationships with analysts can likewise play a big role. I think that today we are defined in some ways not by what or who we say we are, but by what we do and put out into the world. Thinking about your own “body of work” as a CIO is, in my opinion, an important part of the job.
What’s the biggest mistake that people make after reading analyst research?
Don’t stop with just one bit of research. Research is based on a few things: responses that come from survey data or in-person conversations/questions, and the insights that an analyst adds to data to form opinions. Every analyst brings different experiences, knowledge, and expertise to those projects, which inevitably colors research results. So, when I read a great piece of analyst research, I make it a point not to stop there. I keep looking for additional points of view and different ways of thinking about the topic. Dig deeper, ask more questions, and keep learning.
What have you found to be the biggest challenges when it comes to industry analysis?
Fakesters. Analyst firms who sell access to their Forbes columns, which is unethical, and who aren’t transparent about KPIs on the work they do with brands, inflating performance metrics, which is also unethical.
What can businesses do to stand out when it comes to analyst relations?
Reach out. Schedule briefings. Create opportunities to work more closely with analysts (e.g. advisory councils, analyst day events, etc.)
What advice would you give to those already in the analyst relations field?
Keep up the great work!
