In this session, Dr. Claude Kershner IV delivers a practical and powerful breakdown of small business marketing—focusing not on surface-level tactics, but on the real activities that help entrepreneurs make sales and drive transactions. This talk reframes marketing as anything that moves a customer closer to saying “yes,” and it gives small business owners a clear roadmap for understanding their customers, communicating value, and standing out in a crowded market. Dr. Kershner walks through how to identify your true target market using segmentation, how to position your business intentionally in the customer’s mind, and how to understand what you really sell through the four levels of a product. He also covers the full marketing mix—the 4 Ps of product, price, promotion, and place—and explains why these elements must reinforce one another to create a consistent and compelling offering.
The lesson dives into the psychology of how people buy, comparing the buyer’s journey with the entrepreneur’s selling process so you can guide customers from attention and interest all the way to action and loyalty. You’ll learn how the promotional mix works—including personal selling, advertising, publicity, and sales promotions—and how to apply each tool effectively at different stages of the decision-making process. Dr. Kershner uses relatable examples such as the Nintendo Wii’s positioning strategy, Calvin Klein designer jeans’ premium pricing model, Snap-On Tools’ customer insight, and Apple’s value-driven branding to illustrate how real companies build trust and differentiate themselves.
This video is ideal for small business owners, new entrepreneurs, students, and anyone preparing a marketing plan or business plan. It provides a clear, practical foundation for attracting customers, communicating value, and designing a marketing strategy that reliably drives real sales—not guesses and not luck. Dr. Kershner brings together teaching, consulting, and real-world experience to help you build ventures that serve others and create lasting value.
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In this session, Dr. Claude Kershner IV delivers a practical and powerful breakdown of small business marketing—focusing not on surface-level tactics, but on the real activities that help entrepreneurs make sales and drive transactions. This talk reframes marketing as anything that moves a customer closer to saying “yes,” and it gives small business owners a clear roadmap for understanding their customers, communicating value, and standing out in a crowded market. Dr. Kershner walks through how to identify your true target market using segmentation, how to position your business intentionally in the customer’s mind, and how to understand what you really sell through the four levels of a product. He also covers the full marketing mix—the 4 Ps of product, price, promotion, and place—and explains why these elements must reinforce one another to create a consistent and compelling offering.
The lesson dives into the psychology of how people buy, comparing the buyer’s journey with the entrepreneur’s selling process so you can guide customers from attention and interest all the way to action and loyalty. You’ll learn how the promotional mix works—including personal selling, advertising, publicity, and sales promotions—and how to apply each tool effectively at different stages of the decision-making process. Dr. Kershner uses relatable examples such as the Nintendo Wii’s positioning strategy, Calvin Klein designer jeans’ premium pricing model, Snap-On Tools’ customer insight, and Apple’s value-driven branding to illustrate how real companies build trust and differentiate themselves.
This video is ideal for small business owners, new entrepreneurs, students, and anyone preparing a marketing plan or business plan. It provides a clear, practical foundation for attracting customers, communicating value, and designing a marketing strategy that reliably drives real sales—not guesses and not luck. Dr. Kershner brings together teaching, consulting, and real-world experience to help you build ventures that serve others and create lasting value.
Strategy and Technology: Format Wars, First Movers & Killer Apps
The Dr. Claude Kershner Show
1 hour 28 minutes 51 seconds
5 months ago
Strategy and Technology: Format Wars, First Movers & Killer Apps
In this video, Dr. Claude Kershner IV explores how strategic thinking drives success in high-tech industries — from the rise of killer applications and dominant platforms to the risks and rewards of being a first mover.
Drawing from real-world examples like Tesla, Netflix, Amazon, and WeChat, we unpack how companies create value through technical standards, network effects, and disruptive innovation. You’ll also hear timely insights on the current debate around AI and the future of jobs: is artificial intelligence creating opportunity, or displacing workers at scale?
Core topics covered include:
• What makes a killer application — and how it shapes platform dominance
• How companies win format wars and lock in standards
• First-mover advantages (and why some pioneers fail)
• Cost structures in tech: high fixed, low marginal
• The Steve Blank model of experimentation and bootcamps
• Organizational ambidexterity: how firms balance innovation and execution
• AI’s impact on jobs in the U.S. — losses, gains, and the future of work
This content is ideal for entrepreneurs, strategists, students of business and technology, or anyone looking to better understand how innovation and competitive advantage are built in today’s digital economy.
The Dr. Claude Kershner Show
In this session, Dr. Claude Kershner IV delivers a practical and powerful breakdown of small business marketing—focusing not on surface-level tactics, but on the real activities that help entrepreneurs make sales and drive transactions. This talk reframes marketing as anything that moves a customer closer to saying “yes,” and it gives small business owners a clear roadmap for understanding their customers, communicating value, and standing out in a crowded market. Dr. Kershner walks through how to identify your true target market using segmentation, how to position your business intentionally in the customer’s mind, and how to understand what you really sell through the four levels of a product. He also covers the full marketing mix—the 4 Ps of product, price, promotion, and place—and explains why these elements must reinforce one another to create a consistent and compelling offering.
The lesson dives into the psychology of how people buy, comparing the buyer’s journey with the entrepreneur’s selling process so you can guide customers from attention and interest all the way to action and loyalty. You’ll learn how the promotional mix works—including personal selling, advertising, publicity, and sales promotions—and how to apply each tool effectively at different stages of the decision-making process. Dr. Kershner uses relatable examples such as the Nintendo Wii’s positioning strategy, Calvin Klein designer jeans’ premium pricing model, Snap-On Tools’ customer insight, and Apple’s value-driven branding to illustrate how real companies build trust and differentiate themselves.
This video is ideal for small business owners, new entrepreneurs, students, and anyone preparing a marketing plan or business plan. It provides a clear, practical foundation for attracting customers, communicating value, and designing a marketing strategy that reliably drives real sales—not guesses and not luck. Dr. Kershner brings together teaching, consulting, and real-world experience to help you build ventures that serve others and create lasting value.
