However, there is a danger that the technology can swamp the needs of the customer, and the directors of The Galbraith Muir Consultancy have seen many such examples over the years. However, it is notable that those companies which really listen to their customers, and take action on what they hear, are more likely to sustain and grow their businesses.

A prime example of customer-focused communication comes from the Diamond Light Source, a leading-edge research facility in Oxfordshire which uses a high-brightness light source to probe the smallest structures of matter. The staff of Diamond are building up a portfolio of case studies illustrating not the facility itself, but what it can do for its customers. The case studies can be seen at http://www.diamond.ac.uk/Home/ForUsers/industry/casestudies.html

The heart of the site is the description of the main services offered by the company. The home page links to the three main sections on

• Marketing Planning
• Customer Focus
• Customer Understanding

These three services link together to ensure that a marketing strategy is built upon excellent customer understanding, supported by a customer-focused mindset within the organisation, and resulting in a clear, concise and actionable marketing strategy.

The main services are illustrated by case studies   which, in order to protect client confidentiality, have been prepared by combining experiences with a number of clients. To expand on these themes, there are extended essays on the site, listed under “The Sleeping Partner” heading

Sections planned for the future include this blog; a best-practice section, highlighting ideas which will often be drawn from industries outside the customer base of The Galbraith Muir Consultancy; and pages focusing on the work of individual clients and their associates.

We plan to issue a blog twice a month, and will focus primarily on the business-to-business (b2b) commercialisation of products and services by innovative, technology-intensive businesses. We will describe examples drawn from fields such as energy, engineering, chemical, environmental and related industries, together with their suppliers and customers. Attention will also be drawn to academic and public sector work which can support such industries.

The consultancy works primarily in the UK and Europe, but the blog will draw examples from across the world, highlighting instances of good practice relevant to the customers and clients of The Galbraith Muir Consultancy.