Try This

1. Who is playing the role of product manager? When was the last time you ate lunch with this person?

2. Who is playing the role of program manager? When was the last time you ate lunch with this person?

3. It might seem convenient to think that a given person is always an innovator or a member of the early majority. Fortunately, this is not true. Each of us has a unique response to an innovation (some new product or service). Sometimes we're innovators, sometimes members of the late majority, and sometimes we don't adopt an innovation at all even if we're members of the target market. Name at least one innovation in which you were an innovator, an early adopter, a member of the early majority, a member of the late majority, or a laggard, and did not adopt at all. If you're having trouble with this question, ask yourself, Have I purchased a DVD player? If yes, when? Have I purchased a cell phone? If yes, when? When was the last time I downloaded a file from a peer-to-peer Web site? Have I purchased freeze- dried food in the last 12 months?

4. Get a copy of your current position, positioning, and messaging statements from product management. Critically examine each. Do you think your position statement describes your product with integrity and accuracy? Why or why not? Is your positioning statement credible, true, unique, ownable, simple, relevant, memorable, sustainable? Does it paint a future you'd like to create? Is your message short and direct? Does it creatively link your position and your positioning?

5. The essence of a brand is captured in one word or a short phrase: Mercedes means prestige while BMW means professional driving. What is your brand? How does it compare to what you think of your product?