You’re so right, Adele, when you saiy “Radio Shack would have been better served to stick to its goal of serving the core buyer that did want to build stuff” -> RadioShack would have its hands full today with customers who are into 3D printing and Arduinos and the whole maker movement. Imagine 7000 stores catering to this fast-rising new market.

Thanks for the comment, Guy. I’ve heard about “Innovator’s Dilemma” and just moved it up on my priority reading list.

You are so right that some companies target buyers who are more likely to “move on” and out of a company’s area of competence. Tech companies are particularly vulnerable. There really isn’t anyone in the company who can gather buying insight in the normal course of business. Sales people only talk to buyers who include the company in their consideration set. Customer service people hear from users about concerns that never factored into their buying decision.

I am hoping to help companies understand that buyer personas are not about pretty pictures and Powerpoints. We desperately need to evolve the marketing role to be the source of real insight into their target buyers’ expectations and their evolving attitudes about the company’s ability to address them. Radio Shack would have been better served to stick to its goal of serving the core buyer that did want to build stuff, and being the best at filling that need, even if it meant becoming a smaller company than they had envisioned.