At a recent conference, Sylvia Reynolds, chief marketing officer for Wells Fargo, asked, "When did Marketing become the make-it-pretty department?" Reynolds then reminded conference participants that the fundamental role of Marketing has always been about the customer. Essentially, Marketing's role is to find, keep, and grow the value of customers. So what does that mean, and how does a marketer get beyond the "make it pretty" syndrome? [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

As a marketing professional, you likely work in a specialized function that may feel like a silo in your company. But you're also best positioned to break down the walls between your function and others (like R&D, sales, finance, and so forth). It's not an easy task, but the following five tactics can help. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

When Bob Lutz of GM or Jonathan Schwartz of Sun set up their blogs, they probably didn't worry too much about the review with Legal. But how does, say, a midlevel corporate marketer or product manager set out to create an "official" blog with the sanction of Legal? [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Ever sigh to yourself, "There just aren't enough hours in the day!"? You're not alone. Most marketers are overloaded and under-resourced. But it doesn't have to be that way. And managing your time more efficiently isn't the answer. Nor is simply delegating. You also need to be discerning about what you take on. In fact, when was the last time you prioritized your "to-do" list based on what will help further your marketing career instead of merely what will get you through your week? [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

We may all be tightening our belts a bit more soon. As a result, our marketing budgets will be under even more scrutiny, and marketing professionals will be held even more accountable for the money they invest. The pressure for marketing to demonstrate the contribution and value it is making will increase... yes, even more. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Ultimately, brand protection is all about vigilance. By regularly monitoring the use of brands online, organizations can ensure prior infractions don't recur and can rapidly identify when new incidents arise. In a world where an organization's brand can represent half, or more, of the company's equity, it's an investment of time and resources that's well made. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

In a rush to get a new product to market, many companies don't invest the necessary time to get a solid strategy in place to ensure its success. Here are six keys to determine the right strategies to minimize the chance that you will spend hours—and a chunk of your marketing budget—implementing a flawed plan. Bonus: Get a Marketing Template. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

With apologies to Philip Kotler, whose four Ps—product, price, place, and promotion—have been integral to any successful product or service marketing effort of the past 50 years, today's successful marketing hinges on five new Ps. Whereas the Ps we studied in college are all from the provider's point of view, these new Ps focus with laser-like clarity on the customer. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

In the past, the CMO and CIO have had a tenuous relationship, with both roles vociferously complaining about the other's lack of understanding, knowledge, and respect. But two powerful exponential trends are forcing Marketing and IT to communicate and collaborate like never before. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

A company's chief communications officer (CCO) and its chief marketing officer (CMO) play vital roles that are very different from each other but can intersect in powerful ways. By understanding what your firm's CCO does, you can gain insights into how to build a relationship that benefits not only the two of you but also your company overall. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

The most challenging part of a new Chief Marketing Officer's job is the first 4-6 months, when the marketing foundation is being poured. After that, it's all about delivering ongoing results and proving (and re-proving) the value that marketing provides. Here are six tips to give a new CMO some early success, strong momentum, and a solid leadership platform. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Not long ago, few B2B companies had a marketing operations function. Today, this function is becoming an important facet of the marketing organization, enabling it to operate more like a business, with formalized processes, infrastructure, and reporting. Here are three essentials that a marketing operation function should perform. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Every February for the last 50 years, stock car enthusiasts across the country have packed their sunscreen and descended on Daytona. This year, unfortunately, the economy also decided to head south. But fear not, race fans. There is hope for the brand that doesn't want to lose ground in a slowdown. In fact, a lot the same strategies that help NASCAR drivers win on the track can help your company survive the rough recessionary road ahead. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Over the past 15 years, business-to-business marketers have focused on the pipeline—leads converting to opportunities converting to wins. The reason was simple... [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

The Net Promoter concept and idea has taken hold the world over. The simplicity of one "ultimate" question is compelling. And it gives CEOs something to easily grasp and point to regarding a customer target. Those who have started to work through this concept have hit some walls, though none of them insurmountable. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Sadly, the value of most conference panels is questionable, due mostly to the lack of effective moderation. But done well, a panel can be enlightening and instructive and can serve the needs of the audience (and the speakers) equally well. In other words: Yes, there is a right way to moderate a conference panel! [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Are we in a recession, or poised to enter one? Maybe, maybe not. However, let's assume that the US economy will be in a recession and that as marketers we need to work within that reality. Here are five tips for what you can do to market your products or services in an economic downturn. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

The scramble to justify budgets can result in a hyper focus on short-term ROI rather than a long-term sustainable path to continuous improvement. In truth, continually improving marketing effectiveness involves addressing three key interrelated, foundational areas. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

The role of the Chief Marketing Officer has evolved since some of the first CMOs, such as Mark Mears of Blimpie International and Phil Gospels-Strumpette of Coca-Cola, came on the scene in early 1990s. The CMO role—which initially tended to emphasize advertising, brand management, and market research—continued to evolve over the past 15 years as a result of the emergence of new media, the growing number of sales and service touch points, more complex distribution models, and the fragmentation of customer segments. The CMO has moved from focusing primarily on brands and clever advertising to a larger, more strategic role designed to enable a company to meet the ever-changing needs of a diverse and global customer base. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Are you LinkedIn? Do you Spoke, Ryze, Jigsaw, or ZoomInfo? In 2008, will you get a Second Life? If these social-networking concepts are not on your radar, you are ignoring a dynamic trend that could have a profound impact on key areas of your business, such as revenue growth, talent acquisition and development, and operational efficiency and effectiveness. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Increasingly, companies are beginning to reach out to their customers to help them with their marketing efforts; in some cases, companies are actually turning some marketing functions over to their customers entirely. Here is how companies have successfully turned at least one of the 4 Ps of Marketing over to their customers. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Notoriously private, Warren Buffett doesn't have a lot to say publicly, except for his annual letter to shareholders that usually makes the rounds of the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and other top publications. However, for his marketing programs, and specifically GEICO commercials, Buffett has an open checkbook. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Marketers interested in measuring effectiveness and ROI need to understand whether marketing mix modeling can work for them, or how to get the most from it. Modeling measurements are often considered a bit mysterious. But MMM has long been a reliable measurement for consumer packaged goods companies and is now proving to be a great planning and measurement tool. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

With product marketing, your company will be able to prepare the sales channels to relate to the buyer and enable these channels to focus on the most effective messages and programs. You will be able to develop outbound marketing initiatives that move prospects into and through the pipeline to drive revenue and increase customer retention and loyalty. You will have people on your team who are always thinking about how to use what they know about the market and buyers to influence the product strategy. With this change, your marketing will be more than just selling and advertising. It will help you define the target market, position yourself as different and superior in that target market, and permit you to stay ahead of the competition. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Marketers love talking about products like the Swiffer or iPod, two colossal successes in terms of brilliance in innovation and new product development. In fact, rumor has it there are more consulting firms taking credit for Swiffer's development and success than can fit into the new Yankee Stadium. The puzzling question remains: Why aren't there more examples of unabashed new product successes? [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: General Management

Marketing executive and consultant Lewis Green wanted to re-establish his company in January 2004 after moving across the country. With no professional network in place, he figured the best way to promote his business would be a blog. His first attempt failed. But not his second.[Read the full story]
Marketing Case Studies: General Management

By hiring an outside expert in lead optimization and leveraging its full range of data, San Francisco-based Objectivity increased turnout for its webinars an average of 10%. The quality of the leads is high as well: More than 30% of the leads typically score high enough to be handed off to sales.[Read the full story]
Marketing Case Studies: General Management

Each year, when MLB's postseason culminates with the World Series, all eyes are on baseball—or are they? With most teams out of the running, do those fans continue to watch? Are the resources invested in marketing worthwhile, or in tune with fans' true passions? [Read the full story]
Marketing Case Studies: General Management

Kimpton Hotels had successfully created a loyalty program, but its email program was lagging. By implementing an email strategy that focused on segmentation and targeting individual preferences, and by adding a corporate branding strategy, the company increased email bookings fivefold.[Read the full story]
Marketing Case Studies: General Management

Need to learn about your customers without the big price tag of market research firms? This guide on do-it-yourself market research will help you get the information you need to position your business without emptying the corporate coffers. [Download] Marketing Downloads: General Management

Let's face it, more small businesses fail than succeed. Make sure yours is one of the winners with this guide to getting your small business off the ground and solidly on the road to success. [Download] Marketing Downloads: General Management

Metrics is the guiding light of your marketing efforts. Without measurements, you're operating in the dark. Make sure you are tracking the right metrics, and get tips on interpreting the data with this comprehensive guide. [Download] Marketing Downloads: General Management

This comprehensive, step-by-step how-to guide will help you assess the position in the market of your product or firm, by identifying the product's Strengths and Weaknesses, by considering the potential Opportunities the product has in the marketingplace, and by assessing the potential Threats posed by either the competition or the marketplace. [Download] Marketing Downloads: General Management

Direct marketing is one of the fastest changing disciplines within marketing today. What worked 10 years ago, isn't working today. Heck, what worked last week sometimes doesn't even work today, so keep your skills sharp with his How-To guide, focusing on the B2B market. [Download] Marketing Downloads: General Management

There are plenty of reasons not to delegate. Maybe you can complete a project more quickly than those working beneath you,  or you're convinced you'll achieve better results than your subordinates. But do you take work home on a regular basis? Or are deadlines an issue? ... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: General Management

At the ungodly hour of 5:30 a.m. each Wednesday morning, John Wall and Christopher Penn visit a coffee house in Natick, Mass., to record a podcast they call Marketing Over Coffee. The topics they cover include everything from classic marketing tactics to what's new on... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: General Management

Organizational psychologist Amantha Imber, Head Inventiologist of Inventium, claims nothing saps creative juices like the hyperlogical mindset that professionals often bring to the table. "Most idea generation or problem solving meetings are scheduled immediately after a strategy or finance meeting," she says. "[Consider] how difficult... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: General Management

It usually happens when deadlines are looming and there's so much going on you can't cope with one more thing. A nasty message from a customer or a colleague sends you over the edge, and your immediate desire is to tell them exactly where they can stick... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: General Management

John Moore of Brand Autopsy blog has a provocative series of posts in which he asks: "If [company name here] went out of business tomorrow, would anyone care?" Subjects have ranged from Sears to Subaru. When Moore asked about Eddie Bauer, he received a range of answers that... [Read the full story]
Marketing Quick Read: General Management