Pricing articles by the best and brightest in the field

• How Packaging Your Offering Enhances Your Brandby Anthony Cirillo
  Is your company packaging experiences? Are they sought—or are they sold? And, drilling the concept down one more level: have you ever looked at yourself and considered the package that you offer and the experience you provide? In the current downturn, where layoffs loom large, those with the better shot at developing business or finding a job understand that the complete package and the experience contribute to a brand identity that stands out in a crowded marketplace. more
• Endurance Training: Five Brand-Building Exercisesby Kimberly Smith
  When the slow season strikes, devote some energy to pumping up your brand. These five exercises will show you where to start to best position yourself for the inevitable upturn. more
• Benchmarking: A Best-Practice for Improving Marketing Performance (Part 2)by Laura Patterson
  Knowing what to improve and by how much is vital to establishing realistic performance targets and metrics. This two-part article discusses how to use benchmarking to assess your organization's performance and to understand what changes to make. Part 1 defined benchmarking and explored its value. This second and final part identifies marketing capabilities and process that can be benchmarked and outlines the five phases associated with a successful benchmarking initiative. more
• The Five Simple Rules of Green Marketingby Jacquelyn Ottman
  A strong commitment to environmental sustainability in product design and manufacturing can yield significant opportunities to grow your business, to innovate, and to build brand equity. In fact, if you don't manage your business with respect to environmental and social sustainability, your business may not be sustained! more
• How Social Media Is Changing the 4Ps of Marketing: Stories from Real Companiesby Mack Collier
  Anyone who has taken Marketing 101 knows the 4 Ps of Marketing: Product, Price, Place and Promotion. But what you may not know is that some companies - including these four - are turning these Ps over completely to customers. (Graphic: David Armano.) more
• The 'Freemium' Business Model: Not Quite a Slam-Dunkby Nilofer Merchant
  Can you make money by giving away your product? Absolutely—and companies like Adobe (PDF Reader) and Macromedia (Shockwave Player) have proven it. With Web 2.0, consumers have gotten a lot of things at no cost due to various monetization practices—and that's good. But should you give away your product? That's another question entirely. more
• The Five (Wrongheaded) Complaints Against Advertisingby Jerry Kirkpatrick
  The complaints against advertising are seemingly endless, limited only by the creativity of its critics. But advertising is fundamentally benevolent, the author says. Advertising is a communication technique that attempts to influence the behavior of others—no more nor less so than the techniques used by parents, journalists, teachers, and politicians. more
• Basics of Strategic and Tactical Pricingby Joy V. Joseph
  As one of the 4 Ps of marketing, pricing is the most direct way of communicating value to customers. It has the most direct impact on bottom-line performance. At the same time, price as a marketing instrument is tricky. Here's the basics of pricing from both a strategic and tactical angle. more
• Starbucks at the Crossroads: Disruption Junctionby Paul Paetz
  Most marketers have heard by now of the kerfuffle about an internal memo, leaked through a popular Starbucks fan blogsite, penned by Starbucks Chairman Howard Schultz. The blogosphere is abuzz with the come-to-Jesus nature of Schultz's revelation that Starbucks may have lost its mystique. So what's next for the brand? more
• Marketing Challenge: Gross Sales vs. Gross Profitby Meryl K. Evans and Hank Stroll
  This week: Do you compensate a sales team on gross sales or gross profit for services? See if you agree with our experts. Coming up: Hate meetings? How can you make them productive? Add your two pesos. more
• Stunningly Awful Software Evaluations—A Strategy of Foolish Hope?by Peter Cohan
  Practicing these eight simple strategies will help reduce your quarterly revenues, delay deals, and consume resources foolishly. But making a few changes may move you from being a "victim of momentum" to achieving your numbers predictably. more
• Three Sales Leadership Challenges That Prevent Sales Force Successby Jeff Thull
  There are many challenges in leading a winning sales team, but research has identified 3 key challenges that sales managers most commonly face. How are you currently approaching these situations? Are you getting the results you are looking for? more
• Bad Things Happen to Brands When Companies Run out of Ideasby Tom Asacker
  Make no mistake about it: When companies run out of ideas, bad things happen to brands. Instead of differentiating their offerings with meaningful value-added features, like healthier and more flavorful products, time-saving recipes and packaging, or even emotive, associative value, marketers end up resorting to price cuts and special promotions. Instead of taking a long-term view of customer value and growth in sales, earnings and new product development, their focus shifts to a short-term desire to grow market share with discounting and deal-making. more
• Five Vital Points for Choosing a Lead-Generation Solutionby Christopher Doran
  B2B marketers who are recognizing the limitations of today's email-marketing and Web-analytics applications for generating qualified sales leads are switching to lead-generation solutions to ensure a continuous stream of qualified leads. Keep these five points in mind to ensure that you make a purchase that meets the needs of your company. more
• High Tech Marketing/Business Model Boot Camp: Blue Plate Special, a la Carte, or All You Can Eat (Part 5)by Nilofer Merchant
  Do you remember a time when most restaurant meals were the sit down, full-service, dessert-included variety? Even if all you wanted was a cup of soup or a simple salad, you were offered the blue plate special with everything at one price. Then the culinary folks came up with small plates, a la carte items, tastings, pairing menus, buffets and the like.... Similarly, high-tech companies have stopped serving everything one way with a side of structured licensing? Where once companies had to select / install / customize/upgrade, now we're allowed to use smaller-scale online services that do one thing really well, without integration and without customization. more
• High Tech Marketing/Business Model Boot Camp: Go-to-Market Mix in the Web 2.0 Era (Part 4)by Nilofer Merchant
  Web 2.0 has changed what product definitions look like, and how things that are sold as 'free' can make money. So while the 4 Ps are a good start as buckets, let's update them for today's era and discuss what you need to be doing to keep your mix both relevant and impactful. Here's one take on what's happening…and some ideas on what you need to do to win your market. more
• 'Value' Does Not Equal Low Price: How to Deliver Real Value to Your Customersby Ed Hellenbeck
  Every day, we are reminded that providing value to customers is a surefire route to success. True enough. But do you know what that really means? The concept of customer value has been around for over 20 years, and many books and articles have been written about it. Yet its growth in popularity has also been accompanied by frequent misunderstandings and spotty application. Here we revisit the customer value concept, review a common misunderstanding about customer value, and present a comprehensive definition that both synthesizes existing research and serves as a model for delivering higher levels of value to your customers. Let's start with a misunderstanding. more
• Common Pricing Traps to Avoidby John Hogan and Tom Lucke
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• Managing the Risky Business of Marketingby Wayde Fleener
  Marketing is a risky business. Despite all the efforts at market and product research, customers are hard to read, and they don't always respond to offers the way marketers expect them to. It's probably no coincidence that CMOs have the shortest average job tenure among all C-level executives, according to executive search firm Spencer Stuart. Risky business, indeed. But it doesn't have to be that way. By borrowing risk analysis techniques from the investment and risk management world, it is possible for marketers to gain control. more
• The Next Generation of Web Analyticsby Xavier Casanova
  The Web analytics space is hot, customers are engaged, consultants busy, vendors optimistic. There's no question this is a healthy "industry." But intense competition among the top vendors has somewhat killed product innovation. Unfortunately, that's happening at a time when the next generation of the Internet—what some call Web 2.0—needs a totally different kind of Web analytics. more

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Pricing case studies, deconstructing real life examples and illustrating lessons learned

• How a Diving Equipment Retailer Leveraged Targeted Web Site Promotions to Lift Revenue, ConversionsDivers Direct
  CASE STUDY: Senior management at scuba-supply outfit Divers Direct weren't convinced they needed to run promotions or offer discounts to increase Web sales. A test using Sitebrand's personalization platform quickly changed that perception. more
• How a University Embraced Social Media and Scored Millions in YouTube ViewsCarnegie Mellon University
  How does a university up its visibility with an increasingly wired target market of both students of alumni? By orchestrating a Web 2.0-focused Web site redesign that set the foundation for an ongoing social media campaign. more
• How a Web-based Company Increased Leads 90%—and Sales 23%—via PPC-Visitor Profiling, Landing Page PersonalizationCompany: Continental Warranty
  Continental Warranty used pay-per-click ads to generate leads by providing free quotes for extended-warranty coverage. But lead volume had plateaued. So it began to profile its web visitors, then direct them to microsites matching their profiles—and nearly doubled leads. more
• How MyFax Upped Customer Engagement, Achieved a 79% NetPromoter ScoreMyFax
  Internt fax service provider MyFax wanted to tap into the power of word-of-mouth referrals by improving the customer experience and maintaining highly personalized customer interactions. But as an online company, it faced the issue of how to individually engage customers to ensure long-term relationships. Here's what it did. more
• How a Small-Business Consultant Leveraged a High-Profile TV Commercial to Generate New Traffic and Win New BusinessLocalZing
  As a tiny Florida player in the field of advertising for small businesses, Karl Long knew he should consider unconventional ways to promote his company. Taking a cue from a competitor, Long launched a campaign that upped traffic to his blog 500%, raised his Google profile, and led to new business. more
• How an Online Software Biz Doubled Its Sales Leads, Increased Site Traffic 75%Makana Solutions
  Makana Solutions needed an inexpensive way to reach the elusive small business market. Rather than chase small businesses, it hired an online "inbound marketing system" to help small businesses find Makana. The results: Web site traffic climbed 75%, and sales leads have doubled. more
• How a Software Firm's Soft-Sell, Educational Webcasts Helped Double SalesSoftrax Corp.
  Softrax Corp.'s enterprise software automates a company's entire revenue cycle. With the advantages of automation not always apparent to potential customers, Softrax based its marketing strategy on educating the market, while competitors relied mostly on advertising. Webcasts featuring government and industry experts—with only an indirect connection to Softrax apparent—formed the core of the new strategy, and within four years helped double revenues. more
• How a Manufacturer's Sales Team Found the Secret to Efficiently Service a Low-Tech Customer BaseFabcon
  The manufacturing sector is more traditional than most. Many of its customers aren't high tech—some don't even have Internet access. Fabcon, a Minnesota builder of precast wall panels, struggled with marrying its desire for high-tech operational efficiency and its need to service customers in the method that they preferred. more
• How an ISP Used Online Chat to Lower Customer Service Costs and Achieve an 80% Customer Satisfaction RateEarthlink, Inc.
  Earthlink, one of the country's smaller Internet service providers, serves just over 5 million customers. To differentiate itself, it has decided to provide superior customer service. An early adopter of chat technology, it has sought to actively offer efficient online customer service via chat—both shifting customer support away from the less-efficient phone channel and increasing customer satisfaction while dramatically reducing expenses. more
• How a Nonprofit Used Member Resources to Increase Brand Awareness Across Multiple MarketsOregon Sports Authority
  The nonprofit Oregon Sports Authority (OSA) was striving to bring new sporting events, teams, and tourist dollars to the state. It also wanted to become the official sports resource for state residents. An overhaul of its promotions and more compelling communication of its brand were the ambitious goals that the four-employee nonprofit set for itself--and achieved, with a little help from a capable member base, which included the likes of Nike. more
• How a Web Services Firm Used 'Fanatical' Customer Care to Increase Sales 60% Year Over YearRackspace
  With Web hosting fast becoming a commodity, Web hosting firm Rackspace realized it needed to stand out from the pack. Its founders decided they would stake a claim to "fanatical" commitment to customer service. Rackspace wove the concept into its very business structure, even trademarking the term "Fanatical Support." And it worked: Revenues grew more than 60% from 2005 to 2006, and the number of employees more than doubled. more
• How a Software Company Became a Marketing Partner By Adding Mobile DataSalesTrac, Inc.
  When the clients of SalesTrac, Inc., were looking for more in-depth consumer insight to determine the effectiveness of their promotional events, SalesTrac seized the opportunity to provide increased value through an all-in-one system that added survey management and real-time reporting of consumer feedback to its services. Check out the results. more
• How an Insurance Company Web Site Achieved Significant Increases in Click-Throughs and ConversionsAmerican International Underwriters (AIU)
  By dynamically changing content on its start page to targeted segments of site visitors, along with testing the placement of additional product offerings within the transaction funnel, American International Underwriters upped the conversion rates of several of its products. more
• How a Nonprofit Moved Toward a For-Profit Marketing Model to Advance Its Nonprofit MissionMuseum of Science, Boston
  For more than a century, Boston's Museum of Science has depended on government grants and donors to finance its stated goal of encouraging "interest in and further understanding of science and technology and their importance for individuals and for society." The Museum attracts about 1.6 million visitors a year, including more than 50,000 members who visit regularly. Corporate branding and marketing for fundraising purposes hadn't been given much thought, but in 2001, as the U.S. stock market collapsed and the global economy slowed, the Museum found itself stretched for donors. It realized it was time to start marketing itself. Pioneering any major change naturally involves its share of challenges; this study reveals how one very traditional organization was able to make the transition. more
• How a Technology Services Company's Online Marketing Campaign Generated a 30-Times ROIBearingPoint, Inc.
  BearingPoint, a global provider of management and technology services, had won a major contract to implement a complicated voice over Internet protocol (VoIP) system for a financial company and wanted to leverage off that success. But it was competing with larger telecommunications brands to educate potential new customers about the new technology. By using multiple channels to get potential customers to visit its Web site and fill out a "BearingPoint VoIP Readiness Assessment Tool," the company was able to educate customers, gain sales leads, and often accelerate the typical nine-month period it took to close a large sale. more
• How a Long-Running Tool Infomercial Has Kept Sales and ROI Strong for Six YearsProfessional Tool Manufacturing
  How do you sell a niche product with a limited potential audience? Try an in depth-television infomercial. Professional Tool Manufacturing's infomercial for Drill Doctor, a drill-bit sharpening machine, is one of the longest-running infomercials in TV history. It has consistently driven retail sales—more than two million Drill Doctors have been sold—while substantially saving advertising costs. Professional Tool Manufacturing and its direct response television (DRTV) agency Atomic Direct created an award-winning infomercial by avoiding the traditional yell-and-sell approach and instead honing in on communicating the benefits of drill-bit sharpening to a sophisticated, do-it-yourself audience. more
• A Nonprofit Crafts a Compelling DM Strategy and Exceeds Its Conference Goals by 25 PercentThe Points of Light Foundation
  The Points of Light Foundation's annual event had grown moribund, and the house list stagnant, says Chief Creative Director Todd Potochnik. But he and his team were able to boost attendance from the previous year's conference by more than 25% and garner an 85% "satisfactory or above" approval rating from attendees. more
• How an Online Retailer Grew Revenue 161% Year over YearSideways Wine Club
  The Sideways Wine Club, launched in April 2005, improved sales 161% year over year through July 2006, despite the fact that most online wine marketers experience an average visitor-to-buyer conversion rate of about 0.0085, or 0.85%, much lower than most other online retailers' conversion rates. The company's founder, Dave Chambers, knew he could improve sales even more dramatically, if he could improve those miserable conversion rates. more
• How a Small Specialty Software Company Got on Fortune 100 Companies' Radar ScreensNovinity Corporation
  A software company in rural Montana was able to acquire major pharmaceutical company accounts and increase tradeshow traffic 300% by developing and promoting the educational content that its target industry craved... more

Pricing: See all 19 case studies

Pricing online seminar broadcasts from the best minds in marketing

• Small Business Series: How to Set Prices the Smart WayAttendee rating:  - Aug 17, 2007
• Using Pricing Strategy to Create Competitive Advantage in B2B Markets -- It's Time to Change the GameAttendee rating:  - Aug 17, 2006
• Managing Customers As Long Term InvestmentsAttendee rating:  - Sep 29, 2005
• CFO vs. CMO Smackdown: How to Win the Budget BattlesAttendee rating:  - Aug 4, 2005
• Writing a Marketing Plan for Entrepreneurs and Small Business: From Blank Page to PresentationAttendee rating:  - Jun 9, 2005

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Pricing mini articles distilling bite-sized advice (from our Get to the Point newsletters)

• Pick a Price, Any PriceMarketing in a Downturn
  When you have customers scrambling to make ends meet, or cutting back on unnecessary expenditures, it might seem foolhardy to let them set prices for your product or service. But ...
• Recession Marketing II: What NOT to CutMarketing in a Downturn
  In Part I, we suggested a few cuts to make in your current marketing budget to help keep your bottom line healthy during these tough times. Now let's take a ...
• Recession Marketing, Part I: What to CutMarketing in a Downturn
  Welcome to MarketingProfs' inaugural issue of Marketing in a Downturn. We are glad you signed on to receive these once-a-week guides to navigating rough economic seas—and safely making it through to ...
• Make Friends with the Great DisruptionMarketing Inspiration
  In a recent post at Harvard Business Online, Scott Anthony coined the term Great Disruption to describe our current economic climate. "In the Great Depression," he reasons, "demand, output and ...
• I Know What You Did Last SummerEmail Marketing
  "Online behavior is not limited to purchasing activity alone," says Sheldon Gilbert in an article at MarketingProfs. "To truly understand someone's buying potential, you need to see more than that. ...
• I Will Gladly Pay You Today for a Hamburger on TuesdayMarketing Inspiration
  Once upon a time, when customers didn't have enough money to make an immediate purchase, they would put it on layaway. Laya-what? you ask facetiously. "Doesn't that involve some kind ...
• Gimme That!Customer Insight
  Sales promotions that offer either price discounts or free goods (premiums) are often used to entice customers to buy products. But which is better? Every family has one or two ...
• The Price-Hike GambleSmall Business
  No doubt you've noticed it with your cable bill, your phone bill or anything else you pay on a regular basis—prices that creep slowly, and steadily, upward for no readily ...
• Snare That Sale with a DecoyMarketing Inspiration
  In a post at the Neuromarketing blog, Roger Dooley talks about staring at a shelf filled with shaving gels and creams, unsure of the actual difference between those labeled "Aloe" ...
• The Power of FreeSmall Business
  If there's one thing your customers can't resist, it's the idea of getting something for free. Those who want some proof need look no further than an article written by ...
• You Cost a Lot, So You're PreciousCustomer Insight
  Let's face it: customers often equate price with quality. Many consumers think high prices mean high quality, while low prices signal lower quality. Sometimes they're right. But sometimes they're wrong—for ...
• Raising Your Prices? Read This. Now.Small Business
  It's getting more expensive to do business. And whether you face direct challenges like spiraling costs for transportation and raw materials, or simply feel the secondary effects, you might find ...
• You Can't Beat $5 Sunglasses ... So Don't TrySmall Business
  In a post at his Influential Marketing blog, Rohit Bhargava talks about walking down the street in New York and watching people as they buy $5 sunglasses from street vendors. ...
• How Low Should You Go?Small Business
  "Two years ago," writes Drew McLellan at his Marketing Minute blog, "we were in a tizzy over gas prices. We couldn't believe [it was] going to be $2 [a] gallon. ...
• The Painless Way to Raise PricesSmall Business
  Sooner or later, you're going to raise your prices. An intimidating prospect? Sure, but Drew McLellan says you can implement a price hike without alienating your customers. Just apply a ...
• Partner Your Product with CareCustomer Insight
  Marketers often entice customers to buy a product by offering a free gift with the purchase. They might, for example, offer a free half gallon of milk with the purchase ...
• Nickel and Dime on the Not-So-SlySmall Business
  In a post at his Living Light Bulbs blog, Ryan Karpeles talks about the wrong way to make a buck. And he offers a prime example: Dollar Rent a Car, ...
• Who Can Resist a Bargain?Customer Insight
  Many marketers believe customers are attracted to discounted prices. Yet this assumption may be wrong. While a lowered price might make people more inclined to buy your product, they may ...
• Nobody Wants to Be a TightwadCustomer Insight
  It would be logical for consumers to use a coupon to save money rather than pay full price for a purchase. The notion just makes sense. Yet redemption rates for ...
• Simple Evaluation Can Resolve an Ineffective CampaignSmall Business
  Though they're a great way to boost short-term sales of products and services, promotions can also lose their impact over time. Senior marketing consultant and MarketingProfs seminar presenter Michael Goodman ...

Pricing: See all 28 quick reads

Pricing marketing downloads for the busy professional

• Paid Search Advertising Template
  If you're a little intimidated by the prospect of Paid Search Advertising, seriously, join the crowd. Here it is though -- a guiding light through the complex waters of Paid Search Advertising. We assembled a 30-page template to make learning and implementing a successful paid search advertising campaign for your firm as easy as possible.
• Competitive Analysis Template
  A thorough competitive analysis is a critical component of a solid marketing plan. It is an exercise that will provide you with valuable insights to guide the development of your business strategy. This 20-page template will make the project quick and easy, and you can end up with a leg up on your compeition.

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