Pricing articles by the best and brightest in the field

• 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! [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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.) [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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? [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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? [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• '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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• Common Pricing Traps to Avoidby John Hogan and Tom Lucke
  [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• 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. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• Common Pricing Traps to Avoidby John Hogan and Tom Lucke
  It is essential for companies to develop better pricing strategies for a larger and more complex worldwide marketplace. Our research shows that there is less than a 50% chance that new products will hit their volume and profit goals. Though there are numerous reasons for these failures, ineffective pricing strategies are one of the most overlooked aspects of new product development and marketing campaigns. There are three common pricing traps that can derail new consumer or business-to-business product marketing success. Avoiding these traps is critical for firms to drive new earnings and growth. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• How to Determine the Best Price for Your Product or Serviceby Nick Usborne
  When you're setting the price for physical goods, particularly commodity goods, you may not have a great deal of flexibility. But if you are selling something less tangible—like a service, a subscription, a seminar or downloadable report or book—the range of prices you can charge is very broad, and often surprising. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing
• Making Your Pricing Strategy Stickby Tom Nagle and John Hogan
  As any experienced marketer knows, developing strategy is one thing—managing the process to embed that strategy in the organization is quite another. All too frequently, companies make substantial investments in more effective pricing strategies and then fail to reap the expected return on that investment because they didn't sufficiently invest in implementation. The truth is that implementing effective pricing strategy involves changing the expectations and behaviors of all of the actors involved in the sales process. Successful implementation requires targeting specific undesirable behaviors and devising a detailed plan to change them. There are three main ways to affect these behavioral changes. [Read the full story] Marketing Articles: Pricing

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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
• How a University Embraced Social Media and Scored Millions in YouTube ViewsCarnegie Mellon University
• How a Web-based Company Increased Leads 90%—and Sales 23%—via PPC-Visitor Profiling, Landing Page PersonalizationCompany: Continental Warranty
• How MyFax Upped Customer Engagement, Achieved a 79% NetPromoter ScoreMyFax
• How a Small-Business Consultant Leveraged a High-Profile TV Commercial to Generate New Traffic and Win New BusinessLocalZing
• How an Online Software Biz Doubled Its Sales Leads, Increased Site Traffic 75%Makana Solutions
• How a Software Firm's Soft-Sell, Educational Webcasts Helped Double SalesSoftrax Corp.
• How a Manufacturer's Sales Team Found the Secret to Efficiently Service a Low-Tech Customer BaseFabcon
• How an ISP Used Online Chat to Lower Customer Service Costs and Achieve an 80% Customer Satisfaction RateEarthlink, Inc.
• How a Nonprofit Used Member Resources to Increase Brand Awareness Across Multiple MarketsOregon Sports Authority
• How a Web Services Firm Used 'Fanatical' Customer Care to Increase Sales 60% Year Over YearRackspace
• How a Software Company Became a Marketing Partner By Adding Mobile DataSalesTrac, Inc.
• How an Insurance Company Web Site Achieved Significant Increases in Click-Throughs and ConversionsAmerican International Underwriters (AIU)
• How a Nonprofit Moved Toward a For-Profit Marketing Model to Advance Its Nonprofit MissionMuseum of Science, Boston
• How a Technology Services Company's Online Marketing Campaign Generated a 30-Times ROIBearingPoint, Inc.
• How a Long-Running Tool Infomercial Has Kept Sales and ROI Strong for Six YearsProfessional Tool Manufacturing
• A Nonprofit Crafts a Compelling DM Strategy and Exceeds Its Conference Goals by 25 PercentThe Points of Light Foundation
• How an Online Retailer Grew Revenue 161% Year over YearSideways Wine Club
• How a Small Specialty Software Company Got on Fortune 100 Companies' Radar ScreensNovinity Corporation

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)

• Gimme That!Customer Behavior
  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 Behavior
  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 Behavior
  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 Behavior
  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 Behavior
  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...
• Use Promotions to Develop Relationships That StickSmall Business
  "There are several reasons why smart marketers promote their products and seek short-term volume increases," claims senior marketing consultant and MarketingProfs seminar presenter Michael Goodman. And the reasons extend beyond...
• Price Reductions Can BackfireSmall Business
  The goal of marketing promotions is to stimulate short-term sales. This dictum leads many marketers and small-business owners to reduce prices. However, as Michael Goodman explains, cost cutting is not...
• How Much Should You Charge for Consulting Services?Small Business
  Setting fees for consulting services is a subject near and dear to the heart of every marketing consultant. Michael Goodman believes there are three philosophical approaches: Hourly or per-diem means...
• Make Sure Your Online Pricing Doesn't Alienate Offline RetailersSmall Business
  The Internet can create pricing quandaries for small businesses. How should you price your product when you sell direct though your company Web site and ALSO through your channel partners...
• Be Careful with Discount PricingSmall Business
  Companies use discount pricing for many reasons: To stimulate short- term sales; to match a competitor's price reductions; to get high-traffic display space at a major retailer. ...
• Six Questions to Ask Your Customers Before You Set Your PricesSmall Business
  "The overarching goal of marketing is to satisfy an unmet consumer need in a way that will ultimately deliver profit to the bottom line," explains Michael Goodman. Once you have...

Pricing: See all 22 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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