Robbie has worked at companies with smart, charismatic leaders who have run a good idea right into the ground. A leader without a sound strategy is like a guide without a compass, a ship without a rudder or whatever other clichéd metaphor you like. There's a reason we have so ... more

Many branding maxims tossed about in the marketing world—and accepted as unquestionable gospel and law—simply are not valid. At least they are not valid for everyone and every business. more

This week, add your two cents to the dilemma: What should publishers do to build reader involvement? Also this week, read your answers to the last issue: What makes long Web copy effective? more

Last year, Web content came of age as more and more organizations recognized it as an asset, and not just some commodity. Gratefully, more and more organizations have begun to put content first, technology second. However, there's still a lot to do. more

A big question for Web site designers continues to be this: what is the optimal number and placement of marketing call-outs on a Web page? The self-service quality of the Web has led to page designs that all too often serve myriad marketing goals. A single page can have any number ... more

This week: What approaches or steps do newsletter publishers need to follow to ensure the newsletter makes it all the way to recipients' inboxes? Join the conversation! Also this week, read your answers to the previous dilemma: How can a business cash in on year-end purchasing? more

Poor Eddie the e-marketer has been plagued by errors in judgment all his life. Although he at least understands the importance of e-marketing for driving traffic to his site, he's like a hamster running on a wheel, wasting energy and getting nowhere. Let's take a look at a few of ... more

It's natural to start thinking about your career in the beginning of a New Year—a time for resolution, reflection and rebirth. To help you focus on taking your marketing career to the next level, here are five key elements of a successful strategy. more

The US started the ball rolling over a year ago with CAN-SPAM, followed closely by the EU directives implementation. This article, presented in two parts, looks at the Australian Spam Act, which came into force in April of this year. Here's how the Act is structured and how it's already ... more

A basic role for a marketing researcher is that of intermediary between the producer of a product and the marketplace. The marketing researcher facilitates the flow of information from the market or customer to the producer of the good or service. Such a situation, with three major players—the producer, the ... more

At almost 80 million, Baby Boomers make up the largest generational demographic today. And, among Boomers, women not only outnumber men, but they also influence as much as 80% of household purchase decisions, from food and finance to travel and technology. In other words, Baby Boomer women are the greatest ... more

Long copy works well in direct mail. But how does it work online? This week, add your own two cents to: How can long Web copy be compelling? Also this week, read your answers to the last dilemma: How do spam rules apply in the real world? more

More and more companies around the world understand the importance of really knowing how their customers and prospects view their organizations. They also realize that viewpoints can change quickly. So how do you keep informed of your customers' opinions? How do you know they're continually satisfied? How do you know ... more

These days, businesses are increasingly using a full range of communication methods including email, Web and fax to enhance relationships with existing customers, as well as a low-cost means of acquiring new ones. Now an emerging communication mode, text messaging—or Short Message Service (SMS)—provides an additional and interesting opportunity for ... more

Imagine your marketplace is a field of banana trees. Your marketing people are those who nurture and pick the bananas. Bananas are harvested when they are green, and they turn yellow as they ripen. Roughly 95% of your leads are like harvested green bananas. Here's how to ripen all those ... more

This week, add your two pesos to the dilemma: If you're a service business or sell a more complex product, is it still possibly to take advantage of the holiday shopping season? Also this week, read your answers to last week's problem: What is the best approach or message for marketing ... more

At a time when Marketing and IT must closely collaborate in order to cope with a rising swell of consumer data, both groups still engage in needless bickering, neither side willing to put aside historical grudges. Without a common understanding of the role of technology in customer management, and a path ... more

There was a time, not long ago, when companies could generate new business by simply listening to and following the advice of their investors and business advisers. To remain successful today, however, companies must collaborate directly with their most important stakeholders—paying customers. more

We all know, buy and experience brands that have a great heritage. For some of us, it is Mercedes, Philips or Disney. For others, it is McDonalds, Heineken or Gucci. What makes these brands great, what they all have in common, is that they have had the time to build ... more

Are you losing truckloads of dollars simply because you don't get the customer to consume what they've ordered? Can't entice them to move beyond the sale? What's missing in your marketing? more

Ethical marketers all over the world worry about US spam-related laws, because they are not always clearly written or easy to understand. This week: What can marketers do to ensure compliance with anti-spam legislation? Also this week, read your answers to last week's dilemma: What's the best way to evaluate ... more

E-marketing is about substance over show, logic over emotion, text over graphics. In fact: good Web marketers follow the Google motto: be useful. more

Custom publishing is a proven branding and messaging strategy that can be an important part of an integrated marketing campaign. But this communications approach—whether "sponsored" supplements, newsletters or magazines—can also play a role in a strategic PR initiative. more

Over a period of six years, an established high-tech company has seen five reincarnations of its global marketing organization. With each new senior marketing executive has come a new interpretation of the company's mission and vision, followed by new attempts to tune market positioning and overhaul sales tools. Such organizational ... more

Most businesspeople intuitively know that the key to successful marketing is having a marketing plan—a blueprint for action. But many companies operate without one, focusing instead on the issues of the moment without committing to a long-term strategy. A marketing plan does not need to be complex, but it does ... more