Vol. 3 , No. 26     July 1, 2003

In this Newsletter:

Don't Miss the Top Ten Section!

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Chris Maher
Marketing and the Unimagined Other

Chris's theory of communication -- whether he's the reader or writer, the listener or speaker -- is that both sides need to reach beyond themselves to make any kind of meaningful contact.

So the subject of this article is the other. In marketing terms, ‘the other’ is the market, the reader, the prospect, the customer: the other end of your company’s messages. It's a recurring theme for him, and one he writes about eloquently.

Get the full story.

Gerry McGovern
Take Full Responsibility For Your Web Content

Here's a golden rule for web publishing: You should only publish on your website the content that you can professionally manage.

To that end, Gerry offers a number of processes you can put in place to ensure that your site is both fresh and compelling.

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Ray George
Do Corporate Brands Matter?

An acquaintance recently asked Ray whether or not his company should leverage its corporate brand across a group of brands within its portfolio. The specific issue had to do with scale -- how could his company become a contender in the marketplace when its individual brands did not have comparable recognition and reach?

The answer seems obvious -- leverage the heck out of that corporate brand to get the necessary scale and leverage, right?

Well...not necessarily.

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A Note to Readers

The Problem of the Other

It’s not often that a MarketingProfs piece begins with a line about nightingales and ends with lengthy chunks of text from William James (Henry’s brother) and Robert Louis Stevenson.

Then again, it’s not all that often that we run articles by Chris Maher.

I’ll say this, though: In the handful of times we have published Chris’s stuff, the response has always been interesting.

Chris’s readers--fans and otherwise--have come to expect no less than a piece that forces you to think, to invest some of your own precious time and energy as Chris meanders to his point.

It’s a lovely ride, even if you’re not always sure where it’s heading.

It can be a challenge. But find some quiet space to sit and read Chris’s piece. I think you’ll like his message.

As always, your feedback is both welcome and encouraged.

Until next week,

Ann Handley
ann@marketingprofs.com
MarketingProfs.com

Last Issue's Top 5

Mktg. Metrics Top 5

Michael L. Perla
What’s Your Value Proposition?

Anyone in business, politics, or public service should be able to answer the question, “What’s your value proposition?”

Here are some of the dynamics and concepts that contribute to a cogent value proposition.

Get the full story.

Jeremy Bachmann
What You Need to Know About Online Branding of Financial Services

Most financial services companies seek to build brands -- symbols that differentiate them from their competitors. In an industry with much product commoditization, brands help distinguish competitors in the mind of customers.

Yet, how does the concept of branding translate online?

Get the full story.

Carl Hedberg
Telling It Like It Is: The Art of Mining Compelling Quotes

Quotes used in marketing collateral need to be truthful and snappy. The challenge is that unless you happen to be sitting across the tape recorder from someone like Winston Churchill, the interview will typically lack "snappy."

Compelling quotes are not happy accidents; they are gems mined from logically-ordered transcripts of well-planned interviews.

Get the full story.

Tig Tillinghast
Dear Tig: Measuring Performance, Marketing vs. Merchandizing, and What the Heck Is Biz Dev, Anyway?

This week, Tig takes on the difference between marketing vs. merchandizing. He also looks at how to measure the productivity of a marketing department, and tells you everything you wanted to know about business development (but were afraid to ask).

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Contact

Publisher:Allen Weiss
amw@MarketingProfs.com

Content: Ann Handley
ann@MarketingProfs.com

Partnerships:
info@MarketingProfs.com

Ad/Sponsor Information:
go here or contact jim@MarketingProfs.com

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