Why Big Brands are Getting into the Ring – a great topic on how to do comparative marketing well (that’s when you pit one product against another like in Coke vs. Pepsi taste tests).

How Not to Generate Leads – a great article by one of my favorite direct mail gurus Denny Hatch. He tears apart an expensive corporate piece, and basically gives us small business owners of the world the confidence and a list of tips on how to do it right. Also, at the end is a follow up on one his previous articles on Wal-Mart – a lesson on what happens when you leave your core competency.

11 Must-Do’s for Creating a Highly Profitable (Highly Sellable) Firm – This is another question I get a lot. This particular article will be helpful to those of you running professional or service-based firms. It will give you some real pointers to consider on this topic.

Eyes on the Prize – Strategic Planning for Small Firms (with Big Dreams) – Here’s an excerpt –

But what is important to note is that without
this kind of approach to developing a strategic plan, a marketing
program can become diverse and wasteful. If you don’t know where you’re
going — remember? — then how do you know how to get there?

Looking back on these suggestions, it should
be clear that strategic planning does indeed work for the smaller firm.
It works for the corner candy store owner who watches changing trends
in candy tastes, and for the dry cleaner who keeps abreast of the
latest fabrics being used, and for the book seller who is aware that a
growing number of his customers are looking at books online.