Andy Marken Articles

TV Isn’t a Contact Sport - Click To Read Article
You've probably spent a lot of time in front of the TV recently...Super Bowl, Olympics, American Idol. Next up Futbol's World Cup...now there's going to be a series everyone watches. You've seen your share of pretty good to decent to OMG ads as well. Ah there's the rub. You only looked. You didn't interact with them. You know watch the ad and jump online to visit their web site, tweet your friends, go to their Facebook friends page, visit their YouTube ads. No you sat there. You watched, had some liquid refreshments, popcorn/chips/whatever and waited for the next play/event to take place. If you watched in a pub you high-fived six/seven folks and ordered another round. Again not the interactivity advertisers were hoping for. Maybe they're expecting too much of us...ya think???

Tips for an Effective Online Newsroom - Click To Read Article
One of the key reasons you establish a website is to attract members of the media to become interested in you and give you coverage -- print, radio/TV, online -- the key is to get visibility, get sales, get profits! This article will give you a solid check list to ensure you optimize your site for the media...all of the media

SALES PRESENTATION ... THE BOTTOM LINE IS SELLING - Click To Read Article
Talk about two sides of the coin just think of the sales call. If you're in sales then it is all about the person in front of the other person/group. If you're in marketing it is all about the polished, super slick presentation. If you're the CEO and CFO it's all about the order. Surprise!!!! It takes them all. And a presentation should be tailored by the sales people so that it fits their style and the audience. And it should go where few marketing people have gone before...it should ask for the order. The best sales call is a gentle balance of the sales people and their sales tools. We just want to make it better for them.

IN A HURRICANE, EVEN TURKEYS FLY - Click To Read Article
When times are good anyone can do the job. It\'s when times are tough the creative people shine.

IPTV – Who Will Make Money Off The Matrix - Click To Read Article
The IPTV market potential seems to be emerging everywhere. Tellywood wants to lay claim to it. Indie producers see a fantastic opportunity to establish themselves. Consumers are looking for good...free content. Who will win? The folks who develop the delivery platform... (charts available upon request)

Multicultural Public Relations – A Social-Interpretive Approach - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Multicultural Public Relations – A Social-Interpretive Approach By Stephen P. Banks, Ph.D. Iowa State University Press ISBN # 0813829402

MOST PR EFFORTS ARE A WASTE OF TIME ... MONEY ... ENERGY - Click To Read Article
Public relations can be one of the most powerful tools available to organizations to position themselves and their products/services. It is also the most effective and efficient means of launching and sustaining products. Doing it wrong isn\'t worth the time...money...energy.

Managing a Consulting Firm for Growth and Profit - Click To Read Article
Review -- While this review covers public relations agencies, they are no different from any other management/marketing consulting firms. Managing a Public Relations Firm for Growth and Profit – A.C. Croft; Best Business Books, 10 Alice Street, Binghampton, NY 13904; 607-722-5857; www.haworthpress.com; ISBN 978-0-7890-2865-5; 290 pages.

RECESSION SPENDING - Click To Read Article
…AD CUTBACKS DON\'T ALWAYS MAKE SENSE

Public Relations Kit for Dummies - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Public Relations Kit for Dummies by Eric Yaverbaum, IDG Books Worldwide, Foster City, CA, February 2001, 326 pages

Post Production Studios Like the Pros Without the Big Budget - Click To Read Article
Start your video production business without a big budget.

Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients and Contracts - Click To Read Article
Book review -- Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients and Contracts – Tom Sant, AMACOM (American Management Association), www.amacom.com, January 2004, ISBN-10 – 0814471536, 224 pages, $17.95

Short Game, Long Game, No Game…Gone in 60 Sec. - Click To Read Article
The game system roll-outs this year are classical good, bad marketing efforts. Who scored big? Who will win? Does the consumer really matter?

Sales Proposals Kit for Dummies - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Sales Proposals Kit for Dummies – By Bob Kantin, Hungry Minds, Inc, 909 Third Avenue, NY, NY 10022, September 2001, 360 pages, ISBN 0-7645-5375-5, $20.99

The #1 Guide to Performance Appraisals - Click To Read Article
Book Review Appraisals … Doing it Right! – By James E. Neal Jr., 145 pages, Neal Publications (NP) Inc., February

THE HOW-TO GUIDE FOR SALES INCENTIVE PROGRAMS - Click To Read Article
Everything you need to know about sales incentive programs. A complete checklist and series of recommendations to produce success.

The Sixth Sense - Click To Read Article
Mobile video, audio and content is all about storage and storage opportunities. Where do we see dead content? Everywhere. How do you protect it? How do you take advantage of the opportunities? Check! If you want graphs, let us know.

EDI, E-COMMERCE AND THE INTERNET ... WHERE BUSINESSES DO BUSINESS - Click To Read Article
Don\'t simply jump into Internet business without knowing the strengths and pitfalls. Learn the ins and outs...then attack!

Corporate Communications It’s All About Delivering Value - Click To Read Article
Target what you want and focus on results...

COOP ADVERTISING - Click To Read Article
THE STEPCHILD OF CORPORATE ADVERTISING

CONSUMERISM - Click To Read Article
LET THE DEALER BEWARE

Collaboration - Click To Read Article
Personal Power, not Position Power

BUSINESS NOT GOVERNMENT MUST IMPROVE THE ECONOMY - Click To Read Article
In tough times we can\'t expect the government to bail out the marketplace and then go away. It is up to business to remove the lethargy.

Briefs for Building Better Brands - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Tips, Parables and Insights for Market Leaders

Branded Entertainment - Click To Read Article
A clear, concise, effective step-by-step guide on how you can efficiently, effectively embed your products in today's entertainment resources to enhance your firm's image and produce sales.

Global Business Requires Healthy Dose of Local Alliances, Thinking - Click To Read Article
It's wonderful to see how indignant innocent little Google can become when someone out-hacks, out-snoops them. For crying out loud don't the folks who did that understand that providing information is the way Google makes its money??? If that weren't bad enough, Eric can not only not sit in on Steve's board meetings where some hot new ideas must have been discussed but now Steve doesn't even like Eric's company motto -- man is nothing sacred? On the Internet the answer is no! Your every keyclick is followed by someone -- yes even ours !!!

CES 2010 – Look Good, Act Assured, Play Loud - Click To Read Article
It is so easy to get swept up in the excitement, the presentations of CES. This year was no exception because there was an event-wide feeling that things are improving and that the PC, CE, communications industry has not only rebounded but is set for a number of years of solid growth. Watch the presentations and it is almost easy to believe that the world really does evolve around us. There are still challenges mixed in with the opportunities. There are sound ideas and products amidst the noise and sometimes it is difficult to see which products and product categories will be immediate hits and which will take months (or longer) to gain traction. We looked at them all and give you a different look at which will rise to the top...and when. It's still Shapiro's Greatest Show on Earth.

Innovation, Mainstream on Different Time Schedules - Click To Read Article
CES is always great to see and immerse yourself in all of the new toys, the new potential...the fresh start! It takes us awhile to look closely (behind the curtain) as to what the year and next five years have to hold. But this past year everyone was bemoaning the fact that the U.S. was behind the curve, lost the recipe for success and the future. Look at the CES stuff and where did it come from? Everywhere! We (and we mean all we) multitask, work virtually without borders pulling the best ideas, the best talent from EVERYWHERE to create solutions, solve problems. Only governments want "bragging rights." Companies and all of the wes want products, services, capabilities to sell.

Live at 5 – Handling The TV Interview - Click To Read Article
Business or personal, everyone seems to love a great scandal, solid news (as long as it's not their own). As flat as organizations are today any executive, manager can be reached for an interview. The most stressful is when you're sitting/standing with a TV camera facing you and the news person wants information, answers. Few professional newspeople (print, radio, TV, web, blog) are out to dig up dirt just to get the information...honest information. We're fortunate. We've had several years of being the interviewer (early in our career) and four confrontational interview courses. Done right the entire news interview experience can be good for the organization and you. The problem is you always have your best responses right after the interview. There's no retake in an interview...any interview.

It’s Time for Content, Communication Course Correction - Click To Read Article
The financial shell game finally caught up with Wall Street. The US auto industry suddenly realized their bloated infrastructure and their views of what people should buy didn't match up with what customers were asking for. The two industries knew how to solve the problems they created...go where they print money. The content creation/sharing/showing/enjoying players pulled back as they have in every downturn and turned their attention to tightening up their organizations, reducing profit margins and focusing on products, technology, services that satisfy consumers. Suddenly we're doing more with less and placing renewed emphasis on listening and talking with folks about exactly what they want and need from us.

2010...Cautious Optimism, More Stuff, Fewer Players - Click To Read Article
To say that 2009 was not the best year for business would be putting it mildly. Profit squeeze was the name of the game and while 2010 doesn't promise significant relief there are areas that will experience exceptional growth for those ready to focus their time, efforts and talents to their long-term goals. We have taken the time to examine the markets and players in our areas of expertise -- PC/CE/communications to help you plan how you will prepare in coming out of the bad times.

After 150+ Years, 3D Is About Ready to Come Home - Click To Read Article
Go to a content conference, convention -- heck any conference, any convention. What's the leading subject of conversation? OMG 3D movies are fantastic. 3D video games are so real. Did you hear what Sir Howard said the other day? Yep we're all going to have 3D TV by the end of next year...all of us!!! Gee and we're still paying for our big screen HD TV sets (all of them!). DreamWorks Katzenberg, Sony, Panasonic and "them" are hellbent to make certain you get the economy moving in the right direction. Don't get us wrong. This round of 3D movies are much better than the stuff of the 50s. Notice most of them are animated films? Easier to turn 2D into 2.5 or 3D movies. Games? Kids love em.

There Are Things More Important Than Size…Just Ask Flash - Click To Read Article
Thank goodness you're a pack rat! You know, have to grab, keep everything that flies by...ok everything except that report or news item or YouTube yuck you saw last week and now desperately need. Can't find it it save your behind. And still you don't have enough storage...there are new worlds to conquer, new worlds to destroy or take home with you. Ready to take on the entire universe...add on a few ultra-high capacity hard drives. Want to hang onto your corner of the world...flash capacity is increasing and prices are still coming down. Don't worry Flash will always be there for you Dale!!!!

ZERO-IN ON THE ONE WHO SAYS YES (AND NO) - Click To Read Article
Focus on the person who can help you in the sales situation as well as the ultimate decisionmaker.

Your CEO - Click To Read Article
…The Best Way to Project A Company’s Brand Franchise

YOUR AGENCY...IS IT TIME FOR A CHANGE? - Click To Read Article
Try to keep your communications agency as long as possible and work with them through the tough spots. But when it\'s time to change...it\'s time to change.

You've Got to Be Believed to Be Heard - Click To Read Article
Bert Decker has written one of the best and most easily understood we've read in a long time. It's a complete book on speaking that will help you in business but also in your personal life.

WINNING WAYS TO MAKE ENEMIES IN THE PRESS - Click To Read Article
What a world of difference there is in the way “organizations” handle problems when they are caught with their hands in the cookie jar.

Will Industry Learn from the Media’s Troubles? - Click To Read Article
\"They [reporters] don\'t climb the stairs anymore, they don\'t understand the shoe-leather, they don\'t teach that in their high-class schools. \"They are highly trained people who sit in their offices and write term papers. They won\'t sully themselves going to a greasy housing project or stand out in the rain for a few hours.\" – Jimmy Breslin, Pulitzer Prize winning columnist

Will Your Content Change the Internet Weather? - Click To Read Article
Content delivery firms have forecast that the Internet and Web 2.0 will crumble under the weight of personal video content. But the Olympics didn't dent it and millions watched the games around the globe. It is resilient...and self-healing.

Why Doesnt the Press Call - Click To Read Article
We started enjoying the benefits of the Internet before it was the Internet. More than 15 years ago – when the National Science Foundation awarded the first four contracts to connect engineers and scientists around the country into an on-line community – we started to work with the fledgling CERFnet that was awarded the contract to establish the Western leg of the NSFnet.

Why Some Companies Emerge Stronger and Better From a Crisis - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : 7 Essential Lessons for Surviving Disaster

WHY DOESN'T THE EDITOR LIKE YOUR NEWS RELEASES? - Click To Read Article
Basics aren\'t difficult in developing a solid, news worthy news release. It is a shame most people waste their opportunities. This article gives you step-by-step guidelines to doing it right...including distribution.

Why Media People Don't Sign Up for Trade Show Press Credentials Early - Click To Read Article
Follow these guidelines to develop sound editorial relationships and profitable efforts.

WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE - Click To Read Article
MANAGEMENT NEEDS NEW STRATEGY TO PROTECT COMPANY\'S ASSETS

WHERE COOP ADVERTISING IS GOING - Click To Read Article
Co-op Advertising is Expected to Reflect a New Professionalism in the Years Ahead

What Would Machiavelli Do - Click To Read Article
Book by Fortune\'s Stan Bing

WHERE IS YOUR OPERATION GOING NEXT? - Click To Read Article
DEVELOP A PLAN BEFORE YOU ACT

Where Will You Store The Rushing Waves of Content? - Click To Read Article
The growth of graphic content -- photo, video, presentations -- means storage will continue to be a thriving market for years to come. Understanding the needs may assist you in handling your content and providing services to others.

We the Media - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Grassroots Journalism by the People, for the People – Dan Gillmor; O’Reilly Press, 1005 Gravenstein Highway North, Sebastopol, CA 95472, 707.827.7000, www.oreilly.com; August 2004; 304 pages, hardcover; $24.95

Web-Based Support… - Click To Read Article
Focus on What You Have, Not What You Want Good News: This year more than 95% of the businesses in the U.S. – large and small – will have Internet access. Globally more than 65% of businesses in industrial countries will have Internet access. This year an estimated 60% of homes in the U.S. will have Internet access. Bad News: This year more than 95% of the businesses in the U.S. – large and small – will have Internet access. Globally more than 65% of businesses in industrial countries will have Internet access. This year an estimated 60% of homes in the U.S. will have Internet access.

VIRTUAL CONFERENCES, VIRTUAL MEETINGS - Click To Read Article
...BETTER THAN BEING THERE

VPNs Bring Interactivity to E-Commerce - Click To Read Article
Understand the pros and cons...and the benefits...of VPNs (virtual private networks).

Want An Effective PR Web Site? Do What Your Users Do! - Click To Read Article
Sit down this evening at your computer…do a competitive round-up article with news, comparisons, illustrations. And you’re on a short deadline!!

WEB ENHANCES SHARING OF BUSINESS INTELLIGENCE - Click To Read Article
The best and fastest way to exchange data...the Internet.

Web 2.0 – Thunder…Lightning…Rain - Click To Read Article
The next great thing is here -- Web 2.0. Audio, video, content, blogs and everything on the web. All of it is promising new opportunities, new successes. But is there a rainbow? A silver lining? An opportunity for you to make your big score? We explore in-depth the areas, their opportunities, their pros/cons. Then? You decide !

Want Data Privacy…Get Off the Computer - Click To Read Article
People increasingly worry about identity and content/data privacy. Your information is already out there. Learn how to limit giving "them" more information about yourself.

Vista… If We Didn’t Have Darth Vader We’d Invent Him - Click To Read Article
Bill Gates departed Microsoft leaving Steve Ballmer in charge of a rapidly changing world. Some feel Microsoft will die under the weight of itself. Others are certain that Vista is just a symptom of the worst yet to come. But is it really that bad or is it a case of the fact that we really don't like change? After all the Mac OS has its issues as well.

Unnatural Leadership - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Going Against Intuiting and Experience to Develop Ten New Leadership Instincts – By David L. Dotlich and Peter C. Cairo; Feb 2002, 280 pages, John Wiley & Sons, 605 Third Street, New York, NY 10158

Value-Added Public Relations - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The Secret Weapon of Integrated Marketing – By Thomas L. Harris, Phillip Kolter; McGraw-Hill, NY, NY, June 1997, 336 Pages

Throwing the Elephant - Click To Read Article
Book review -- Zen and the Art of Managing Up -- By Stanley Bing; HarperCollins Publishers, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, New York 10019; February 2002, 160 pp

Tough Calls - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- AT&T and The Hard Lessons Learned from the Telecom Wars – By Dick Martin; AMACOM, 1601 Broadway, NY, NY 10019, www.amacombooks.org; November, 2004; 304 pages, $24.95

Toxic Sludge Is Good For You!: - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Lies, Damn Lies and the Public Relations Industry and Trust Us, We’re Experts: How Industry Manipulates Science and Gables With Your Future – By John Stauber and Sheldon Rampton, Common Courage Printers, October, 1995, 236 pages and December 2000, 246 pages respectively

Trust or Consequences - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Build Trust Today or Lose Your Market Tomorrow – Al Golin, AMACOM, 1601 Broadway, NY 10019, www.amacombooks.org, 240 p, $24

Tradeshow Advertising - Click To Read Article
– Why It Matters Now More than Ever

To Blog or Not to Blog. - Click To Read Article
That Is the Question? The newest computer can merely compound, at speed, the oldest problem in the relations between human beings, and in the end the communicator will be confronted with the old problem, of what to say and how to say it -- Edward R. Murrow

TRADE SHOW EDITORIAL LIAISON - Click To Read Article
Take a Walk in Their Shoes

Trade Shows + Email + PR People = Journalists’ Wrath - Click To Read Article
Trade shows make everyone anxious. Especially people who want to leverage the opportunity with the press. Be careful where you step.

TO MAKE ADS COMMUNICATE, TAILOR CREATIVITY TO MEET GOALS - Click To Read Article
The basic techniques underlying good consumer ads can be applied to good business advertising,

Trade Show PRIts Time To Focus on Goals Substance Results - Click To Read Article
The trade show business is big business and business is good. The key for you should be to maximize your investment and work with the best the press have to offer. A little care and you can do it right!

Understanding Dual Layer DVD Recording - Click To Read Article
Understand the technology and its applications in your business.

Understanding the X, Compatibility Issues of CD-RW Drives, Media - Click To Read Article
Optical storage can be a powerful business tool once you understand its strengths, weaknesses.

Thunder…Lightning…Rain - Click To Read Article
The Internet, Web 2.0 offer the greatest opportunities -- and the greatest challenge -- to today's new businesses. Learning how to use it to your advantage -- and your customers -- can put you in the driver's seat. Doing it improperly and you'll be left by the side of the road...road kill!

Turning “Outsiders” Into Insiders - Click To Read Article
Increasingly businesses function and grow best with a combination of inside and outside staff members. The author spells out how you can bring outsiders inside for increased loyalty and support.

TV, Entertainment Options, Convenience Expand Horizons - Click To Read Article
Television viewing seems ubiquitous for young/old; men/women. Does it hold opportunities for people to reach consumers in newer, fresher ways?

TV Viewing Without The TV Set - Click To Read Article
Content is everywhere not just on your TV set. In fact most of the television content is also available on the Web. The convergence of the two are strengthening our use of information and entertainment. It also offers a great new set of opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Twitter World -- Trust Us…You Ain’t That Interesting - Click To Read Article
Ah the power of 140 characters. It is proving dynamite for well just everyone. Even us. We've got Twitter sending us notes saying people are following our Tweets and we have yet to send one out. But we aren't really that interested in someone following our every mumble on the Internet. Some people think it's a great solution. We think its stalking. Lots of people sign up but their fall off rate is worse than the churn on some of the mobile service people. Oh it will last. Everything lasts on the Internet. But take a look at the piece and use it as you want/as you will.

The Snapshot Survey Quick Affordable Marketing Research for Every Organization - Click To Read Article
Book Review The Snapshot Survey Quick, Affordable Marketing Research for Every Organization Lloyd Corder, PhD; Kaplan Publishing, 30 South Wacker Drive, Chicago, IL 60606, 800.621.9621, www.kaplanpublishing.com; February 2006, ISBN 141950696X, 288 pages, $22.95

The Skinny About Best Boys, Dollies, Green Rooms, Leads and Other Media Lingo…The Language of the Media - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The Skinny About Best Boys, Dollies, Green Rooms, Leads and Other Media Lingo…The Language of the Media – Richard Weiner, Random House Reference, Random House of Canada Ltd., Toronto CA, ww.randomwords.com, ISBN 0375721419, 304 pages, April 2006, $14.95

THERE'S MORE TO BEING PUBLIC THAN BEING LISTED - Click To Read Article
Taking a company public is just the beginning step on a long road. Know what lies ahead before you begin the journey.

The Weakest Link in Corporate Backup - Click To Read Article
Start with the weakest point in your network content protection and then work outward.

The Undersea Internet World - Click To Read Article
The Internet spans the globe delivering communications -- personal and professional -- almost instantly to every corner of the spinning sphere. The problem is there are interruptions and sometimes they are difficult to repair when they are under the ocean.

The Swiss Army Phone…Is Good Enough for Everything Good Enough? - Click To Read Article
Smartphones are rapidly replacing standard cellphones. How far can they go? How far should they go? How far will they go? We explore the opportunities for entrepreneurs.

There’s a World Between eMail, Games - Click To Read Article
It's a little strange out there. There's a huge demand for minimalist portable computers. There's a giant demand for heavy honkers that serious gamers carry, open and use to test their eye/hand coordination and ability to concentrate. And the rest of us? We don't know a lot about GPUs (Graphic Processor Units) but we do know if you want a notebook with a really good one you usually look at Dell's Alienware or Acer's Ferarri or colorful HP notebook that looks like it would take a bullet for you. That's just great we're back looking at $2,500 + systems. Why can't we get a good all purpose system that won't melt our polyester pants with a battery that will continue to breathe for the length of our flight. All of the components are optomized in their own isolated environment.

THE SALES PRESENTATION THE BOTTOM LINE IS SELLING - Click To Read Article
Selling is hard work, even in the virtual world of the Internet. It requires strong motivation, personal pride, perseverance, flexibility, energy, discipline, and focus. Above all, it requires communicating and being able to read/understand the prospects\' attitudes and needs, whether they are real or perceived.

THE SALES PRESENTATION CHECKLIST - Click To Read Article
THE SALES PRESENTATION CHECKLIST

The PR Crisis Bible - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : How to take charge of the media when all hell breaks loose

The Power of the Pitch - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- – Gary Hankins; Dearborn Trade Publishing, ISBN: 0-7931-9439-3; 30 South Wacker Drive, Ste 2500, Chicago, Il 50505, 312-836-4400, www.dearborntrade.com; January 2005, 352 pages, $22.95

The Power of We - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Succeeding Through Partnerships: By Jonathan Tisch, Karl Weber; John Wiley & Sons, 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030, www.wiley.com; ISBN: 0471652822; Aug 2004; 260 pages, $24.95

The Press - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Geneva Overholser, Kathleen Hall Jamieson; Oxford University Press, 198 Madison Avenue, NY, NY 10016, www.oup.com/us; ISBN 0195172833; May 2005, 473 pages, $65.

The Publicity Handbook, New Edition - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- by David R. Yale, Andrew J. Carothers; McGraw-Hill Trade, Two Penn Plaza, NY, NY 10121; ISBN 084432424, May 2001, 464 pages, $22.95

The Public Relations Handbook, Second Edition - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Alison Theaker; Routledge , Taylor & Francis Group, 2 Park Square, Milton Park, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 4RN; 29 West 35th Street, NY, NY 10001; www.routledge.com; ISBN # 0415213347; 289 pages, $14

THE POWER OF THE INTERNET - Click To Read Article
It ISN\'T FOR EVERY ORGANIZATION

The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity - Click To Read Article
The Savvy Author’s Guide to Book Publicity – Lissa Warren; Carroll & Graf Publishing, 245 West 17th Street, NY, NY 10011, 212.981.9919; paperback, 336 p, January 2004; ISBN 0786712759; $14

THE SELECTION, CARE AND FEEDING OF PUBLIC RELATIONS COUNSEL - Click To Read Article
Everything you need to know to get the most from your PR relationship.

The Search for The Perfect TV Set - Click To Read Article
Home and personal entertainment is getting richer and more widespread. Integrating solutions and systems for homeowners is rapidly becoming big income for people who know how to launch and promote their businesses. Want the illustrations (contact us)?

The Qualcomm Equation: How a Fledgling Company Forged a New Path to Big Profits and Market - Click To Read Article
Book review -- The Qualcomm Equation: How a Fledgling Company Forged a New Path to Big Profits and Market – Dave Mock, AMACOM (American Management Association), www.amacom.com, March, 2005, 266 pages, $25.00

The Search for the Best Storage Solution - Click To Read Article
The search is on for the one great, the one indispensible storage solution...the Holy Grail for content users everywhere! Flash folks say they've got the solution. Drive people know they've got it. Tape/optical? They're in the middle of the frey too.

The Pros, Cons of Working, Playing in the Clouds - Click To Read Article
Don't you just love all the fun, the advantages, the freedom, the freakin mystery of the cloud? Look up -- they're light, they're fluffy, they're everywhere. Heck they're even green, ecofriendly...right? But ever so often something is dark on the horizon and the sucka comes roaring in and does some serious damage. Or it can sneak up quietly and SPLAT! slap you where it hurts...really hurts. Cloud computing is like the last wild frontier (sure we'll have more but cloud computing/storage is one biggie) where anything, anyone can go...and it does/they do. It isn't for the faint of heart and it isn't for the dumb ones but it sure attracts them like flies.

The Next Common Sense - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : Mastering Corporate Complexity Through Coherence

The New Investor Relations - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Expert Perspectives on the State of the Art – by Benjamin Mark Cole; Bloomberg Press, 100 Business Park Drive, Box 888, Princeton, NJ 08542, www.bloomberg.com/books, 609-750-5070, October 2003, hardcover -- $55, 320pps

The Origin of Brands - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Discover the Natural Laws of Product Innovation and Business Survival – Al Ries and Laura Ries; Harper Business, 10 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022, 212-207-7708; May 2004; ISBN 0060570148; 295 p, $24.95

The Passionate Organization - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Igniting the Fire of Employee Commitment by James R. Lucas; AMACOM, American Management Association, 1601 Broadway, New York, NY 10019; May 1999; 240 pages

The New PR Toolkit - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Strategies for Successful Media Relations – Diedre Breakenridge, Thomas J. DoLoughry; Financial Times Prentice Hall, Pearson Education, One Lake Street, Upper Saddle River, NJ 07458; (201) 236-7000, www.pearsoned.com, ISBN –0130090255, January 2003, 272 pages, $24.95

The Mind of the C.E.O. - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The Mind of the C.E.O. – by Jeffrey E. Garten – Basic Books/Perseus Publishing, NY – 2001, 310 pages

The Million Dollar Baby - Click To Read Article
It’s the magic of risking everything for a dream that nobody sees but you. That is what is driving independent audio/video producers. The difference is that today they have multiple opportunities for visibility and exposure. It is all possible. It is all available. (charts available upon request)

The Long Tail Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More - Click To Read Article
Book review -- The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More – Chris Anderson, Hyperion, www.hyperionbooks.com, July 2006, ISBN-10 – 1401302378, 256 pages, $24.95

The New Matrix - Click To Read Article
Gaming, social networking are not only gaining strong followings, they are also becoming vital marketing opportunities for firms large and small.

The New Matrix - Click To Read Article
Second Life and the virtual world offer new marketing and communications opportunities for new and early stage firms that know how to take advantage of tomorrow.

The New Communications Tools…Listening, Helping - Click To Read Article
If you ever have a chance to read some of the PR for PR sake pieces on Web 2.0 you'd swear we now have a new frontier that is tailor made for PR people. A whole new virgin territory that is our to own. A whole new brave frontier where PR will lead and the world will willingly follow. Feels like a great chance for a lot of people -- mobs even -- to take us to the cleaners. There are better options any/every entrepreneur can use to succeed...lurk, learn, listen, help.

THE MARKET SHIFT -- IN A HURRICANE, EVEN TURKEYS FLY - Click To Read Article
As the world moves into a difficult financial environment it may not be the best time to start a business or to branch into new markets. Or is it? It takes talent, conviction, determination and strong self assurance.

The Influentials - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Ed Keller, Jon Berry, The Free Press Division of Simon & Schuster, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY 10020, 2003, 350 pps, $26

THE BUSINESS PLAN - Click To Read Article
Why do so many businesses start and then fail so quickly? Most of them don\'t have a plan. Without a clear, concise, detailed plan it is impossible to for any buiness to succeed. Your business plan is your blueprint for success.

Ten Commandments for Managing People - Click To Read Article
Ten Commandments for Managing People

The Effective Employee Incentive Program - Click To Read Article
It\'s not all about money...but it helps!

The 18 Immutable Laws of Corporate Reputation - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Creating, Protecting and Repairing Your Most Valuable Asset

The Anatomy of Buzz - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : How to Create Word-of-Mouth Marketing

The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR - Click To Read Article
Book by Al and Laura Ries

Talespin - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Public Relations Disasters – Inside Stories & Lessons Learnt – Gerry McCusker; Kogan Page, 22883 Quicksilver Drive, Sterling, VA 20166; 227 pages, October 2004, $29.95

The Dos and Don’ts of Media Interviews - Click To Read Article
Easy steps to follow to get the results you want, need in your press interviews.

Takeover Activities Grow - Click To Read Article
MANAGEMENT HAS TO LEARN NEW LANGUAGE, NEW STRATEGIES IN FIGHTS FOR FIRM\'S SURVIVAL

THE BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO THE INTERNET - Click To Read Article
The internet is explained in easy-to-understand lay terms for any small business user.

The Crisis Counselor - Click To Read Article
Book review -- The Crisis Counselor; Jeffrey R. Caponigro; Contemporary Books

The Challenges of International Relations in an Internet World - Click To Read Article
The internet obliterates country borders. News announced anywhere is available everywhere. Understanding the global impact and reach of your announcement can aid you in developing a strategic plan that works.

THE CHANGING FACE OF CORPORATE, PRODUCT/SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS ... HITTING A MOVING TARGET - Click To Read Article
We the press...instant messaging...global communications have all changed how you should carry out and manage your PR and communications efforts. Do it right. Do it effectively. Do it profitably.

The Hollow Man Cometh - Click To Read Article
Digital Rights Management (DRM) and Conditional Access (CA) are throttling back audio and video content on the web. Where are the challenges and opportunities for entrepreneurs? Where are the pitfalls? Can the battle be won? Charts available upon request.

The Digital Home – Something’s Gotta Give - Click To Read Article
“Can I email it to ya when I figure it out?” Harry Sanborn (Jack Nicholson), Something’s Gotta Give (2003) The digital home is a wonderful concept. But today with all of the varying \"solutions\" and standards, it remains just that ... a concept. Work needs to be done to deliver a complete and interchangeable answer. The organization that is successful will be a major winner!

Teachings of the Wii Generation - Click To Read Article
Over and uder estimating the consumer's wants and needs can lead to marketing disaster. Take a look at the approach Nintendo took to win marketshare away from Microsoft and Sony.

The Elements of Great Public Speaking - Click To Read Article
This is an excellent guide on how to get your fear of speaking before a public forum under control so that you are interesting, informative, credible

The Anatomy of Buzz Revisited - Book review - Click To Read Article
The author did an excellent job of covering buzz marketing back in 2000. But that is light years from today. The updated copy is fresh with outstanding excamples.

The Home Network/Entertainment Connection Is…Easy - Click To Read Article
We are nothing if not optimists. We love the idea of home entertainment networks and their collective benefits. Since the aggregators (telcos, cable folks) are now offering two, three, four option plays it is obvious that the kinks have been worked out and they can deliver what you want to your wall. in the house it can be more easily done. Challenge comes when you want service. Who you gonna call? The answers are out there...just keep working.

SUCCESS IS NO ACCIDENT - Click To Read Article
IT HAS TO BE STRATEGICALLY, METHODICALLY PLANNED.

Streetwise Complete Publicity Plans - Click To Read Article
Book Review

STRAIGHT TALK ABOUT PUBLIC RELATIONS FEES, SERVICES - Click To Read Article
A frequently published author on management, marketing and communications, Andy Marken, president of Marken Communications Inc., strips away the rhetoric and mystery that often surrounds the public relations field and discuss the art and science of PR efforts and activities in terms corporate management understands... price/performance and return-on-investment.

SPECIALTY ADVERTISING - Click To Read Article
...CARRYING THE MESSAGE

Successful Company Communications Is All About Delivering Value - Click To Read Article
Your best PR programs produce a solid ROI that is real and can be measured.

Startups…Being There at the Beginning - Click To Read Article
Being in on the ground floor of an organization is exciting and \"interesting.\" Even if the company doesn\'t survive you walk away with valuable experience making you more marketable.

SMART MANAGEMENT THRU THE DOWNTURN - Click To Read Article
“In a hurricane even a turkey can fly.” Author Unknown

Small Business for Dummies - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Small Business for Dummies – Eric Tyson, Jim Schell; Wiley Publishing, Inc; www.dummies.com; ISBN 0764554816, January 2003; 432 pages; $21.99

SLAs BECOME STANDARD FARE AS COMMUNICATIONS CONVERGES - Click To Read Article
Understanding your total communications service level agreements and how to construct agreements that ensure quality and consistent performance is vital in today\'s always on business. This is a two - part article on what is covered in agreements and how to construct them.

SMS Advertising On-The-Go…If, When, How? - Click To Read Article
\"All that I desire to point out is the general principle that Life imitates Art far more than Art imitates Life.\" --Oscar Wilde

Shrinking Storage…Keeping Data Safe, Close At Hand - Click To Read Article
“Distrust and caution are the parents of security,” – Benjamin Franklin New storage solutions make it easy to carry huge volumes of mission critical business data with you at all times. It also exposes this content to loss/theft. Content needs rock solid security and encryption protection.

Social Media…The Hunted Can Become the Hunter - Click To Read Article
Social media looks like a gold mine for marketing managers. Clean, clearly identified prospective customers. Low cost method of reaching these prospects directly...immediately. Only problem is they can come back on you just as easily.

Shameless Marketing for Brazen Hussies - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- 307 Awesome MoneyMaking Strategies for Savvy Entrepreneurs

SEMINARS...TELLING MORE TO SELL MORE - Click To Read Article
Use seminars and how-to events to lower your selling costs, improve your hit ratio.

Service Check Points and Guidelines - Click To Read Article
What to consider and evaluate when developing SLAs with your communications provider.

Saving, Sharing Videos on CD - Click To Read Article
``I think a lot of people really want to do this (capture and show personal videos),\'\' said Andy Parsons, senior vice president of product development for Pioneer New Media Technologies, at a recent Consumer Electronics Show. ``I wanted to do this two years ago and I was frustrated. I said I\'m not going to pay $5,000 for a recorder.\'\'

Shining CDs Spin Their Way to Global Data Transfer - Click To Read Article
The universal storage and data transfer media.

SECURITY, ACCESS ON THE INTERNET - Click To Read Article
The complete discussion of how to use the internet while protecting your people and your content.

Saving Our Past for the Future - Click To Read Article
Content is growing faster and in a greater variety than people can organize, use and store. Does the emerging area -- digital asset management -- offer unique opportunities for firms? It is becoming a wide open arena for emerging firms.

Search for the Best Storage Solution - Click To Read Article
The world never seems to run out of things to say, things to show. Storage could be one of the next best continual opportunities for entrepreneurs..

Rules of Thumb for Business Writers - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Rules of Thumb for Business Writers By Diana Roberts Wienbroer, Elaine Hughes, Jay Silverman; McGraw-Hill, Two Penn Plaza, 212.904.5951, NY 10121; www.books.mcgraw-hill.com; ISBN 0-07-145575-7; May 2005; 223 pages

Reputation Management Starts at Home - Click To Read Article
…One Day at a Time “It is not necessary to change. Survival is not mandatory!” “There is a penalty for ignorance. We are paying through the nose.” – W. Edwards Deming

RIGHT PRODUCT, RIGHT MARKET AREA, RIGHT PRICE - Click To Read Article
Targeting your success is difficult even in the best market conditions. This article helps you understand the interplay of product, market segment and price...

Reputation Management – The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communications - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Reputation Management – The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communications – John Doorley, Helio Fred Garcia; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 270 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10016; wwww.routledge-ny.com; 456 p, May 2006; $45.

RESOURCE MANAGEMENT IN UNSETTLED TIME - Click To Read Article
Management is increasingly concerned about their ability to have a lean, mean focused core team that is supported by long-term external partners that are open to flexible and ever changing needs.

Promote Like a Pro - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Small Budget, Big Show – By Linda F. Radke (and contributors), Five Star Publications Inc, March 2000, 185 pages

PyroMarketing - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The four-step strategy to ignite customer evangelists and keep them for life – Greg Stielstra; Collins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, NY, NY 10022; www.harpercollins.com; ISBN 0060776706; 256 pages, October 1, 2005; $21.95

Relationship Marketing - Click To Read Article
…When the Dust Settles, Will You Be Standing?

Reearning the Trust of the Consumer - Click To Read Article
Commentary, Book Review -- What Do You Stand For? Stories About Principles That Matter – Jim Lichtman; Scribbler’s Inc, 287 pages; ISBN 0964859114, Oct, 2004; Hardcover, Soft cover; $24.00

Protecting The Family Jewels - Click To Read Article
Warning Will Robinson !!! Data, photo, content loss is about to occur.

Public Relations CRM - Click To Read Article
…Take a Hint from the Internet, Redefine Customers

Public Relations…Execute the Basics, Positioning Will Follow - Click To Read Article
Focus on results not extra niceties...Succeed first. Then hone your program.

Public Relations Possibilities – Selected Seminar and Conference Papers - Click To Read Article
Public Relations Possibilities – Selected Seminar and Conference Papers By Wole Adamolekun, Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA), Spectrum Books Limited, Spectrum House, Ring Road, PMB 5612, Ibadan, Nigeria, admin1@spectrumbooksonline.com, ISBN 9780295763, 192 pages, November 2005

Public Relations on the Net - Click To Read Article
If you're in the mood to expand your business reach and influence on the Internet this is the must read book for you. The second edition has fresh chapters, fresh case studies, fresh ideas you can put to use...now!

Rebuilding Brand America: What We Must Do to Restore Our Reputation and Safeguard the Future of American Business Abroad - Click To Read Article
The former head of public relations for AT&T writes an "interesting" how to book on rebuilding Brand America. The challenge comes to entrepreneurs who want to develop not just a country-centric firm but a global organization that is local everywhere it does business.

Ready, Set, Talk! - Click To Read Article
If you have a cause, a company or a product you want to "sell," you'll probably find Ready, Set, Talk of interest and possible assistance. The challenge is to listen as well as talk.

RealNetworks Offers Consumers Another Layer of DVD DRM - Click To Read Article
Guess you just can't have too much DRM. At least not if you believe RealNetwork's CEO Rob Glaser. He's going to help you rip your DVDs to your HD so you can play them on the go. Of course he doesn't touch Hollywood's DRM and in fact goes them one better...he adds his own unique, really cool DRM on top of it. Then when Hollywood says that's not part of our agreement he does the only logical thing...he sues them!!! Life up in Seattle must be a little dull right now.

REFOCUSED MANAGEMENT THRU THE DOWNTURN - Click To Read Article
With the economy in a slump this could be the best time for entrepreneurs to launch their businesses since we are entering a period where working smarter and better is more effective than throwing money at the problem.

Present Like a Pro Book Review - Click To Read Article
Present Like a Pro Cyndi Maxey, Kevin E. O’Connor; St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Ave, NY 10010, 212.674.5151, www.stmartins.com, July 2006, ISBN 0312347731, 256 pages, $12.95

PR Has to Be More Involved in Company Branding - Click To Read Article
“It\'s the repetition of affirmations that leads to belief. And once that belief becomes a deep conviction, things begin to happen.”…Claude M. Bristol, author of The Magic of Believing “I figured that if I said it enough, I would convince the world that I really was the greatest.” -- Muhammad Ali

Peanut Butter and Jelly Management - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- – Chris and Reina Komisarjevsky, AMACOM, www.amanet.org, 173p, $16.95

Present Like a Pro - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- – Cyndi Maxey, Kevin E. O’Connor; St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Ave, NY 10010, 212.674.5151, www.stmartins.com, July 2006, ISBN 0312347731, 256 pages, $12.95

Press Releases Are Not a PR Strategy! - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- An Executives Guide to Public Relations – Linda B. VandeVrede, VandeVrede Public Relations LLC; ISBN: 0976252708, Amazon.com or www.vandevrede-pr.com/books.html; 133 pages, January 2005, $16.95

Primal Branding - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Create Zealots for Your Brand, Your Company, and Your Future By Patrick Hanlon, Simon & Schuster, Inc, 1230 Avenue of the Americas, NY 10020, www.simonsays.com; ISBN 0.7432-7796-X; 272 pages, January 2006; $25

Principled Profit - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Marketing That Puts People First – Shel Horowitz; Accurate Writing & More, PO Box 1164, Northampton MA 01061, http://www.frugalfun.com/secureorder.html, June 2003, 160 pages, $17.50

Peak Performance - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Inspirational Business Lessons from the World’s Top Sports Organizations – By Clive Gilson, Mike Pratt, Kevin Roberts, Ed Weymes – Texere Publishing, NYC – September, 2000 – 359 pp --$27.95 – ISBN: 1-58799-006-7

Power Networking - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- 59 Secrets for Personal & Professional Success – By Donna Fisher, Sandy Vilas – Brad Press, September 2000, 209 pages, ISBN: 1-885167-47-4, $14.95

Press Events, Presentations...Who Are We Impressing? - Click To Read Article
… Making Your Management, Your Message Stand Out

Power Up Your Small-Medium Business: A Guide to Enabling Network Technologies - Click To Read Article
Power Up Your Small-Medium Business: A Guide to Enabling Network Technologies – Robyn Aber; Cisco Press, 800 East 98th Street, Indianapolis, Ind 46240; ISBN 1-58705-135-4; March 2004; 295 p; $39.95

Professionalism and Press Events???? - Click To Read Article
If you\'re going to do an event...do it right!

Plain Talk About Recordable DVD - Click To Read Article
A Quick History While the capacity of hard disks increased a hundred fold, CD-ROM has remained at 650/700MB capacity for more than 10 years. When the removable storage industry began to address the growing requirements of business, industry and entertainment in 1996, their objectives were to establish a family of single best DVD formats and promote broad acceptance of DVD products across entertainment, consumer electronics and IT industries.

Plug Your Book - Click To Read Article
Maybe you're not ready to write the next great global novel but if you want to learn how to leverage the Internet and Web 2.0, we'd suggest you check the book out. And it's one of the first we have seen that you can try before you buy!

Product/Service Recommendations, Support…More Than You Want to Know - Click To Read Article
You have to love today's social media. Ok you don't have to love it because there is so darned much of it and it has empowered people. Problem is some people just shouldn't be empowered. Heck some should have their computers unplugged and their smartphones confiscated. But sites and blogs have done an excellent source of how-to (how-to install, how-to use, how-to fix, how-to replace, how-to get action) information. So if a company's support group is a little slow in responding, only following what their support check list tells them or speak in tongue there are people out there who can help. Use Bing (Google is so yesterday!) and find the answers. Just don't Tweet because someone might send you classified documents.

Outtask Your Infrastructure, Not Your Information - Click To Read Article
Your network and internet infrastructure is the very backbone of an organization\'s growth and prosperity. But your information is your heart and sole.

PACKAGING AND SELLING THE ENTREPRENEURIAL IDEA - Click To Read Article
Developing a business plan to get funding...survive

On Deadline - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Managing Media Relations – By Carole Howard, Wilma Mathews; Waveland Press, 4180 IL Route 83, Suite 101, Long Grove IL 60047; 847.634.0081, www.waveland.com , ISBN 1-57766-440-X, January 2006, 256 pages, $24.95

On The Job - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- How to Make It in the Real World of Work -- By Stephen Viscusi, Three Rivers Press, 112 W. Prutzman St., Three Rivers, MI 49093; ISBN: 0609 806866; April, 2001; 288 pp

Online Public Relations - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- A Handbook for Practitioners – By James L. Horton; 296 pages, ISBN 1-56720-406-6, Quorum Books, Westport, CT, May 2001

One-Minute Corporate Reputation Management - Click To Read Article
Handling and protecting your corporate management doesn\'t take much time...neither does losing it!

Op-Ed Articles Express Your Firm's Point of View - Click To Read Article
Op-Ed opportunities are available in virtually every media -- newspapers, magazines, web sites -- a little thought and planning can position your company, your message, you.

Outdoor Advertising - Click To Read Article
...THE SEEN, BUT OVERLOOKED, MEDIUM IN THE MARKETING MIX

New Approach Takes the Drudgery, Mystery Out of Content, Data Backup, Protection - Click To Read Article
Step-by-step guide to protecting your organizations data.

Organically Growing Champions, Sales, Market Share - Click To Read Article
Word of mouth (WOM) and technical/passionate users can help you faster and more economically than all the advertising dollars. Use them wisely...

Online Video…But Different - Click To Read Article
Online video of all types has gained a strong following by people of all ages who have become more accustomed to getting their news, information and entertainment online from a wide range of sources. It presents an ideal opportunity to independent film producers obviously. But more importantly the online video content space provides a ready marketing opportunity -- decidedly inexpensive -- for virtually any organization selling products and services.

Moving Forward -- It’s Time for a Content, Communication Course Correction - Click To Read Article
The downturn we are experiencing today provides an excellent opportunity for entrepreneurs to move forward as aggressively as they can to gain ground over the competition. While many firms are run by managers who only have minimum "skin in the game," the firms are more cautious and pull back more aggressively. Entrepreneurs can make the physical and fiscal moves that gain sales and marketshare.

Notebook Systems Should Be for Real Work, Real Play - Click To Read Article
There are subnotebooks with limited power, capability but long battery life. Their are heavy-lifting notebooks with lots of power, capabilities. Business people want a system in between with power, capability, light weight and battery life. When will it be delivered?

Netbooks, Cloud Computing – Work, Play Without Boundaries - Click To Read Article
While netbooks hold a world of promise for people with longer battery life and lower price they also represent a downside that must be considered when they are not connected to the cloud.

Netbooks…The Easy Way to Sell More Service - Click To Read Article
It sounds almost too good to be true -- a cheap computer you can use/carry everywhere, never have to upgrade the operating system or your apps, with a battery that lasts for ... well a long, long time. Sounds great except we end up leaving all of our work in the beautiful white clouds. The clouds move. We forget which cloud has our stuff and how we get in. Worse, there's a **** storm in the cloud just as we want to get in. Yeah...who knew what grandpa taught our little Miss Sunshine while we were out of the room?? Guess we may end up with yet another device to take along... convenience sure is getting heavy!!!

Our Next Great Tech CEO...Hero or Cheerleader? - Click To Read Article
Gary Shapiro, the head of the CEA (Consumer Electronics Association) has been saying almost every chance he gets that the technology industry will lead the economy back. He's probably right because so it drives almost everything we do today -- business, education, healthcare, entertainment, education. Take the PC, CE, communications products and technology out of the picture and what do we have? The changes -- especially in recent years -- were pushed forward by bosses who had visions of changing life for everyone for the better. Today, some have passed the baton of leadership, some have taken extended time off, some are doing time. The new breed of business

MM MANAGERS STIFLE - Click To Read Article
M&M MANAGERS STIFLE RISK TAKING...TRUST...RESPECT...SUCCESS

Media Training 101 - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- A Guide to Meeting the Press

Million Dollar Mailing - Click To Read Article
Book review -- the art and science of creating money-making direct mail to make money on the Internet – Denison Hatch, August 2001, 500 pages, Bonus Books Inc, 160 East Illinois Street, Chicago, IL 60611

MERGERS WAYS TO REBUFF THE UNWANTED SUITORS - Click To Read Article
Mergers can be good given the right circumstances. But management needs to have programs in place to keep the wrong people away and attract the right ones.

Mobile Entertainment – Bring It On - Click To Read Article
Entertainment and communications has suddenly gone mobile with everything phones, MP3 players and a wide range of devices. They all have one thing in common...storage. Choosing for yourself or examining the opportunities in mobile storage...this article will give you an inside track (charts available on request)

Mobile TVJerry Maguires Next Big Player - Click To Read Article
Can you see it? Millions of people running round with their everything cell phones -- taking calls, IMing, listening to music, watching movies. Where are the opportunities in the new business model? The pitfalls? See for yourself -- graphics available upon requests.

Mobile Technology -- Everything You Want But a Reliable 3-Min Call - Click To Read Article
Mobile technology is rapidly replacing land lines. It is becoming tomorrow's communications/entertainment solution today. It opens doors for the best marketing/selling...direct to the specific consumer.

Marketing Professionals - Click To Read Article
A KEY INDUSTRY COMMODITY IN CRITICALLY SHORT SUPPLY

MARKET RESEARCH - Click To Read Article
RIGHT PRODUCT, RIGHT MARKET AREA, RIGHT PRICE

Marketing Fusion - Click To Read Article
7 Elements to Ignite Your Growth

Marketing Strategies, Tactics, and Techniques - Click To Read Article
Book Review of A Handbook for Practitioners

MANAGEMENT BY OBJECTIVE NOT DOLLARS - Click To Read Article
Budgeting your communications to achieve your goals, your objectives.

MARKETING VS TECHNOLOGY IN TODAYS MARKETPLACE - Click To Read Article
Technology doesn\'t draw the most sales, it is the way we market it with the customer in mind.

MARKETING BUDGETS - Click To Read Article
... OR ALICE IN WONDERLAND

Marketing Warfare - Click To Read Article
\"FACTS\" GET IN WAY OF WINNING CUSTOMERS, MARKETSHARE

MARKETING IN UNSETTLED TIMES… - Click To Read Article
RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, NOT EMPIRES

Making the Most of your Business, Trade Media Opportunities - Click To Read Article
The ultimate check list of items, activities and opportunities for PC, CE focused firms.

Managing Crises Before They Happen - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Managing Crises Before They Happen: What Every Executive Needs to Know About Crisis Management – by Ian I. Mitroff, AMACOM, January 2000, 172 pages

Marketing vs Tech…Consumers Need Voice in Driving Products - Click To Read Article
Entrepreneurs and companies can no longer develop a product, throw it into the marketplace and expect huge sales. Today the consumer has to be part of the complete process.

Making The Transition to a Social Business - Click To Read Article
Tim Bernes-Lee thought the Web was a nice little friendly place when he first unleashed it on the iNet. You know something to futz around with in your leisure time. Then you decided that it was great to play with at the office. Then you started throwing up anything/everything about yourself, your friends, your enemies, your ex up on the Web. Then the marketing folks thought what a fantastic place to advertise. Cheap, directed ads ... how cool. Of course the boss doesn't mess with it but what the heck you're so with it...until it bites you then BAM!!! Hey, who knew that stuff would live...FOREVER!!!!

Living on the Fault Line - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Managing for Shareholder Value in the Age of the Internet

Lies We Live By - Click To Read Article
Defeating Double-talk and Deception in Advertising, Politics and the Media

Live at 5 - Click To Read Article
– Handling The TV Interview

LOCAL ADVERTISING - Click To Read Article
Local Ads = TIME + EFFORT + PLANNING + OBJECTIVES

Letters to the Editor - Click To Read Article
Speak Directly to Your Audience

LINEAR VERSUS SPATIAL COMMUNICATIONS PLANS - Click To Read Article
Plan your promotional and product roll-outs for maximum exposure, maximum impact.

Losing Our Most Precious Asset - Click To Read Article
“Danger, Will Robinson, danger.” -- The Robot in the 1990’s movie, Lost in Space

Low-Cost Steps to Keep Employees from Job Hunting - Click To Read Article
Keeping employees doesn\'t have to cost a lot. Replacing them is expensive.

LET'S DO AWAY WITH PRESS RELEASES - Click To Read Article
News releases are valuable tools for the media but if you don\'t do them right get rid of them.

KEYS TO YOUR SUCCESS AT SHOWS - Click To Read Article
PLANNING, PREPARATION, PATIENCE

It Takes Work to Have a Life in a 24x7 World - Click To Read Article
The world is always on and always available to you. Sometimes you just have to turn your back ... or be eaten alive.

Journalists vs PR People - Click To Read Article
…We’re Making the Bullets They Shoot

Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy at Risk - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Knightfall: Knight Ridder and How the Erosion of Newspaper Journalism Is Putting Democracy at Risk – Davis Merritt; AMACOM, 1601 Broadway, NY, NY 10019; www.amacombooks.org; ISBN: 0-8144-0854-0 240 pages, $24.95

ITV…Does Art Imitate Life or Life Imitate Art? - Click To Read Article
Tellywood and manufacturers have picked the team they want to be on and have started the game to determine who will be the league winners in the next generation DVD series. Problem is there is no one in the stands. Consumers seem happy to watch the game they know. After all, current DVD recorders, players, media is very economic. Millions of viewing options are available. No one has done a good job of showing them why the new game is better -- unless you call the news releases and press conferences proof. Boy looks like it is going to be a long season.

Integrity The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality; By Dr. Henry Cloud, HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, NY, ISBN 0060849681, 304 pages, list - $24.95; February 2006.

Integrity - Click To Read Article
The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality

Interactive Public Relations - Click To Read Article
Living Life on the Internet

IPOs…Getting There Isn’t Half the Fun - Click To Read Article
The process, the procedure for doing an IPO is grueling...there are no easy steps. We\'ve tried!

INFORMATION MARKET IS BOTH GLOBAL AND INDIVIDUAL - Click To Read Article
The information technology market is huge and getting bigger by the day. But it is also extremely micro. Learn how to handle the global/local markets effectively.

Internet Communications…Let’s Get It Right!!! - Click To Read Article
“The products associated with the Internet are where I spend a lot of my time right now. It is a revolution that is bigger than the invention of printing. It is a revolution that\'s bigger than the invention of the telephone, radio, or any of the major revolutions that we\'ve had in the past.” -- John Warnock, president Adobe Systems

INTERNET EDI--A READY-MADE PLATFORM FOR FLEXIBLE COMMUNICATIONS, ALLIANCES - Click To Read Article
Enabling one-to-one marketing takes a clear understanding of the fundamentals to leverage the options for your business.

Into the Pirates Lair - Click To Read Article
What is holding up the success of Hollywood, besides Hollywood. DRM (Digital Rights Management) provides security for them but insecurity for consumers. Where do we see the opportunities for entrepreneurs? Check it out (graphics available upon request).

Is Your Communications Policy Mired In The Past? - Click To Read Article
In today's instant on, instant access environment; corporate managers have to look well beyond the normal and overused press release to reach, influence its target media and markets. This article gives you a whack in the side of the head to look at new, creative, economic ideas.

Intel Plays In All the Fields But…Size Matters! - Click To Read Article
Carrying a computer around with you used to be a sign of manhood. Then they became tolerable. Finally a fantastic work and fashion statement. Now we're at the point that you can put yours down and misplace it. They're almost as bad as your keys or USB flash drive.

IMPROVING YOUR LEADERSHIP SKILLS - Click To Read Article


Image Makers - Click To Read Article
Advertising, Public Relations, and the Ethos of Advocacy

In the Line of Fire - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- How to Handle Tough Questions When It Counts – Book, DVD – Jerry Weissman, Prentice Hall, ISBN 0131855174, June 21, 2005, 216 pages, $24.95 and $29.99 respectively

Independent Workers Are Changing the Employer/Employee Relationship - Click To Read Article
Guidelines to understanding and dealing with employees in the new era.

In the DRM, CA Equation, Someone Has to Protect the Consumer - Click To Read Article
DRM (Digital Rights Management) and CA (Conditional Access) are reshaping the way people think about their audio and video entertainment. In many instances the restrictive nature of the two have turned ordinary people into pirates unless the abide by the restrictions. In some carefully thought out instances, the technologies may present new opportunities for entrepreneurs.

In Prosperous Periods Promote Tactically, In Down Times Promote Strategically - Click To Read Article
The chaos of the financial community has proven that the fallacy of their house of cards and smoke/mirrors has finally caught up with them. But that shouldn't depress the entrepreneur who has an idea, drive and ... at least some money!

Increasing Street Cred - Click To Read Article
Get the most and the most credibility for your products or services with product/capability reviews. Instead of the usual suspects -- print/online media -- consider real people reviews

How to Succeed in Business Without Working So Damn Hard - Click To Read Article
Rethinking the Rules, Reinventing the Game

IF TIMES ARE GOOD, PROMOTE. - Click To Read Article
IF TIMES ARE BAD, PROMOTE HARDER.

How to Get Noticed by the National Media - Click To Read Article
Book Review of book By Jeff Lewis and Dick Jones – Trellis Publishing, Duluth, MN – ISBN 1930650426, 200 pages, May 2001

HOW TO CHOOSE AND WORK WITH A PR AGENCY - Click To Read Article
Guidelines for a successful relationship

HOW TO CONDUCT, GET THE MOST FROM SHOWS AND EXHIBITS - Click To Read Article
A step-by-step program how to maximize your return on investment with trade shows and exhibits

How Does Our Storage Volume Grow? - Click To Read Article
Wonder why your hard drive is always full? Wonder how you can find files in the 200GB HD? It\'s called a data explosion for a good reason.

How Much More Connected Can You Afford to Be? - Click To Read Article
Whether you're still at the office or working in the home office or den it seems impossible to turn work off and have a life. Face it...we're addicted to the 24x7 round-the-globe "opportunities" we have on the Internet today. Everyone's on, no one's on. You don't even know who's on but you've gotta be there.

HITTING A MOVING TARGET - Click To Read Article
THE CHANGING FACE OF CORPORATE, PRODUCT/SERVICE COMMUNICATIONS

Have CEO Super Hero PR Efforts Lost Their Sizzle - Click To Read Article
“In the world of the celebrity, the hierarchy of publicity has replaced the hierarchy of decency.” -- Sociologist C. Wright Mills in Studs Terkel, Talking to Myself.

HIRING THE RIGHT SALES PEOPLE - Click To Read Article
Checklist and guidelines to hiring sales people only once!!

Holding Prospects at Trade Shows - Click To Read Article
You spend a lot of money and time to attend trade shows. Make the most of your time in front of the prospects.

HD DVD...And The World Keeps Spinning on its Axis - Click To Read Article
Finally we have a single high definition DVD format. Now is the time for content developers to make their advances as well as home integrators.

High Def TV Is In the Eye of the Beholder - Click To Read Article
HDTV is a big entertainment train coming at the consumer 100 MPH. In the Americas it took a bunch of years to transition viewing from B&W to color. Now the government has said everything/everyone will go from SD to HD in less than three years and that finish line is next February. Networks and stations are moving to beat the deadline and they're well on their way. Set manufacturers can't wait for every household to make the transition even if the sets aren't as big (expensive as they would like). Content pipelines? Well sure, kinda. Ok so the squeeze the shows a little hard so it fuzzes up the quality of HD...sssooo?? The consumer? Sure! Right!! How much??? Well here's the scorecard of where we stand and how we'll end up.

Getting Your 15 Minutes of Fame and More - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- a Guide to Guaranteeing Your Business Success

Getting Things Done - Click To Read Article
The Art of Stress-Free Productivity

Getting to Yes - Click To Read Article
Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In

Good to Great - Click To Read Article
Why Some Companies Make the Leap…And Others Don’t

Green Weenies and Due Diligence - Click To Read Article
Insider Business Jargon

Good Year For a Merger - Click To Read Article
If Being Acquired Isn’t Part of Your Firm’s Long-Range Business Plan…Prepare Your Survival Strategy

GROWTH - Click To Read Article
...HOW BIG IS BIG? HOW MUCH IS ENOUGH?

HANDLE THE PRESS LIKE MAJOR PROSPECTIVE CUSTOMERS - Click To Read Article
Work with the press like your very best prospective customer. He or she is. Members of the media -- all media -- can sell your company and your products-- if you sell them.

GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR PRESENCE IN CYBERSPACE - Click To Read Article
Getting a web site up is easy. Making it work for you takes effort. Making it work right takes lots of work.

Hard Core Gamers Taking a Back Seat - Click To Read Article
It seems so innocent, the way the video game developers suck you in. First it is an increasingly aggressive game system pricing (cheaper!). Then comes the rave reviews from "experts" and fun, exciting packaging...packages almost look wholesome and heroesque don't they? Then you begin the play. Casually for a few minutes at first. Then what they heck just an hour. Suddenly the sun is coming up. So you get another game or different version for your portable system or smartphone (just to stay sharp of course). Before we knew it our wife and daughter were beating us...regular! It is so humiliating. There goes all of the fun for another male bastion...sheess !!!

Getting Everything You Can Out of All You’ve Got - Click To Read Article
Book Review

Free Culture - Click To Read Article
How Big Media Uses Technology and the Law to Lock Down Culture and Control Creativity

Full Frontal PR - Click To Read Article
: Getting People Talking About You, Your Business, or Your Product

Forget Your Title - Click To Read Article
…Focus on the Job “If you aren’t selling, you’re buying” – F.G. “Buck” Rogers, former head of IBM Marketing, Sales activities

FOLLOWING FUNDAMENTALS - Click To Read Article
BUILD JOURNALIST RELATIONSHIPS

Game Power - Welcome to My World Sucka !!! - Click To Read Article
Take Grand Theft Auto (GTA) IV. Blood, guts, sex, drugs, rock 'n roll. Take-Two's Rockstar dropped a cool $100 million to develop this horrific game. The game may have racked up more than $500 Mil sales in a week. The computer, game console, software and MMOG companies are major product categories in the CE industry. Success here drives the need for faster, more powerful processors; higher quality graphic chips/cards; better viewing screens; surround speakers and more. Here's our views on how the industry will

Game Entrapment Hard Core Gamers Taking a Back Seat - Click To Read Article
It seems so innocent, the way the video game developers suck you in. First it is an increasingly aggressive game system pricing (cheaper!). Then comes the rave reviews from "experts" and fun, exciting packaging...packages almost look wholesome and heroesque don't they? Then you begin the play. Casually for a few minutes at first. Then what they heck just an hour. Suddenly the sun is coming up. So you get another game or different version for your portable system or smartphone (just to stay sharp of course). Before we knew it our wife and daughter were beating us...regular! It is so humiliating. There goes all of the fun for another male bastion...sheess !!!

Following the Leader Who Follows the Leaders - Click To Read Article
It started out -- as most things do in the PC/CE/communications industry -- as a "little" idea...an application store on a corner of the virtual cloud world. Suddenly you can't make your way around the web without bumping into another one. No one at Apple will say but people speculate the company has racked up $45 million with their virtual store front. Now new smartphones are coming out, every app store offers something.

Free Stuff -- Someone Pays Even for the Free Lunch - Click To Read Article
There is a whole group of people who grew up on the Internet that believes everything that is out there should be free. Stewart Brand set the stage back in 1984 at the first Hacker's Conference when he said -- Information Wants To Be Free. Information also wants to be expensive. ... That tension will not go away. The person who stole the pre-release of Wolverine thought it was neat that he (or she) could give it away free. Millions viewed it -- free. Millions more refused knowing that if they really wanted to see it they should pay someone for it. At the end of the day an organization has to put money in the cash register so bills will be paid and people will have food/shelter. There is no such thing as a free lunch

FINDING GLOBAL SALES PARTNER REQUIRES GLOBAL THINKING - Click To Read Article
FINDING GLOBAL SALES PARTNER REQUIRES GLOBAL THINKING, STRONG STRATEGIC ALLIANCES

Financing Your Startup: Some Essential Tips - Click To Read Article
Step-by-step hints from experts to assist you....

Flash Memory…Nothing Less Than World Domination - Click To Read Article
Flash Gordon was so cool. Of course so is today's flash. It's a mortal battle between "mean old" HD and brash young Flash over the heart and whatever of consumer Dale...Sounds like a sequel is in the works...

FEATURE ARTICLESEXTRA PLANNING AND EFFORT - Click To Read Article


EXAMINE YOUR ALTERNATIVES BEFORE YOU ADVERTISE - Click To Read Article
EXAMINE YOUR ALTERNATIVES BEFORE YOU ADVERTISE

Extending the Life of Your Exhibit - Click To Read Article
Make your money go further with a few easy steps.

EVEolution - Click To Read Article
The eight Truths of Marketing to Women

Examine Strategy, Options STORAGE TAKES CENTER STAGE AT PC, ENTERPRISE LEVELS - Click To Read Article
Understanding your short, long range storage options.

Everything, Everywhere Home Network…As Close As Your Lab - Click To Read Article
Home networking and home entertainment networks are being increasingly sought after by families who increasingly spend more time at home. The idea of being able to stream your entertainment content anywhere so you can enjoy it anytime is an overwhelming value proposition. Yet the challenges of achieving success are significant. The emerging market will be promising with people who have the right talents and the right focus.

ENGINEER TO CEO - Click To Read Article
THE DEVELOPMENT OF BALANCE

Evaluating Your Trade Show Options - Click To Read Article
Getting the most for your dollars.

Enhancing Your Leadership Skills, Leadership Image - Click To Read Article
Guidelines to improving your ability to get others to perform at their best

Entertainment Usage Keep Changing, Growing - Click To Read Article
The world of content and entertainment is changing right before our eyes. People want their entertianment on their big screen, on their PC, on their mobile whatever. The "pro" content providers (the dudes/dudettes) who earn the big $$$$ are really trying to figure out what YOU are doing wrong! Their weekly schedule is good. It's logica. It's what consumers want. Should be they change it enough. But then there's that pesky Internet stuff and suddenly people can get their content when they want...day/night, home/office/round-the-globe. That sorta, kinda sucks. How do you charge big $$$ for advertising when people don't all watch at the same time? Why are folks screaming out their windows? What are they saying? We think we know but find out more on this link.

Entertainment -- New Bandwidth On Demand Priorities - Click To Read Article
The Olympics showed that the Internet can stand up under the most brutal attack of information hungry people around the globe. What can it mean for your business?

Entertainment Flexibility…Big Iron Doesn’t Matter - Click To Read Article
NAB -- National Association of Broadcasters -- how the industry has changed over the years (even with attendance that was down dramatically). We've gone from huge camras that took two men and a boy to move around the floor. A room full of sliding levers and people everywhere. Slowly, almost without seeing it the shift began and schools, health care facilities, houses of worship and even businesses could afford the lighter, more automated capabilities. Then we moved to really light stuff -- an HD camcorder, notebook and some kid doing his/her show on the fly. This year the show had obviously made the shift. Mobile and personal video took center stage...all in highdef. Get a life folks because o

Emotional Branding - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- : How Successful Brands Gain the Irrational Edge

Effective Trade Show Selling - Click To Read Article
Making the most of your time, money, staff and opportunities.

E-MAIL...OVERUSED, ABUSED & INVALUABLE - Click To Read Article
\"I predict that by 2010, 100 percent of network traffic will be packetized. None of it will be voice because we will be too mad at each other from sending flame e-mails.\" Vint Cerf, former executive vice president of MCI and one of the founders of the Internet.

Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations - Click To Read Article
Effective Writing Skills for Public Relations – By John Foster, 156 pages, Kagen Page Ltd., London – January 2001

Don’t Blame Us… - Click To Read Article
Some Areas Can’t Be Controlled by PR Pros

Does Success Breed Success - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Effects of news and advertising on corporate reputation

Don’t Take The High Ground in All of Your PR Efforts - Click To Read Article
Plan when going on the offensive is right for your organization. Then act decisively.

E-COMMERCE SETS THE STAGE FOR BIG CHANGES IN BUSINESS-TO-BUSINESS LANDSCAPE - Click To Read Article
Striking out to succeed in the online world.

E3 & The DaVinci Code - Click To Read Article
Video games represent a billion dollar plus industry. Dominated by a few large players, the market also has tremendous opportunities for young, small firms with a good idea and dedicated people. Find out here...(graphics available upon request).

DRM Keeping the Treasure Hidden or Opening the Mountain - Click To Read Article
DRM -- digital rights management -- is an important concern to everyone in the content industry, whether you develop it, distribute it or simply use it. Good DRM properly developed and executed can enhance the value of your content. Done poorly it can diminish the value.

DRM…Pirates Helped in Ways They Didn’t Plan - Click To Read Article
Digital Rights Management (DRM) has been the rallying cry for the motion picture industry for years. Contending they are losing billions of revenue each year they have struck out against individual consumers. The latest blast of hackers may have done the marketplace and consumers a big favor.

Don’t Suggest Another Web Service … Give us a Reason to Change! - Click To Read Article
You have to love today's social media. Ok you don't have to love it because there is so darned much of it and it has empowered people. Problem is some people just shouldn't be empowered. Heck some should have their computers unplugged and their smartphones confiscated. But sites and blogs have done an excellent source of how-to (how-to install, how-to use, how-to fix, how-to replace, how-to get action) information. You have to love today's social media. Ok you don't have to love it because there is so darned much of it and it has empowered people. Problem is some people just shouldn't be empowered. Heck some should have their computers unplugged and their smartphones confiscated.

DIRECT MAIL - Click To Read Article
COSTLY BUT PERSONALIZED PROMOTION

Determining Your Real Exhibit Costs - Click To Read Article
Don\'t go into a trade show or event blind...be prepared.

CYBERSUPPORT - Click To Read Article
...THE KEY REASON FOR WEB PRESENCE

Delivering Documents, Images That Can Be Used - Click To Read Article
Knowing the ins and outs of content management and distribution to the media can enhance your image with them and your scoring record.

Customer Complaints and Your Web Press Room…Should You Care? - Click To Read Article
Your Web Press Room may not be the best place to find out where customer issues arise but they often pop up there...

Deep Blue, Sea of Change - Click To Read Article
High definition video -- content, recorders, players -- are coming but when? What do you do now? How do you prepare for tomorrow? Where are your market opportunities? (Charts available upon request)

Death By Phone - Click To Read Article
Choosing a mobile phone for all of its added features and capabilities is the wrong move. It's also wrong for firms in the industry to focus on added stuff rather than good, dependable service.

Death of the Handler in a Strategic, Viral Environment - Click To Read Article
Public relations can no longer be conducted in the "standard way." There are too many opportunities out there, too many ways to reach management. Organizations need to use public relations capabilities in new, refreshing ways.

Do We Ignore Half the PC/CE Market? - Click To Read Article
PC, CE products have typically been designed, manufactured for the male geek. But this stereotype customer is becoming history as women increasingly buy and use the products. To be successful though it requires more than simply making them pink. Female users want more...lot more than we might think.

Devices Aren't Enough - Changing the Face of Personal Communications - Click To Read Article
almost impossible to go out and buy a plain old mobile phone anymore. We threw tons of features/capabilities on them. We changed them from utilitarian to dress accessories...statements of who we are and our importance. But it took the guy on Infinity Circle to really change the keypad and screen. Oh sure the iPhone is sleek and incorporates so many service capabilities (wonder why your cellphone bill got HUGE?). But to us it's just a phone...can I make a call on it...can I reach the person...can I hear the person on the other end?

Data Security…A Balance Between Convenience, Privacy, Stupidity - Click To Read Article
Software and hardware manufacturers have introduced and continue to develop some of the best computing and online security solutions to protect you and your content from being not just compromised but stolen and used. Lose your hardware and yes it is a pain but it can be replaced. Lose your data and your identity can be used in the blink of an eye. The best and most expensive security solutions in the industry seem to be useless against relentless thieves and your own stupidity or careless action. You can't protect folks from themselves but this Insider piece may scare a few people straight

Defining the Definition of HighDef - Click To Read Article
Like the CERN collider everyone is rushing to define high definition video and to take ownership. Content owners, content distributors, content pipelines, hardware/software producers all want to sell folks who have had a tough day an escape with fantastic HD content. They all have the best HD answer. Lots of these folks offer you their interpretation of HD video and say the rest is "a world of hurt." In a lot of ways, their statements are partially true. BD is in the hurts the way they are trying to force their solution on the rest of the world. The option providers aren't much better with their HD flavor and walled gardens.

Do We Ignore Half the Market? - Click To Read Article
We all know half (or about half) of the world's population is female. Most married or involved males know that they can do anything they want to do as long as "SHE" thinks it's OK. Testosterone works in the boardroom but in the living room, bedroom...forget it!!! If they are "kinda" important in our business lives, why can't we get it right when it comes to offering products? Maybe we just aren't listening...NAW!!!!

CONDUCT YOUR OWN MARKET RESEARCH - Click To Read Article


CORPORATE IMAGE - Click To Read Article
WE ALL HAVE ONE, BUT FEW WORK TO PROTECT, PROJECT IT

Controlling Your Trade Show Costs - Click To Read Article
Saving your Budget in tough times...

Collaborate - Click To Read Article
Managers Who Share Power, Have More Power “It’s Good to be King !” – Mel Brooks, History of the World: Part I

Corporate Conversations - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- A Guide to Crafting Effective and Appropriate Internal Communications

CORPORATE MARRIAGE FEVER IS IN THE AIR - Click To Read Article
Your corporate image counts anytime, all the time. But when you are about to be acquired -- in friendly or hostile terms -- you\'ll know how valuable your corporate image really is!!!

Communications People Have No Business Running Web Sites - Click To Read Article
\"The Internet is about competition. It\'s about growth. It\'s about reaching out to your people, your suppliers, your business partners, your customers in new and more comprehensive ways. In this new environment real-time access to information is power.\" Lou Gerstner, former president of IBM

COMPANY, PRODUCT PUBLICITY ISN'T HARD...ALL IT TAKES IS FOCUS - Click To Read Article
Step-by-step guide to covering it all...

Content Battles…Galadriel Holds Middle Earth - Click To Read Article
Content is becoming available at all levels. But all levels aren't created equal. Today we have Upper Earth...Middle Earth...Lower Earth -- (pro, home, teen/tween. Or put another way... “So I imagine this is just a …ceremonial possession? I mean they don’t actually expect me to do any fighting…Do they?” – Pippin, The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003)

Console Games...Gone in 60 Sec. - Click To Read Article
Short game. Long game. No game. Gone in 60 seconds. Expecting too much from consumers can prove to be foolish even in video games. The outcome of the Xbox, PS3, Wii challenge could lead consumers to a less than "obvious" decision. It isn't the power that wows, it's the fun that satisfies.

Content & the Screen(s) - Click To Read Article
Creative content is becoming increasingly important in reaching and communicating with customers and potential customers. The challenge also is...storage.

Content Your Way! - Click To Read Article
Entertainment Usage Keep Changing, Growing. Internet-based video content development/ delivery provides a significant opportunity for individuals and organizations -- even those with very limited budgets -- to connect directly with consumers. Mini-ads, mini video segments are economical to produce and with a minimized sell approach can produce outstanding returns.

Cloud Computing -- Computing Without the Hardware…Software…Support…Fun - Click To Read Article
The concept is great everything is handled for you in the cloud...you can focus on work and not updating, rebooting your system (yeah like Macs don't have that problem too). You can grab/store anything/everything and never have to worry about buying a new HD or losing your storage. It's all done in the cloud. Problems are though: - governments have just relaxed the laws on tapping into your (or someone else's system because...well they can - sounds like Startrek..."To bravely go where no man has gone before..." Nope think we'll be #2 - don't clouds often hang around mountains and if your work is flying through one of them...WHAP! - of course you know who's in charge of the cloud and maintaining "your" computing, "your" data/content

Content Protection, Fair Use Have to be Fair for Everyone - Click To Read Article
Contrary to what they tell governments, the world doesn't revolve around their stuff. In fact once we buy it isn't it our stuff? Some day they'll get a clue like the music industry and audio books industry that once content goes digital there's no turning back. We didn't copy audio tapes and pass them around...we didn't copy VHS movies and pass them around...we didn't copy DVD movies and pass them around...

Content Everywhere…In What Form, What Format? - Click To Read Article
Photo and video content is everywhere. It is rapidly becoming the leading form of communications, information and entertainment. Where is the technology going? What lies ahead? We spent two days at the 6Sight Conference in Monterey listening and learning about what consumers want (or think they want) and issues hardware/software producers are wrestling with. Cameras, camcorders, camphones and more...see what is behind the curtain.

Coming Out of the Trough -- It’s Time for a Content, Communication Course Correction - Click To Read Article
The financial shell game finally caught up with Wall Street. The US auto industry suddenly realized their bloated infrastructure and their views of what people should buy didn't match up with what customers were asking for. The two industries knew how to solve the problems they created...go where they print money. The content creation/sharing/showing/enjoying players pulled back as they have in every downturn and turned their attention to tightening up their organizations, reducing profit margins and focusing on products, technology, services that satisfy consumers. Suddenly we're doing more with less and placing renewed emphasis on listening and talking with folks about exactly what they want and need from us.

Company, Product Communications…Open Up, Loosen Up - Click To Read Article
Hints on how entrepreneurs can efficiently and economically do their own publicity activities and avoid mistakes that even "professionals" make.

Computing Without the Hardware…Software…Support…Fun - Click To Read Article
Today's Web 2.0 social media environment offers a tremendous opportunities for companies to closely engage with customers, prospects and market segments in a positive, mutually beneficial manner. The problem arises when marketing and communications people view these new 1:1 outlets as a great marketing/sales and PR pitching opportunities. They forget that the individuals if not treated properly and with professional respect can turn and instead of being the ones who are being hunted can become the hunters. People -- regular folks -- can be mean and brutal if they are abused. Marketeers need to know the pros/cons, challenges/opportunities. Consumers need to know that they have a powerful platform to strike back and cause real damage.

CEO Speak Out - Click To Read Article
These are quotes taken from an article by Bill George former chairman and CEO of Medtronic.

CEO SpeakOut - Click To Read Article
The Best Way to Project A Company’s Brand

CEO Capital - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- A Guide to Building CEO Reputation and Company Success

CHALLENGING THE BIG BANG THEORY - Click To Read Article
CHALLENGING THE BIG BANG THEORY OF TRADE SHOW PRODUCT ANNOUNCEMENTS Win the battle of convention noise by avoiding the noise. Think of your next trade show as the middle of your product rollout, not the beginning.

Business, Skills Training Is Becoming a Never Ending Process - Click To Read Article
An organization’s ability to learn and translate that learning into action rapidly is the ultimate competitive business advantage…Jack Welch, former chairman, GE

CHANNEL MUST KNOW WHEN TO SAY 'NO' - Click To Read Article
Knowing when to walk away from a deal may be difficult but it can also be more profitable.

CEO Still Sets The Tone, Agenda of Public Relations - Click To Read Article
PR people can execute the plan but it is the CEO\'s task to shape the message and the direction.

CHANNEL CO-OP - Click To Read Article
... CREATIVITY WITH CONTROL

CLIENTS HAVE RESPONSIBILITIES IN PR PROGRAM'S SUCCESS - Click To Read Article
The agency can\'t do it all and management has to be involved in the molding of the program and its success.

CHANNEL MANAGEMENT - Click To Read Article
...ACHIEVING EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATIONS

CAN VARS AND VENDORS EVER REALLY GET ALONG? - Click To Read Article
Suppliers and resellers have always been at odds. Take the proper steps and follow the good practice guidelines and it can be a mutually rewarding effort.

CHOOSE STORAGE SOLUTIONS YOU CAN LIVE WITH - Click To Read Article
Protect your organizations -- and your -- documents, data for the long term.

CHANGING BUSINESS ENVIRONMENTS CAN'T AFFORD NETWORK STRUCTURES - Click To Read Article
To build your organization quickly, effectively and profitably...do it without a net.

Chicken Little at NAB - Click To Read Article
When you attend the National Association of Broadcasting (NAB) conference all you see is streaming video, video services, mobile video opportunities. It is a world gone mobile. It is a world gone mad for technical toys. Graphics available upon request.

Clash of the Titans - Click To Read Article
Public speaking for a few comes naturally. For the majority of us it is work...a lot of work. To enhance the power and impact of your presentations study the best.

Camphones are for Impulses, Cameras are for Memories - Click To Read Article
Camphones didn't replace/kill cameras or camcorders. In fact, they got a lot of people -- young and old -- interested and involved in shooting more, saving more, showing more. Their nice impulse devices but let's get serious are you really going to capture your wedding, your birthday, your graduation, your son's/daughter's birth, your partner cheating on a camphone? Ok the last is an impulse moment so you may use the camphone for that. But the rest of the family and personal moments/memories? Heck no...you want to make sure you get the best quality possible. And that you store them on the best media available...

Changing the Face of Personal Communications - Click To Read Article
It's almost impossible to go out and buy a plain old mobile phone anymore. We threw tons of features/capabilities on them. We changed them from utilitarian to dress accessories...statements of who we are and our importance. But it took the guy on Infinity Circle to really change the keypad and screen. Oh sure the iPhone is sleek and incorporates so many service capabilities (wonder why your cellphone bill got HUGE?). At Apple's WWDC (developer's conference)Steve will once again strolled onto the stage with a clean black mock turtle on and show us his next insanely great offerings. Including the 3G iPhone (probably). Neat thing is that all of his offerings -- even those that stumble -- will all

Book Review - Click To Read Article
Integrity: The Courage to Meet the Demands of Reality; By Dr. Henry Cloud, HarperCollins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, NY, ISBN 0060849681, 304 pages, list - $24.95; February 2006.

Blogging - Click To Read Article
These are quotes taken from an article by Bill George former chairman and CEO of Medtronic.

Building Better Booth Traffic - Click To Read Article
Enhancing your trade show return on investment

Beyond Spin - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The Power of Strategic Corporate Journalism

Brand Manners - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- How to Create the Self Confident Organization to Live the Brand

BRAND sense - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Building Powerful Brands Through Touch, Taste, Smell, Sign and Sound

Branding Unbound - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- The future of advertising, sales and the brand experience in the wireless age

Brandscendence - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Three Essential Elements of Enduring Brands

Business Blogs - Click To Read Article
…Are We Flogging a Dying Horse?

Business Blogs...The Deep End of the Pool - Click To Read Article
The blogosphere is a tremendous opportunity for executives at every level to deal 1:1 and 1:many with customers, prospects and other interested parties. It is not just another PR tool. It is a management tool for communicating with people. But you need to know the pros, cons of the blogosphere before you jump into the deep end....

Blogs…Can the Social Community Be Commercialized? - Click To Read Article
The blogosphere is a relatively new phenomenon that has arrived on the scene and a growing number of people are advancing the idea that it is a great opportunity for companies to sell ideas, products and services economically. The problem is that people forget that the blog also allows people to \"push back\" in a very public manner. The blogosphere remains a community activity of personal and like-minded people communicating together. Other opportunities have emerged in the Web 2.0 world and perhaps...just perhaps a business blog may not be the best solution.

Book Review -- Persuasive Business Proposals - Click To Read Article
Persuasive Business Proposals: Writing to Win More Customers, Clients and Contracts – Tom Sant, AMACOM (American Management Association), www.amacom.com, January 2004, ISBN-10 – 0814471536, 224 pages, $17.95

Book Review -- Reputation Management - Click To Read Article
Reputation Management – The Key to Successful Public Relations and Corporate Communications – John Doorley, Helio Fred Garcia; Routledge, Taylor & Francis Group, 270 Madison Ave, NY, NY 10016; wwww.routledge-ny.com; 456 p, May 2006; $45.

Book Review -- Brain Tattoos - Click To Read Article
Brain Tattoos: Creating Unique Brands That Stick in Your Customers’ Minds – Karen Post, AMACOM (American Management Association) www.amacom.com, November 2004, ISBN-10 – 0814472346, 187 pages, $17.95

Book Review The Long Tail - Click To Read Article
The Long Tail: Why the Future of Business is Selling Less of More – Chris Anderson, Hyperion, www.hyperionbooks.com, July 2006, ISBN-10 – 1401302378, 256 pages, $24.95

Book Review -- The Qualcomm Equation - Click To Read Article
The Qualcomm Equation: How a Fledgling Company Forged a New Path to Big Profits and Market – Dave Mock, AMACOM (American Management Association), www.amacom.com, March, 2005, 266 pages, $25.00

Brain Tattoos: Creating Unique Brands That Stick in Your Customers’ Minds - Click To Read Article
Book review -- Brain Tattoos: Creating Unique Brands That Stick in Your Customers’ Minds – Karen Post, AMACOM (American Management Association) www.amacom.com, November 2004, ISBN-10 – 0814472346, 187 pages, $17.95

Blogosphere or Blog with Fear - Click To Read Article
The idea of blogging is hard to resist for a company just starting out. Think of it. A means of communicating with customers, prospects and partners that costs almost nothing but reaches more than 180 million people around the globe. But blogs also permit two-way communications which means others can respond to that same 180 million plus individuals. Enter the Web 2.0 world lightly and always prepare for the unexpected.

Beyond the 3-Minute Call…Business, Entertainment or Cool - Click To Read Article
It is difficult to believe that Apple has reshaped the mobile communications industry with the iPhone but more than 5,000 applications are available for the unit. Every operating system and service provider is now offering their own apps store for their smartphones. It's an outstanding opportunity for small firms to look big.

Brand Immortality How Brands Can Live Long and Prosper Book Review - Click To Read Article
The British advertising community studied more than 100 brands to see which lived, which died and why.

AMATEURISM HURTS PR FIELD - Click To Read Article
AMATEURISM HURTS PR FIELD

Attracting Holding Good Trade Show Traffic - Click To Read Article
These are quotes taken from an article by Bill George former chairman and CEO of Medtronic.

Anywhere Computing Opens Endless Possibilities … - Click To Read Article
Possibilities to Data Loss. \"Never trust a computer you can\'t throw out a window.\" -Steve Wozniak

At Show Time Editorial Abuse Gets Easier With Email - Click To Read Article
Editorial contact is easier, faster, more reliable with email. So are the abuses.

Applied Communication Research - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- Applied Communication Research by Judith M. Buddenbaum, Katherine B. Novak -- Iowa State University Press, 2121 South State Avenue, Ames, IA 50014; 2001 -- 261 p, 40 p of appendices

A NEW APPROACH TO MOVING UP THE CORPORATE LADDER - Click To Read Article
Recently, I received an announcement regarding a symposium for mid-career professionals on \"Moving Up the Ladder.\" Priced at $2,500, the three-day course was sponsored by a nationally respected business school.

Abusing Editors - Click To Read Article
The Hand Is Still Quicker Than the Eye

A New Brand World - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- 8 Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the 21st Century by Scott Bedbury, 288 pages, February 2002, Viking Press, 375 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10014

A NEWS RELEASE IS A TERRIBLE THING TO WASTE - Click To Read Article
If you are going to do news releases...do them right!

Advertising On-The-Go…If, When, How? - Click To Read Article
on-line gaming, on-line video and cellular communications have progressed rapidly. Now comes mobile advertising.

A HAPPY CUSTOMER CAN SELL IT FOR YOU - Click To Read Article
Use case histories to spread your story

A Gazillion Tweets, but What Makes the Cash Register Ring? - Click To Read Article
Tweeting gets consumers all fired up. YouTubing is what a pries the credit cards out of the billfold/purse. Facebooking is where it is at to bring seller/buyer together. Blogs have the real street cred where serious people go to find out the scoop. Robust web sites are an absolute have to if you're going to be serious about separating a consumer from his/her dollars. If you think consumers are confused you should be on the other side of the desk! Marketing people are having a helluva time efficiently and effectively reaching the buying public -- corporate and individual -- to sell hardware, software, solutions. It's horrible in the store because everyone is hollering price. Sales people seldom know enough about the individual product to be of real help. Your mom doesn

24 Days - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America

24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America - Click To Read Article
Book Review -- 24 Days: How Two Wall Street Journal Reporters Uncovered the Lies that Destroyed Faith in Corporate America – Rebecca Smith, John R. Emshwiller; Harper Business Division of Harper Collins Publishers, 10 East 53rd Street, NY 10022, www.harpercollins.com/imprints/harper_business; Aug 2003; 390 pps, $25.95

2009 - A Year of Realignment, Reassessment, Repositioning - Click To Read Article
But people in the business/consumer computer/entertainment/communications industry have never been short on optomism or ideas. Looking up from what is near the bottom of the valley it is fairly obvious that it will be a long, hard trek back up to the top of the hill. Some firms won't survive by this time next year. Those that focus on developing a strong consumer centric strategy and lead/listen to the marketplace will be light years ahead of the competition when we enter 2010. What's it going to take? What will the the leaders do? We've got a pretty good idea...hope you agree. We know most have what it takes to survive and prosper!


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