Call it branding. Call it marketing. Call it whatever you want. But it has the singular objective of motivating the right customer to want to do business with a particular company or to buy a particular product or service. In this document, John Graham lays to rest some common misconceptions on the role of marketing.

Do customers really want more personal service? The answer may seem obvious, but is it? It's true that there are plenty of complaints-many of them justified-about shopping in stores where sales and service personnel are in short supply and the workers lack training, courtesy, and a desire to be helpful. But is all this a plea for bringing back old-fashioned personal service? It may seem so, but what's actually happening is quite different and far more significant.

It seems as if we all need a good, old-fashioned whack on the head to get our attention. This is a moment when businesses need to connect with the business end of a two-by-four.
Change is in the wind. If there's one lesson the last decade or so has taught us, it's that there's a new economy, and it's global, integrated, and interdependent.

PUT YOUR MARKETING TO THE TEST AND SEE HOW YOURE DOING by John Graham All marketers are liars. Because were all marketers of one thing or another, were all liars. To ...

SENDING THE WRONG MESSAGES: 18 WAYS TO BRAND A BUSINESS ... BADLY by John Graham In the West, cattle ranchers still brand cattle. Once the brand has been burned into the ...

In the West, cattle ranchers still brand cattle. Once the brand has been burned into the hide, nothing can change it. Altering a brand is illegal and easily detected.
The branding of a business, product, or service is no different.

We all know that doing business today is differs dramatically from even a few years ago. In spite of what might seem so obvious, many of us keep clinging to a familiar past with nothing less than stubborn tenacity. Although it’s easy to spot others who have fallen behind, it takes almost desperate determination to drown out the noxious notion that we might be out of sync.

To serve your clients more effectively, grow your business, and match your competitors, you need the most effective website. Whether you’re planning a new site, reviewing an existing one, or developing an Internet-based marketing strategy, I’d recommend these guidelines:

“Outrageous” might seem like an indefensible stretch or, more likely, a deliberate attempt to attract attention. While it may be both, it’s also accurate because it expresses views that fly in the face of the traditional marketing and sales “truths” that are passed on to those who obey them, mostly without question.

Even though marketing is a well-established concept in business, committing...