Al Ries on The Origin of Brands

On a participatory journalistic whim, I landed an e-mail interview with author, brand guru and PR proponent, Al Ries. Ries is a legendary marketing strategist and the best-selling author/co-author of 12 books on marketing including our favorite "The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR." Most recently, he published "The Origin of Brands."

How To Find the Best Merchant Account For Your Business

What a great idea! Start accepting credit cards and watch your profits soar. Nothing could be simpler. Or so you thought until you began researching merchant accounts. It can all get extremely confusing. There is an easy way to find the best deal that suits your business. You'll be able to compare apples to apples and have a clear picture of what the merchant account…

Cutting Down Your Trade Show Budget

Whenever a recession or volatility threatens the economy, companies immediately look at where they can cut budgets. Without much forethought, the first to hit the block is inevitably training, followed closely behind by marketing. Why? Both are viewed on the balance sheet as expenditures rather than income generators, so obviously they're hot contenders for elimination.