Professional B2B service firms (PSFs) have had to rely heavily on referrals, third party rankings and media coverage to build their brand equity.

Unlike consumer brands that can monitor product reviews and web forums to get a feel of market perceptions and feedback, service brand managers will agree that perceptions are difficult to measure without embarking on a full-fledged market research study.

Take advisory or information services for example. It is much easier to position a firm according to its services, as these are parameters that can be benchmarked relatively easily. (more…)

With the rise of new digital formats - smart phones being one important channel - how can you ensure that your email announcements and online newsletters are optimized across platforms, from computers to PDAs?

We feature here, 10 tips from Loren McDonald, vice-president of industry relations for Silverpop, an email service provider:

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Increasingly, brands from Asia have ambitions to become global household names. Building a successful name in the international market is much more complex and requires a systematic approach. What does it take to succeed?

Brand owners are increasingly aware of the value of strategic marketing and how ‘invisible’ brand equity can boost the value of a company. Yet they can stumble over implementing great brand strategies for various reasons.

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We all receive online newsletters from a myriad of businesses vying for our attention. Before you jump on the bandwagon and create your own, it is always good to first ask yourself four questions.

1. Am I addressing my readers’ specific interests?

It’s an online newsletter. So, there’s no need to write long essays.

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It seems that the webinars that technology companies once used to introduce their products are moving into more mainstream presentations, such as corporate announcements, executive forums and internal staff training sessions. Communications managers who are new to the use of webinars may question their effectiveness. Can they really lead to sales, for example?
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