Jeff Taylor....one of my Linked-In contacts...sent me the below link to a MSNBC marketing article he recommended. The article shares insights on new and current trends in marketing for small businesses and entrepreneurs. I found the article very interesting, substantive and useful. I hope this is of some value to at least some of the BOIC members.

http://msnbc.msn.com/id/14231013/

Michael Lemm
FreedomFire Communications
"Helping YOUR Business....DO Business"
http://mscprez.ld.net
http://DS3-Bandwidth.com
http://Broadband-Nation.blogspot.com

The article matches my experience in marketing in the US, although the digital means may not be quite as effective in Louisiana as it likely is in major metro markets.

In discussing "targeted" advertising, the author mentioned T-shirts, with isn't even the tip of the iceberg in the media called advertising speciaties by some and promotional advertising by others. Promotional advertising has showed steady growth, even in the past 5 years, while the mass media have seen a number of flat years or decline in annual volume.

Consider the current thinking that it takes anywhere from 3 to 12 exposures to a business'es message to convert to a sale, and the cost-effectiveness of long-term visibility of advertising on calendars, magnets, coffee mugs, mouse pads, and other functional products becomes obvious.

Looks like my career will be solid for at least another decade or more.

Dennis