Latest Ideas & Articles

We are pleased to provide the following articles as a strategic marketing resource for business owners. You can also buy books and reports by Banda through this website.

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Winter 2013: by Brent Banda, MBA
Strategic Decision Making in a Family Business
For a family business to be successful, it must embrace what makes it unique. This principle rings true in many facets of the business, such as determining which staff to hire and how to finance the business. It is also a fundamental consideration for how strategy is developed. The strategic planning process should work with this unique DNA, not against it.

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Fall 2012: by Brent Banda, MBA
Creative Pricing
When setting a price you can adopt simple tactics that work in other industries. Remember, every industry has its own nuances, and not every tactic will work for your company. Take what fits, and modify it to your situation.

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Summer 2012: by Brent Banda, MBA
Cultivating Profitable Customers
An important step when effectively marketing your business is to understand your current customer base. There are many dimensions to examine, but one of the most insightful can be to identify the most profitable segments you serve and estimate the lifetime value of each segment.

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Winter 2012: by Brent Banda, MBA
Fine-tuning Your Marketing Plan
When preparing your company's marketing plan, consider these four fundamental questions. They drive to the heart of your competitive situation and provide insight into the profitability of your business.

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October 07, 2011
Canadian Capital magazine interviews Brent Banda for Brand Asset article
Think branding is reserved for multinationals like Pepsi and Apple? Think again. Your company's reputation and image can impact its value - and potential success - after you bow out.

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Fall 2011: by Brent Banda, MBA
Branding During Succession
Your brand is your company's reputation. For many ownermanaged companies, the owner's personal identity is a significant component of the company brand. Managing the owner's public profile during succession of ownership has a direct impact on your company brand.

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Summer 2011: by Brent Banda, MBA
Building A Strong Brand
Branding is a term that all business owners come across but few truly understand. Branding is similar to branding on a ranch -- you leave your mark on your customer's mind.

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June 01, 2011: by Brent Banda, MBA
Setting right price has dramatic impact
Identify the floor and ceiling for the potential figure, and then use a level of creativity to appeal to the customers you are targeting.

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Spring 2011: by Brent Banda, MBA
Where Do I Spend My Marketing Budget?
As business owners, we often have too many great ideas on ways to grow revenues. Should we invest our time and money this year in sales force training, a new product brochure, or radio ads? Marketing, after all, is more than just advertising and there are multiple demands on limited resources.

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Fall 2010: by Brent Banda, MBA
Improving Performance in the Family Business
When considering how to improve the performance of a family business, it is natural to focus on the interpersonal relationships between family members. These relationships are what make a family business unique. However, the true opportunity to dramatically improve performance in a family business often rests in an entirely different area: how business strategy is created and implemented.

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Summer 2010: by Brent Banda, MBA
Increase Profitability Through Market Penetration
Market Penetration is a growth strategy that involves selling more of your current products or services to your current target market. Although there is no radical change to the company's corporate strategy, it often provides a significant opportunity to increase both revenues and profit.

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May 14, 2010
Brent Banda answers family business questions in Globe and Mail feature
The Globe and Mail has posted a special feature on issues facing family businesses. Brent Banda was asked to answer reader questions from a strategic marketing perspective.

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Spring 2010: by Brent Banda, MBA
Should I Invest in My Business?
Just because you own a business, you don't necessarily have to invest time and money in growing it. Highly successful entrepreneurs realize more opportunities exist than can be pursued. One of the most difficult roles of a business owner is choosing where to allocate time and money.

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Fall 2009: by Brent Banda, MBA
Building off Failures
Failure will exist in any business. High performing companies are prepared to manage setbacks as business and marketing plans are executed.

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Summer 2009: by Brent Banda, MBA
Touch Your Customer
When you develop your marketing plan, focus on influencing points of contact that have the greatest impact on your customers. Most business owners simply don't take the time to consider when these crucial moments occur.

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Winter 2009: by Brent Banda, MBA
Strategy for an Improving Economy
There is a difference between an improving economy and a high growth economy. High growth is like drinking from a fire hose. In 2007 and most of 2008, labour was impossible to find and there was a lineup of customers at your door.

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Winter 2008 Newsletter: by Brent Banda, MBA
If You Sell To Businesses... Your Marketing Strategy for an Uncertain Economy
As the financial markets tighten and consumer spending declines, your customers and vendors will have less money to spend. Less cash means companies change how they do business and how they plan for the future. Business relationships will change, creating opportunities for growth and improving profitability.

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Winter 2008 Newsletter: by Kevin Meldrum, B.Comm
If You Sell To Consumers... Your Marketing Strategy for an Uncertain Economy
Consumers generally have become increasingly concerned about job stability and retirement savings. October 2008 numbers from the Conference Board of Canada show consumer confidence at its lowest level in 25 years, and consumers feel they will be even worse off six months from now.

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Winter 2008: by Brent Banda, MBA
Improving Sales Agent Performance
Most manufacturers view Sales Agents as a necessary evil. Few manufacturers feel the Sales Agents earn their pay or focus on increasing volume. Sales Agents are people. In any organization, performance is a result of having the right people on board and forming a working relationship that produces good work.

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Summer 2008: by Brent Banda, MBA
Driving Profit Through Relationship Marketing
Relationship Marketing is a simple concept. It focuses you on building a continued relationship with your customer rather than incurring a single transaction. Unfortunately, few companies do this well.

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Fall 2007: by Brent Banda, MBA
Timing a Product Launch
When is the right time to begin selling a new product? Do you want to jump into the market right away or wait and learn from your competitors' mistakes? Like most decisions in business, there is no right answer. You'll have to make a judgment call.

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Spring 2007: by Brent Banda, MBA
Growth Through Brand Repositioning
Increased competition, pricing demands and changing markets can affect a company's market share and bottom line. When faced with these situations, companies often turn to repositioning as a way to create new appeal for existing customers and attract new growth opportunities.

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Winter 2007: by Brent Banda, MBA
Push vs. Pull Marketing
Pull Marketing creates a situation in which consumers knowingly request a branded product and "pull" it through the distribution channel. Push Marketing sounds much more aggressive than it actually is. It creates a situation within the retail environment where the manufacturer and the retailer work together to promote one specific product model or entire product line.

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Fall 2006: by Brent Banda, MBA
Creativity Can Sell
Have you ever watched an interesting TV commercial and one minute later forgot what was being sold? Creativity used effectively in advertising is more than artwork.

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Spring 2006: by Brent Banda, MBA
Linking Marketing and the Sales Force
Most business owners can easily improve the performance of their sales force by ensuring salespeople work toward the company's broader goals. This can be more complex than it sounds.