Welcome to “Upon Further Review”

Welcome to “Upon Further Review”, a new blog that takes a strategic look at marketing and integrated marketing communications and how it contributes to corporate top and bottom lines.

 Welcome to “Upon Further Review”.  Yes, it is another new blog that competes for your precious time in the ever-expanding blogosphere.  And perhaps even more onerous is the fact that this is an effort by Business Practicum to initiate a thoughtful dialog on contemporary marketing and marketing communications as part of its ongoing mission to make the practice of these two disciples stronger contributors to the corporate bottom line. 

To that end, “Upon Further Review” is dedicated to the foundational blocks of Business Practicum and the core beliefs of its founders:

1. That marketing is the undervalued critical differences that can, if understood and properly utilized, become a significant contributor to corporate business, financial and social goals; that marketing contributes to both the top line and the bottom line. 

2. That marketing is too important to be left strictly to marketers and should be understood and practiced across a company or organization.

3. That corporate learning, particularly as it relates to improving marketing skill sets, will have a positive and measurable impact on a company’s success.

“Upon Further Review” will not be a dry academic tome, nor will it be a simple “by the numbers” approach to marketing tactics.  Rather, it will feature a tongue-in-cheek, play on words approach sprinkled with appropriate double entendres that reflects the whimsical yet thoughtful nature of the author. 

Take the blog’s title as an example.  “Upon Further Review” couples the idea that a topic deserves more careful (often times a second) thought or analysis with a cross-over analogy from the oft analyzed world of sports and the author’s “death-til-we-part” avocation as a college and high school lacrosse official (where there is, by the way, no instant replay.) 

”Upon Further Review” will be pointed toward  b-2-b marketing and integrated marketing communications challenges.  It will be pithy, pointed, practical and sometime acerbic.  It will be written to be thought-provoking and evocative, seeking to gain feedback and generate dialog.  It will attempt to be timely, providing content appropriate to the “marketing seasons”.  It may at times be spontaneous, reporting on or reacting to observations encountered during the author’s academic and consulting activities.

Most importantly, “Upon Further Review” will seek to further the core purpose of marketing; and that is to create added value that drives differentiation that leads to higher margins and healthier business enterprises. 

So what do you think?  We want to hear from you, good, bad or indifferent.  Part of my introduction to by graduate level Integrated Marketing Communications class at Santa Clara University (CA.) is that students are not going to learn much from just listening to lectures.  Rather, the greater value is gained through spirited class discussion. This principle holds true too for “Upon Further Review” and the blogosphere at large.

Let us here from you

Chuck Byers

Lecturer

Santa Clara University

Managing Partner

Business Practicum

charles.byers@b-practicum.com