Top Ten PDFs on Marketing

Though nothing in life is free, reports, newsletters, dissertations and guides in PDF on the Web, available at no charge, come close. And as most "free" things are made available for a reason, you should be cautious. Having said that, for the cost of toner and paper the following 10 PDFs are an information bargain.

The PDFs listed below cover a range of "scale." The first eight relate to the level of the individual company and the balance to marketing at the country/regional level.

To download any item click on the cover image. 

(In 2003 VCR published other "top tens" on design, production and sustainability.)

SME eBusiness Case Studies:
O'Donnell Design

This Irish e-business case study has application worldwide. Skibbereen-based contract furniture manufacturer O'Donnell Design researched and developed methods of integrating their web marketing with a shop-floor production software.

Enterprise Ireland lists other SME services, including how-to-guides and another case study of Franz Caffrey, a reproduction furniture manufacturer.

Marketing Guide

Published by an agency of the British Columbia government in 2004, this report has broad application. It clarifies how "marketing" is different from "selling" and includes detailed sections on defining target markets, marketing strategies, research, pricing, promotions, advertising budgets and sales forecasting.

Expo Ideas: (Tradeshow Marketing Manual)

This 2001 guide from the Center for Exhibition Research is made available on the Expo Displays website and is an excellent reference for manufacturers planning their first trade show event. The report covers defining goals, booth/display selection, lighting, accessories, promotions, shipping and analyzing results. Cost-tracking forms and a glossary of terms are included.

Another manual is from Select Marketing Services.

What Virtual Reality Can Offer the Furniture Industry

Written by Hyunjoo Oh, So-Yeon and Jana Hawley of the University of Missouri, this 2004 report investigates the use of virtual reality (VR) software for marketing furniture. One of their conclusions is that consumers will be better served if they can view "virtual" room settings of furniture on a computer before purchase. The VR software also allows the consumer to see all the colours, fabrics and accessories available from the manufacturer.

Doing Market Research by Talking to People

This "Bootstrap" guide is for "enterprises with extremely limited resources of time, money and technical expertise." Ms. Lawrence provides step-by-step advice on how to conduct inexpensive research by setting up and doing the required interviews yourself. Also covered is how to establish a focus group of six to twelve people, the type of questions to be asked and the important role of the moderator.

Marketing and Sustainability

The authors of this Center for Sustainable Design report, Martin Charter (UK), Ken Peatiie (UK), Jacqueline Ottman (USA) and Michael J. Polonsky (AU), provide an overview of key environmental concepts (e.g., what is green marketing?) and a check list for solutions (e.g., what is the best packaging?).
 

What Makes Small and Medium Enterprises Competitive

This 2005 academic study from the University of Foggia, Italy, by Morone Piergiuseppe and Testa Giuseppina, relates to the competitiveness of Italian SMEs (83 percent of micro-enterprises in Italy employ fewer than 10 employees). Based on their survey of 2,600 Italian SMEs, the authors note the importance of networking beyond the manufacturer's region and innovation developed with the aid of external organizations.

Recommended Best Practices for Email Marketing

The online consumer will receive approximately 3,900 spam email messages in 2007 (source). This Government of Canada 2005 report provides SMEs with valuable advice on running a legitimate opt-in email campaign or newsletter distribution. The appendix provides technical tips, a sample letter of compliance and a useful glossary.

Furniture Industry Strategy Group

Concerns about the competitiveness of the British furniture industry are addressed in this 2004 committee report. It lists the challenges such as skill needs, export readiness, customer service and makes ten general recommendations for improvement. Section 8, the report by the Design Sub Group, will be of particular interest to VCR readers.

Construction of an International Brand: The Rise and Decline of Danish Design, 1930-1970

This academic paper studied the modern furniture industry in Denmark over five decades. Hansen states that Danish Design as a "brand" reached a peak in the 1960s because of a "flourishing alliance between a group of talented designers, the traditional craft of cabinetmaking, a new functionalist trend in design and an elaborated network between architects, producers, intellectuals, organizations, etc." The reasons for its decline make interesting reading. (Update: Now in MSWord .doc format.)