In what direction is your business heading? The vitality of a business organization is dependent on who it is to its employees and stakeholders, who it is to its customers, how well it can satisfy those customers, and how successfully it can evolve in a changing marketplace.

Is this marketing? To most business people, marketing means,

• Brochures, slogans, and print ads in magazines
• Advertising on radio and television
• Websites and email campaigns
• A customer management system
• An activity to achieve brand equity and market share
• Competitive positioning and brand strategy
• Pricing, distribution, and sales

We'll use the term, "Strategic Marketing" to describe the processes required to attain momentum and achieve sustained market leadership. This result comes from a lot more than the product of an advertising campaign. It's the focus of an entire business organization where every action within and without demonstrates passion for and recognition of its customers.

If that passion does not exist, and if the organization is not structured to sustain its coveted leadership position in the market, that organization will morph into something less desireable.