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to-the-minute information. Business research sometimes reiterates the
obvious, but sometimes findings fly in the face of what we like to think of
as common sense. The internet is an unsurpassed, often free, storehouse
of knowledge. You need to be able to use that storehouse with the least
effort.

Boston Consulting Group Matrix The categorization of product, serv-
ices and even customers (in private) as cash cows, stars, question marks or
dogs. Cash cows should be looked after with loving care. Stars and ques-
tion marks should be market tested and should attract investment. Dogs
should be helped to die.

Brand Is the accumulation of highly visible qualities of a product or serv-
ice that are promoted to differentiate the offering and assure consumers of
consistent and high quality. In a marketing strategy branding is intended
to be used to ensure the company of customers who are also of high and
consistent quality. Branding is important, but too often those without the
will or the capability to do otherwise produce fancy but impractical web-
sites to “build the brand”. An advertising executive recently told me that
I was a brand. My question is: “Should I be flattered or was he merely
being biblical and suggesting that I was overdue for burning?”

Brand awareness The often self-indulgent measurement of the per-
centage of consumers who recognize a brand. This is usually reported by
advertising agencies who omit the essential information of whether the
consumers who recognize the brand are prepared to buy it. In a hypothet-
ical brand awareness study if every consumer said, in effect, “Yes we rec-
ognize that brand, but we wouldn’t buy the product because it’s rubbish,”
the marketing department would be congratulating themselves from here
to Carey Street.

Business process re-engineering Is an approach that, at its best
enables a company to improve processes and remove duplications of effort.
At its worst it has become an excuse to reduce headcounts, damage morale
and loyalty, damage the long-term viability of the business and make huge
bonuses for hatchet wielders who have the good sense to abandon each
sinking ship that they leave behind every eighteen months or so. Like so
many fads it has had its successes, but these have been outnumbered by
failures. Always seek out the successes before using a tool and ask the
questions that give you clear answers to “why did it work here in spite of
failing elsewhere?”

Budget A tactical plan expressed in financial terms. A budget enables you
to achieve objectives. If the mandate to cut a budget is considered a key
question is “since the objectives were worthwhile, how much more would
it cost to achieve them now and is that still a good deal?”

Business to business (B2B) Providing goods or services to other busi-
nesses rather than to the consumer. Sometimes we are given the impres-
sion that business to business marketing begins and ends with the

232 Key management questions