Once you could only buy advertising space or ‘buy’ editorial mention

Before the widespread adoption of the web there were only two significant options for a business to gain attention for its products in the media – to buy expensive advertising, or buy PR for third party column space. It was ‘above the line’ and ‘below the line’ promotion. The glitzy world of advertising or the manipulative black arts of press and public relations.

Then into this expensive publicity mix of advertising and PR along came the Internet and the World Wide Web. The media opened up to even the smallest business, not just locally, but globally. Since we published Techniques in Technical Marketing in 2000, the web has moved to a new phase with social media offering very affordable alternatives to the main ‘above the line’ media options.

Our book was intended as a simple introduction to marketing, particularly for engineers needing to understand how to go about presenting their products in a fast changing world. But technology enabled marketing has also been rapidly evolving. So it is time for a new book. A book looking at where marketing has been headed in the last decade and some things that owners and engineers in small to medium size businesses in the B-2-B area should know.