Business Buffet--Marketing: Finding, Getting and Keeping Customers

Kind of a "Guide to Marketing for the More or Less Brain-Dead," Marketing: Finding, Getting and Keeping Customers consists of three iconographic animated shorts (which seem long) entitled "Sales Success," "Market Analysis" and "Market Strategy & Promotion." Viewers will learn the basics of assessing potential customers' wants and needs, general techniques for closing the sale, and so on, in the opening short on sales success (which actually seems misplaced in a primer on marketing). The other two segments look at identifying target markets, analyzing competitors, positioning the business, the 4 P's (product, place, promotion, and price), and estimating sales, among other topics. While there are some wonderful general inspirational comments (Abe Lincoln once noted that if he had nine hours to chop down a tree, he would spend eight sharpening his ax--an excellent sound bite on the importance of market research), the downright primitive style of the iconographic animation is tiresome, even in the small bites offered in this "business buffet." Incidentally, the fill-in-the-blank workbook included with the tape adds nothing and can be safely tossed. A second program in the series, Finance: Taking the Fear Out of Finance is also available at the same price (or for $99 when the two titles are purchased together). An optional purchase. Aud: H, C, P. (R. Pitman)