Direct Hit

Print is dead.

It’s been said so often and by so many that I’m almost tired of hearing it. But it may be so, especially in B2B, the corner of the publishing business that I inhabit.

The old B2B model left over from 1950 no longer works. People want more detailed information than you can serve in a magazine and sponsors want leads. more

Ray Schultz has resigned as editorial director of Penton Media’s Chief Marketer Network, effective April Fool’s Day.

No replacement has been named because nobody could figure out exactly what he did.

Sorry. I know it sounds rough, but old habits die hard. That’s exactly how I’d write it about someone else. more

I am a law-abiding citizen at all times. But if I ever get into trouble, I will call the law firm of Wilens & Baker. They seem to know their stuff.

For example, the firm is now running ads in the New York subway, featuring a photo of TV newscaster John Roland. They identify him as a compensated spokesperson—in large type. more

Let’s say you learned a customer was switching to a competitor. You’d try to change their minds, right?

Well, Verizon can’t do that, judging by an order from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. more

USAir has gotten an undeserved publicity windfall from the exploits of pilot Chesley B. Sullenberger.

Yes, Sully landed a jet in the Hudson, and with everyone on board surviving. He deserves to be celebrated. But it doesn’t change my opinion.

USAir is a lousy airline, one of many. And it can’t market its way out of that fact even if it bills itself as the best at water landings. more

Don’t ask me how I learned this, but a major B2B outfit recently tried its hand at a Webinar.

People showed up—several hundred, including non-clients. And they liked what they heard, for the content was relevant and there was no hint of a sales pitch.

But there was one problem: Except to get an e-mail that a recorded version of the Webinar was available, the registrants never heard from the firm again. more