Market-L, started in 1987 by a Florida State University marketing professor, is the granddaddy of the group and still probably the best resource for getting your feet wet. Topics range from direct-mail techniques and pricing tactics to branding issues and database marketing. But be prepared to wade through some noise: Market-L boasts 790 subscribers who proffer about 70 messages a day. The most prolific users seem to be small-business practitioners and consultants. (Don't snicker.) They often bring the most real-life experience to practical problems.
Marketing pros will tell you that half of business is built on solid research, the other half on guts. Now from the battlefields of Silicon Valley, marketing legend Regis McKenna has devised a new tool that synthesizes both types of input into a single strategic marketing plan. His CD-ROM, called Crush, is a gem for organizing the disparate elements of a fast-moving business into a clear picture of its competitive position.
McKenna, as an onscreen mentor, leads you through an 11-step process to marketing nirvana. After defining your target market, you identify key trends and competitors, then quantify your own strengths and weaknesses in each trend compared with your rivals. At each step, McKenna offers a case study (Saturn, Porsche, Coca-Cola). You can even download quarterly installments of market research from the Internet home page of Hands-On Technology, the developer of Crush. These competitor profiles get plugged into the Crush model to save time on dredging up relevant documentation.
Coordinates: $499 for Crush. 800-772-2580. Hands-On Technology, http://www.HOT.sf.ca.us
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