Did you catch The Wall Street Journal's recent article titled, "Name Droppers: Tech Ads Tout Users" by Brian Steinberg? In it, Steinberg talked about how B2B tech firms are moving away from print ads that focus on features and benefits toward those that focus on what high-value customers do; thanks, of course, to partnerships with the tech firms footing the bills. Examples: e-Bay using Sun Microsystems; 7-Eleven using Oracle; Cendant using Cingular; and HP using SAP and SAP using HP. The article is interesting in and of itself, but what captured my attention were the few best practice gems in it that might help you improve your customer-centered print campaigns:

• Avoid reader confusion by not using featured customers' logos; let readers know your company is the "star" of the ad.
• Prepare an exit plan in case a company featured in your ads makes the wrong kind of headlines - the ones you wouldn't want your company to be associated with.

You can read the piece for yourself here: http://online.wsj.com/article/0,,SB111749108033746484,00.html Promise Phelon, Partner promise.phelon@phelongroup.com