In The Luxury Strategy: Break the Rules of Marketing to Build Luxury Brand, authors Jean-Noël Kapferer and Vincent Bastien coach executives on how to build a luxury brand. They philosophize that the appeal of luxury items partially is based, unconsciously, in creating a legacy (leaving heirlooms to keep the gifter's memory alive, ergo immortal).

If marketing is about giving the customer what they want before they know they want it, you must create a mythology around the brand in order to establish it. To read nine reader reviews, click here:

The CEA's TechHome Rating System is a powerful, nationally recognized system to measure a home's technology infrastructure. The system identifies the home's technology infrastructure and its potential for technology. Tech-rating an existing home or using the rating system to help plan a new home allows integrators to bring their expertise and depth of knowledge to the table - giving them credibility in the eyes of builders, architects, designers and clients. The system's three tiers - bronze, gold and platinum -help integrators determine the home's technological capabilities, as well as the complete integration throughout the home for multi-room audio and video, control, security and communications. A TechHome rating can also be a valuable tool when a home goes on the market. To download a TechHome brochure for your next new client intro packet, go to

Much has been written about the famed UCLA basketball coach who passed away. This summary by Brenna Fisher in Success, succinctly captures his tried-and-true values which anyone can apply to our day-to-day lives and businesses. A personal favorite: Pay attention to the little things. After all, if you don't put on your socks and shoes correctly, you'll get blisters and won't be able to play. To read entire article, click here.

also here for John Wooden's Pyramid of Success

Assume your competition has just as much knowledge, skill and talent as your company. What distinguishes you from the pack and gives you an edge over your competition? In this article, award- winning author Bob Reiss defines 12 attributes that can put you in the right mindset for achieving entrepreneurial success. Want to learn Reiss' achievable, pragmatic steps to improving your business? Read on!

AV consultant John Stiernberg has published a white paper entitled "Is the Grass Really Greener?" It offers insights into custom installers' oft discussed transition to and from residential and commercial sectors. His "Top Twelve Myths and Realities" are a must read for those who are considering expanding their businesses to the other side of the fence.

A review of David Meerman Scott’s book reveals how you can get millions of people to spread your ideas and share your stories.

Unless LCE’s circulation has plummeted, it’s safe to assume that thousands of readers are skimming this review. I don’t know thousands of people personally, so it’s also safe to assume that you and I have never corresponded. However, I can make you—both the general you and the specific you (e.g. Dylan Zachary of Brooklyn, NY)—an evangelist for my business simply by giving you a reason to spread my message to your friends and acquaintances.

A review of Jeff Jarvis’ book on the lessons from Google  

It’s not difficult, given the economic times that we’re in, to look to other companies and other industries for things that may be applicable to one’s business. Jeff Jarvis’ book, entitled What Would Google Do?, provides yet another insight into a company that has been one of the success stories despite the economy.

At the time of this writing, we are just over a year into the most challenging economic downturn that most of us have lived through. A year of economic spills and chills, with no shortage of casualties or clear ending in sight.
Happy times, eh? If you are like most of your colleagues, it has been a year of hearing, reading and talking with other professionals about what we are doing to thrive at a time when “thriving” is akin to simply getting through the day. Everyone has an opinion of what we should and shouldn’t do, very often having to do with ways that benefit the opinion-giver.

Well, I think a year is a long time to go without a vacation—from the how-we-can-get-through-it reading material that has been accumulating in our offices. Instead, I propose that it is time to step back and take an open-minded look at what factors have led to history’s greatest achievements.