Leading the Pack

Despite my laptop and cell phone, I try to catch up on my reading in airport terminals and in-flight. Not long ago, on my way to the Motivation Show in Chicago, I was reading a comparative biography of two of the great American generals of World War II, Douglas MacArthur and Dwight Eisenhower. While the two men could hardly have had more different personalities, they had several qualities in common that made them great leaders. Each was highly intelligent, able to envision, map out and communicate complex strategic goals to the troops under their command. Each fought for and got the resources needed for eventual success. And each was daring when it came to the tactics used to reach those goals (Island-hopping across the Pacific? Unheard of. Invading Nazi-occupied France with an uneasy coalition of international forces? Amazing.)

Back from, Chicago, the PROMO staff and I plunged into the issue before you, which happens to focus on prime examples of leadership in the promotions industry. Talk about resonance! In story after story, we profile brands with brilliant generals — AKA brand managers — at their helms, men and women who are executing daring tactics to forward winning strategies. In our cover story, for example, we focus on the NASCAR and IROC racing series, each of which has signed new sponsors in recent months. These sponsors (Nextel and Crown Royal, respectively) are activating their new partnerships fully, taking them to unprecedented levels. Associate Editor Tim Parry visited with each, and shares his findings beginning on p.36.

We also look this month at brands that have put promotions in the forefront of their marketing efforts, with budget allocations to match. For the first time, PROMO editors have identified the top promoted brands in the U.S. not only on the basis of creativity and campaign results, but also on the basis of their investment in promotion. The "Big Spenders" we profile, starting on p. 42, are the companies that are the top promoters in their industry categories.

Finally, while they are not yet in the pages of this magazine, we'll be focusing this month on the best promotional campaigns produced by brands and their agencies in the last year. On Nov. 16, we're back in Chicago, presenting the PRO Awards in 19 categories, as well as one campaign that the industry judges have named the best overall. Watch for a recap of the awards in the December issue!