Peeling back the top line geo-political issues, global trade relations with China looms as a major concern, particularly for the sporting goods sector that is so heavily sourced in China.

Spring is finally here, the weather has calmed down and the company executives have gone for a lunch-time hike up the local mountain. While they're resting around a big rock in a clearing, the CEO points out the billboards he sees in the distance and asks the marketing director what he knows about outdoor advertising.

For some time we've been telling you how we're now in a consumer-centric market where consumers are the decision makers - deciding what products and brands they want, where and how they'll buy these products, and how much they'll spend.

My last article dealt with the power of magazines in a media plan. The marketing director had the Professor explain to the group around the conference table that magazines had certain advantages over other forms of media.

Feeling pretty satisfied from the last two meetings in the conference room, everyone is now sitting around the table wondering how to spend the advertising budget in 2005. Which media is best? Which media will deliver the most potential customers? Which media is most cost effective in hitting the target audience?

You and your colleagues are sitting around the conference table discussing the latest challenge to your market leadership and someone suggests doing some research. Everyone agrees, but then what? Do you assign it to the intern just out of some prestigious institution of higher learning? Do you tell your marketing director (just promoted from top product guy/gal) to start looking?

Spring break is just around the corner and you are already thinking about a couple of days off when you find yourself sitting around your favorite conference table, the one with the great leather board of directors' chairs, for an emergency meeting called by the boss.

We just got back from the Bike Summit in Washington DC, and I couldn't help but be reminded of the legendary Ben Hogan's comment that: "I like to visit Washington DC so I can be near my money!"

The January 10, 2005 issue of Fortune magazine cover story is "10 Tech Trends To Watch In 2005." This is what initially drew our attention, but upon closer examination we noted that the box in the lower right hand corner of the cover proclaims that Trend No.1 is "Why You Can't Ignore Bloggers!"

You are sitting around your favorite conference table, with the board of directors' chairs that adjust 16-ways, for a meeting called by the boss, who wants to discuss how to improve the company's bottom line. He starts the meeting by informing you and the rest of the marketing staff that there are simply no more costs that can be cut without doing serious damage to the company's ability to function.

You and your colleagues are sitting around that same conference table as you were last issue, discussing the latest challenge to your market leadership, and the boss turns to your marketing director and says: "why can't you sell the products I can make?"