The Beliefs, The Vision and The Mission

This Website is an important component of my personal/professional brand and it serves not only as an educational tool but also as a conduit for networking with other marketing professionals and members of the media.

I believe that the best way to improve the quality of all marketing is to help educate as many people as possible about marketing so not only will marketers get better at what they do but consumers will demand better marketing, recognize it when they see it and reward those marketers who get it right. Hopefully this site makes at least a small step in the right direction.

This site also helps students, entrepreneurs, and those new to the field of marketing learn about marketing while providing tangible advice and useful ideas that can be implemented immediately. The articles and e-books found at this site are intended to help advance understanding and mastery of marketing as a strategic business function.

I hold dear several basic principles that guide me in my profession and I am honored that you have taken an interested in them. I am happy to share my guiding values with you, but first I'd like to share my vision with you.

• I envision a future where all businesses strive to operate ethically and create ever-increasing value for their customers while engaging their customers in exceptional commerce exchanges over long periods of time.
• I envision a future where consumers are not cynical about business because they do not fear being tricked, deceived, or taken advantage of by unethical marketers and CEO's.
• I envision a future where marketers are trusted rather than suspected.
• I envision a day where unethical business leaders and corrupt managers and business owners can only be found as old case history lessons in business textbooks.
• I envision a day where marketing in organizations operates with a high degree of transparency and openly communicates successes and failures rather than acting as though there is "secret marketing magic" that must be protected.
• I envision a day where the marketing perspective is universally accepted as a critical element in the planning of business strategy.
• I see a future where businesses are judged based upon the long-term value they create rather than quarterly financial reports or short-term dividends and profit numbers. Too much emphasis is placed on short-term results and the practice is harming long-term value creation and business viability. The short-sighted goal of pleasing investors on a quarterly basis places an enormous amount of pressure on managers to take short-cuts and artificially inflate traditional business performance metrics. The many recent corporate scandals clearly illustrate that many business managers succumb to the short-term profit pressures placed on them by investors. Let's all stop it and look to invest in long-term value creation.
• I envision a future where businesses respect, serve and deliver value to their customers above all else.

• I believe that as a marketing professional that I should not knowingly do harm. I believe that I should not ever engage in activities that I know can bring harm to others: financially, physically, psychologically or emotionally.

• I believe that marketing results should be measured and quantified whenever and wherever possible so that both marketer and client can take comfort in the measured return on investment.

• I believe that marketers should operate with the highest ethical standards.

• I believe that basic human needs and decencies cannot and should not be removed from business transactions. In order for one party to win there does not need to be a loser. The best business transactions are the ones where both sides win in a fair exchange of value.

• I believe that marketing is a science. Only a relatively small portion of the marketing process where creativity is involved should be considered an art.

• I believe that the creative aspects of marketing must support strategic objectives.

• I believe that the free-market system is the best economic system in the world.

• I believe that competition is good. Competition pushes everyone to improve and constantly strive to create greater value.

• I believe that money and the accumulation of wealth should never be the ultimate objective of anyone. Money is not in-and-of-itself good or evil. It is only what is done with money that can be judged.

• I believe that a healthy sense of humor is important in all situations and that we should laugh more at our human flaws.

• I believe that employees are the first and most important customers in any business.

• I believe that businesses should reward the behavior that they want more of -- both amongst their employees and their customers.

• I believe that words mean things and that they should be chosen wisely and thoughtfully -- never purely to grab attention or arouse emotion.

• I believe that business leaders and managers who ascribe to these basic principles AND who are successful in operating their businesses should be handsomely rewarded.

• I believe that by helping others become more knowledgeable about marketing that I will not only serve the marketing profession but that I will also help others operate their businesses more effectively so they can create greater value for their customers.

By now you might be wondering why my personal brand statement is so long and seemingly complicated. Marketers and branders should communicate their core values in short, memorable statements, right?

What few words summarize my professional brand?

I choose the words, "Creating, communicating and delivering business value".

Create, communicate and deliver business value

By now I hope it is clear to you that the statement above is more than just words or a catchy tag line to me. This statement comprises my professional mission. Create, communicate and deliver business value.

My brand will continue to evolve and develop as I do, but these tenets of the brand will endure.

I have been richly blessed in life and believe that I should try to help as many other people as I can experience the same joys and professional fulfillment that I have experienced. I hope something at this Website helps you.

Please feel free to contact me with your comments and feedback. I welcome and appreciate hearing from you.

Warm regards,

Dave Dolak, M.B.A.
Professional Certified Marketer

Marketing Crash-Course:

[What is marketing?] [Marketing plans]
[ Marketing Communications Mix: Advertising, Personal selling, Sales promotion, Public relations, Direct marketing,
Brands and Branding, Personal Branding & Career Development ]

Contact:
Dave Dolak, MBA, PCM
P.O. Box 8201
Charlottesville, VA 22906
Tel: +1 (434) 975-6584
Email:

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This Website may not be reproduced, in whole or in part, in any form without prior written permission from Dave Dolak.