I have utilized many of your ideas for many of my service company marketing plan initiatives. I am not sure the name CareerNiche fits your criteria for a non-generic name, but is certainly fits for our positioning of owning the concept for a Career "Niching" coaching strategy. Niche (Verb: Niching)- Our definition being to discover the careerpath, occupation, workplace and company that is most ideal for your life purpose - and then align your personal career brand with this strategy.)

Should Niching also be in our tagline as it really is the Word we want to own?

I understand that service companies should use person proper names such as Christian Smith and Associates, but in this case couldn't this corporate name be the desired opposite direction of the herd so that we stand out from the crowd at the premium pricing segment to avoid the mushy middle.

I thoroughly enjoy your books and this website. I encourage both of you, Al and Laura, to consider a book focusing more on small to medium sized service companies with more case examples for this segment of the marketplace.

Keep challenging companies and keep up the good work. Wish you the Best in 2008. Happy Holidays!

How is Lexus flanking Mercedes? Lexus has a broad line which butts up against Mercedes model for model: the IS vs. the C-series, the LS vs. the S-series, and so on.

Flanking is central to winning in new markets. That is why startups are expert at finding "uncontested territory" and then focusing all their (limited) resources on pursuit of dominating (becoming the gorilla) of the new territory (category).

Al understands. Read the book, and then live it! Marketing Warfare.