The National Petroleum Council (NPC) emerged out of the close cooperation between the petroleum industry and the federal government during World War II. An industry-financed advisory committee designed to work closely with the Department of the Interior, it enjoyed a remarkable independence from political or financial pressures. Including representatives of all phases of the petroleum business, the NPC could reach deep within the industry for information on vital issues. In the last fifty-plus years, the Council has evolved into a voice of the marketplace, analyzing conditions in the petroleum industry at the request of the government and publishing its findings in reports widely considered authoritative and useful. Three uniquely qualified historians here chronicle the development and contributions of the NPC to both the energy industry and the American market. While technological advances, skyrocketing world demand, the rise of OPEC, and far-reaching regulatory initiatives have fundamentally transformed the petroleum industry's structure and operating environment, the National Petroleum Council has remained a reliable source of authoritative information. Joseph A. Pratt, William H. Becker, and William McClenahan, Jr., analyze the choices and strategies that have given the Council the adaptability and resilience to survive and remain important. The authors look also at the actual reports generated by the Council--more than two hundred studies to date--and the impact they have had on both government and business. They examine the NPC's ability to tap information and personnel from all sectors of the industry and to fund from industry resources studies that would have exceeded the pockets of the federal government. They consider the way the Council has managed to encompass the varied viewpoints within a diverse, highly competitive industry, and particularly to bridge the sharp historical division between the "majors" and the "independents." Finally, the authors analyze the one political concern that has remained constant for the industry: antitrust. This engagingly written book not only sheds light on the petroleum industry and its regulatory context, but also addresses the larger questions of the U.S. government's relations with the industries it regulates.

Learn how you can use the revolutionary five-step marketing process that helped Microsoft, NBC Universal, and IBM achieve double-digit increases in sales. "When HP uses the Voice of the Customer methodology, our marketing campaign results improve dramatically: response rates improve 3X to 10x, sales increase 2x or more, and we can spend far less to get great results. When we don’t use VOC, our results can suffer greatly." -Garry Dawson, Hewlett-Packard, Americas Advertising and Direct Marketing Manager "Ernan is a leading expert in creating disciplined “Voice of Customer” driven marketing processes. If you want to move from just talking about VOC to being a leader in implementing it, you must read this book." -Fred Neil, Global Head of CRM, Dell "The clearest and best book yet published on the subject of Voice of the Customer marketing principles. In this hands-on tutorial, Ernan takes you through the steps that can transform your business, putting your customers at the center of defining what is relevant and what will drive deeper engagement." -Bernd Schmitt, Professor, Columbia Business School, Author of Customer Experience Management and Big Think Strategy In Voice of the Customer Marketing, Ernan Roman, the award-winning marketing guru who created the IDM (Integrated Direct Marketing) and Opt-in marketing methodologies shows you a proven, step-by-step process for understanding the expectations of your customers and prospects for more effective relationships and deeper levels of value. He then demonstrates how to use these insights to develop high impact, high return relationship marketing strategies and action plans which generate consistent double-digit increases in response and sales. The book's numerous case studies demonstrate the most effective uses of Voice of the Customer marketing in action, and the most frequent mistakes marketers make-trying to "manage" customers rather than continually engaging them. This book is essential reading for all marketers, whether in Fortune or Growth sized companies, who want dramatic increases in sales and marketing effectiveness.

Typically, when companies want to improve their products, they go to their customers. But why not reach further and explore the entire market? In this eye-opening book, Eric Reidenbach goes beyond the "voice of the customer" that so many consultants talk about to introduce you to a groundbreaking concept: the Voice of the Market. Like most business

This title provides an analysis of the business models that are being employed because of the increased use of online auctions and exchnages for business transactions, their legal structures, and the extent to which further work is still required to fill in the legal infrastructure.