Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to make the case that the traditional mass marketing approach practiced for decades is no longer a viable one. By looking historically at how mass marketing corrupted much of American business and alienated prospects and customers, the argument is made that it is time for a change. Design/methodology/approach -Mass marketing has lead to downright hostility in the marketplace. With more than 3,000 messages thrown at them everyday, Americans spend far too much of their day waging war with the marketing department. Findings -The outsourcing of high-paying jobs from the US to low-wage markets often has more to do with mass marketing in the domestic market than global forces. The abrogation of control of their sales and distribution functions by manufacturers in the name of bigger markets has lead to the creation of mega distributors like Wal-Mart, Home Depot, and the US auto-dealer network. This loss of control and the inability to influence what ultimately happens to their products -including the price they can command in the marketplace -has lead many manufacturers to chase the cheapest labor around the world as the only way to grow the bottom line. Practical implications -For companies of all sizes, there exists the opportunity to cut through the noise and build relationships with their targeted micro-market. The solution is direct marketing. Originality/value -The conventional wisdom that more customers and more sales driven by mass marketing leads to profitability is simply not the case. This paper discusses how a direct marketing strategy provides the most effective way for companies build relationships with their best and most profitable customers.

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This paper presents a novel microwave cavity sensor application for the detection of HEPA filter particulate loading. The sensor resonates at 3.435GHz and 8.570GHz when empty, where the TM 010 and TM 020 modes dominate respectively. Experimental results show that the resonant frequency of the sensor shifts significantly when filters of different particulate loadings are presented to it. This is a significant finding, and means that the sensor could present an effective solution for determining the loading of periodic use HEPA filters (e.g. those used in personal respirators), which are often disposed of unnecessarily.

Innovative companies often place their emphasis on invention, research, and new product development, even as they neglect the process of bringing products to the marketplace in a way that is advantageous over the long term. Small to medium‐sized businesses that are scaling up are particularly vulnerable to entering into unfavorable distribution arrangements with large mass‐market retailers. Often, managers assume their firm will automatically benefit from a technological or creative breakthrough. Rather than focusing solely on new innovations and viewing distribution as an afterthought, we suggest that innovative firms make channel management a priority as their products are discovered and they attempt to reach more customers. In this article, strategies are offered as paths managers should consider as they use their innovations to scale up from small or medium‐sized firms into large companies. Steps for implementation as well as concurrent risks are also presented. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

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