Unlike most marketing management texts that are overly descriptive and repetitious of prior coursework, this brief text focuses on the middle management marketing decisions students are most likely to encounter in their careers. The text emphasizes fundamental processes to help students develop the ability to apply marketing theories and concepts to decision-making situations. A talented new coauthor, Thomas Madden of the University of South Carolina, Columbia, has been added to the team. Discussions of such important areas as market segmentation, quality, customer service, brand equity, sales promotion, direct marketing, and database marketing have been substantially strengthened. The majority of minicases, which conclude each chapter are new and involve current, high-interest subjects.