I just heard a podcast of Maureen Blandford and Michelle Nichols (BusinessWeek) on reasons why business-to-business organizations should spend less on marketing and more on sales to increase revenues. I think Blandford was not only inaccurate but illogical. Her argument went like this: sales people have a consultative selling style now compared to a features selling style before. The marketing they needed before is different from what they need now. Examples of "wasted marketing and branding" are sunglasses with your company's logo on them and stacks of brochures. It's hard to find anyone who would recommend stacks of brochures or sunglasses as legitimate marketing tactics for a B2B complex sale. So, her examples are obviously caricatures. What's even more disturbing is that she really seems to think that these are typical examples of B2B marketing and branding. And she dismisses B2B marketing and branding on this basis. To be sure, marketing and branding are different than they were 25 years ago. And to be sure, different strategies and tactics are needed. As I've argued before, this situation requires more B2B marketing and branding, not less. Old tactics no longer make sense. This is no reason to conclude that the disciplines no longer make sense. The consultative sale requires more support from marketing and branding. Indeed, I believe that marketing and branding should become the center of B2B companies.