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Whether advertising is an investment and so should be treated like other parts of the capital budget is a question of moment to marketing managers. Viewing promotion as an investment could bring dramatic changes in decision-making, market-testing, measurements of effectiveness, and value judgments that are required in determining how much to spend on promotion. The economic case for an investment approach to the advertising budget is the theme of this article by a distinguished economist. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although many different kinds of techniques can aid in the more effective allocation of marketing effort, renewed interest has recently been shown in the possible contribution of tools developed in the functional areas of accounting and finance. The nature, areas of application, and limitations of some of these profit-oriented aids to decision making and control are discussed in this article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An accurate price forecast is crucial when deciding on a new investment proposal for capital intensive commodities. In such industries as metals, plastics, and fertilizers, the sale price is the key profitability factor. New investments are too often based on specious forecasts which use historical price trends to predict the future. Another way to forecast prices which can provide more meaningful results is presented in the article. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The authors describe how management might approach the problem of systematically measuring the effects of certain long-range promotional activities. Little published research exists on this widely discussed topic. A mini-case study is presented describing the approach taken by Anheuser-Busch management regarding specific aspects of the promotional measurement problem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]