- to achieve a firm-wide commitment to customer service 
     - to implement programs of continuous improvement and 
     - to seek out resources and market opportunities on a global scale.
 

Not surprisingly, the World Wide Web is fast becoming an indispensible tool in this enterprise. The CIA's World Factbook is an ideal starting point for the evaluation of foreign markets. Yankelovich, American Demographics, Dun & Bradstreet and Nielsen are important sources of data on demographic, social and market trends. Valuable information on potential competitors and partners is available from company Web sites. Governmental sources of economic, trade, social and public policy information are readily available. News organizations, including CNN, National Public Radio, CBS News and the Associated Press, offer access to up-to-date news stories from around the world.
 

Marketing research firms help companies focus their analysis on important customers. Some firms make survey data or information on local markets available, while others specialize in performing marketing research on the Web to help marketers learn more about their customers. The VALS studies and other segmentation tools are helping firms target specific customer groups.
 

As companies devise marketing strategies to reach target markets, they may use the Web to learn more about advertising or even as an additional advertising medium. Indeed, many firms, including banks and other service organizations, use the Web as a direct marketing channel, an interactive mall or as a way to identify potential business customers globally.
 

The Web can also be an effective tool for gathering feedback directly from customers. For example, we would welcome your E-mail comments on our Web site. Thank you for spending some of your valuable time with us.