Competition in the past has embodied such beliefs of "kill or get killed" which has fostered paranoia with many individuals and companies. Our competitive thinking has been to: defend, hoard, knock off competition, defame and win at any cost. A view propagated by Intel's Andy Grove that, "only the paranoid survive."

Do we prosper more from paranoia or can we actually prosper more from altruistic behavior by entering into relationships of reciprocation. Moving into the millennium finds that we are experiencing trends of new competitive thinking that is largely driven by Internet marketing. Affiliate programs, partnering, free, value creation, and a host of reciprocal marketing strategies are being used for driving consumers to patronize online business.

The operable word for the consumer is "reciprocal." The consumer is driven by, "I will give you my business in return for value over and above cost and time." Speed, convenience, quality, accessibility, enjoyment, aesthetics and problem solving solutions are the value creations that customers look for today.

While altruism is surfacing as an edge for marketers there are other influencing strategies that lure the consumer, such as increasing amounts of PR (public relations) coupled with fully integrated off-line, on-line marketing. Just as magicians or illusionists mesmerize their audience with words and props, we seduce the consumer with an assortment of means and marketing weapons. Integrated marketing plays a vital role for small companies and Multinational Corporations. Think of your marketing weapons as your magic kit for shaping your message with a multifaceted approach that promotes and elevates your business for high visibility and generates an enthusiastic response in the marketplace.

Before deciding which weapons are best to influence, motivate and capture your audience, don't lose sight of your primary goal: to sell your products and services. Planning is essential, however you need to know for what it is you are planning. Yogi Berra said: "If you don't know where you're going, you could wind up someplace else." Knowing where you are going will have to include the Internet. The days of not being on-line have gone.

The anatomy of today's multifaceted approach to positioning requires the integration of on-line marketing into your planning. Business Week's June 28 cover story concludes: "Any company that relies on the traditional sales force will now have to do some soul-searching…Companies are finding they need new skills, from logistics and distribution to marketing." The landscape is rapidly changing for all business. Here are some key points for growing your business in the year 2000:

1. Be more targeted in selecting your niche markets.

2. Fine more diverse ways to sell goods and services, maintain customer loyalty and confidence while building brand equity

3. Growth of your business may require more altruism in your marketing mix, as evident today.

4. PR will play a vital role in the growth of your business. Small and large businesses need to use PR to rapidly define a product concept or brand and for luring consumers.

5. PR and technology accelerates direct selling, making it faster and more cost effective to reach customers locally and globally.

6. Use media releases for optimizing your marketing campaigns. They can change perception and give instant third party credibility to your launch or re-launch of products and services.