The authors did not solely rely on an innovative new supplements package. They re-thought and re-wrote the text from top to bottom. The most important change is, of course, the emphasis and expanded coverage of the revolutionary new marketing technologies. Not only is an entire new chapter devoted to the burgeoning use of the Internet, but each chapter provides fresh new material on everything from virtual reality displays to e-commerce databases. Plus, Internet Connections at the end of each chapter provide exercises to reinforce the chapter's highlights.

At the same time, Phil and Gary keep their readers abreast of the most current thinking on customer management, assessing customer value, brand equity and value positioning. There is an even greater emphasis on using actual companies to bring concepts to life for students. Each company case in this new edition is new or completely revised.

Let's look at the text changes in more detail. The ninth edition of Principles of Marketing retains all of the elements that have made the text a worldwide leader for almost two decades, but has been thoroughly revised around the major marketing theme of the coming millennium: connectedness.

It offers important new thinking and expanded coverage on:

Connecting with customers: connecting more selectively, more directly, and for life:

• Relationship marketing - finding, keeping, and growing profitable customers and capturing customer lifetime value by building value-laden customer relationships.

• Delivering superior customer value, satisfaction, and quality - attracting, keeping, and cultivating customers by developing market- centered strategies and "taking care of the customer." Integrated chapter-by-chapter coverage accompanies a full chapter on developing customer value, satisfaction, and relationships.

• Connecting technologies - employing the Internet and other information, computer, communications, and transportation technologies to connect directly with customers and to shape marketing offers tailored to their needs. This edition offers integrated chapter-by-chapter coverage, plus a full chapter on Direct and Online Marketing.

Connecting with marketing partners: connecting inside and outside the company to jointly bring more value to customers:

• The company value chain - connecting inside the company to create cross-functional, customer-focused teamwork and integrated action.

• Value-delivery networks - connecting with partners outside the company to create effective supply-chains.

Connecting with the world around us:

• Global marketing - connecting globally with customers and marketing partners. The ninth edition offers integrated chapter-by-chapter coverage plus a full chapter focusing on global marketing considerations.

• Marketing ethics, environmentalism, and social responsibility - reexamining connections with social values and responsibilities. This edition offers integrated chapter-by-chapter coverage including a chapter on social responsibility and marketing ethics.

• Broadened connections - the increasing adoption of marketing by nonprofit and government organizations.