And by combining their marketing prowess with direct-sales operations and independent financial advisers, they have tried to prise some customers away from the banks altogether.

ECONOMIST: Local restrictions permitting

In August Ford took a halfway step by combining the sales and marketing organizations for its Ford and Lincoln Mercury divisions.

FORBES: Bill Ford finds that fixing Ford is harder than he thought.

's (nyse: DIS - news - people ) Miramax division, in particular, has made an art out of combining smaller-budget productions with big-budget marketing.

FORBES: The Big (Budget) Picture

Gromek made smart cost-cutting decisions, combining the company's 19 brands into three groups with shared marketing and supply operations.

FORBES: Well-Tailored

"The M5 Pro is the next step in the evolution of the SSD combining high speed, drive reliability, and data-level protection, " said Minnie Lin, Marketing Manager, Plextor.

ENGADGET: Plextor M5 Pro bulges SSD envelope with 94K IOPS and 540MB/s

Sports equipment makers could boost margins by combining relationships with retailers and professional and amateur sports teams, and by merging supply chain management and sales and marketing forces.

FORBES: Bauer One Of Many Sports Equipment Companies Positioned For Acquisitions