For example, as the vice president of marketing for a major cable television operator, my marketing plan relied on our engineering division making major upgrades to our cable systems.

FORBES: How to Write a Plan or Proposal That Rocks

Asus also appointed a single contact on its sales and marketing team to handle operator queries about its phones and tablets.

FORBES: Asus Preparing Mystery 'Personal Cloud Computing' Product For Fall Release

"Because of when ships arrive, I am very busy Monday through Thursday, and slow the rest of the week, " says Timothy McDonald, vice president of marketing for Temsco Helicopters, a tour operator in Juneau and Skagway.

FORBES

Inergy L.P. (NRGY), an owner and operator of retail and wholesale propane supply, marketing and distribution businesses, is another example of MLP pain.

FORBES: Pump Up Yields In Master Limited Partnerships

Debitel, which owns no cables or transmitters, has already become the country's third-largest mobile-telephone operator by buying capacity from other companies and marketing it more shrewdly.

ECONOMIST: German telecoms: Call waiting | The

As a major integrated oil operator, it carries a huge cyclical element in its earnings and asset base of refining, marketing and chemicals production.

FORBES: Skirting Carnage: Active Vs. Passive Money Management