The PGA's new FedEx Cup playoff format was supposed to drive the game to new heights, intensifying competition and increasing fans' interest. Instead it has been derided in the press, and top players have skipped Cup events. Like a well-struck golf shot, new marketing programs are not always a hole-in-one but can be a mixed bag of flawed execution and occasional good fortune. As we look ahead to 2008, effective marketers will avoid the hazards of over-hyped opportunities and focus on the practice that makes perfect, measuring their success one satisfied customer at a time.

Hit the green
Just as hitting greens in regulation is de rigueur for the pros, having a "green" plan is no longer a luxury for any company. Every day, another venerable brand, from Renegade client HSBC to BP, Wal-Mart to Intel, Toyota to Con Edison announces its commitment to creating a more sustainable future. Much of this noise is superficial "green washing," and it delivers modest environmental impact at best. But help is coming via new rating services like B Corporation, which will soon set standards that will have all but the Luddites fighting to prove they are more green than the competition.

As companies like GE announce billions in green-related sales, and others like BP fend off bad eco-press, you might even find a new eco-seat in the boardroom, soon to be known as the Chief Green Officer or CGO. DuPont and Dow Chemical are the first to my knowledge to have such a position, although they refer to them as Chief Sustainability Officers. If you want your brand to be a hit in '08, think green or get ready to be booed off the course.

Author notes: Drew Neisser is president and CEO of Renegade, the New York-based integrated idea agency. Though his golf scores are quite unpredictable, his annual predictions have been above par for the last five years. Read full bio.