In response to Rachel's post: What's gotten into American Idol?

Has American Idol changed from a singing competition to some sort of talk-show? Is the show focusing too much on the quirky people who audition instead of the talent that’s out there?

I believe that American Idol has definitely gone downhill since the first few seasons. I don't really watch it that much, but when I do they usually focus on the bad singers and the drama that is involved rather than the talented singers. I feel that since the show has been on for so many years, that they're trying to evolve it and make it more popular again, but they aren't doing it the way they should.  

10 ways to stretch your marketing budget

There are many useful ways to maximize the ways you spend your money on marketing. Companies do not usually allocate a lot of money to their marketing budgets so they need to make every dollar count. There are ten useful ways to stretch your budget, so it’s more effective and efficient.

1. Use your ads for more than just space advertising.
2. If something works, stick with it
3. Don’t over present yourself
4. Use modular product literature
5. Use article reprints as supplementary sales literature
6. Explore inexpensive alternatives for lead generation
7. Do not overpay for outside creative talent
8. Do it yourself
9. Get maximum mileage out of existing content (text and images)
10. Pay your vendors on time

These are all very important and helpful ways that your company can stretch its marketing budget and will allow you to spend your money in more useful ways. Which of these ways do you believe are most effective? What other ways could companies save money in their marketing budget?