Minooka, IL -- (SBWIRE) -- 06/20/2012 -- TheBrandAuthority.net has quickly grown to become of the most acclaimed authority websites on business branding and marketing. With content exclusively contributed by Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey (The Founders, builders and former owners of the famous Barefoot Wine brand), the website boasts a wealth of free information for business owners looking to grow their ventures on a shoestring.

Today, Houlihan and Harvey announce details of a secret they have never shared before – the benefits and huge opportunities associated with Worthy Cause Marketing.

The marketing gurus believe that the technique can provide a better ROI than any traditional form of advertising.

“Worthy Cause Marketing is different from charitable giving or cause marketing. It is essentially the alignment of your company with worthy causes. You get involved with a non-profit that resonates with you or your product. You and your staff participate in their events. You spread the word about their cause through your marketing resources and help them raise funds. It is extremely powerful and cost-effective as it gives buyers a social reason to buy your brand and remain loyal,” explains Houlihan and Harvey, having pioneered the now, world’s largest wine brand without paid commercial advertising.

“Customer acquisition and retention is one of the highest costs in any business. Worthy Cause Marketing can be more effective than conventional advertising and can make the world a better place in the process,” they added.

In fact, the pair built their original brand into an industry-leader relying on Worthy Cause Marketing. Now, Houlihan and Harvey teach others how to do the same by serving on boards of advisors and helping to match companies with non-profit counterparts. They also publish free, premium, weekly content on TheBrandAuthority.net.

“We know that, in the current climate, many business owners are looking to expand their operations while lacking the funds to invest in traditional marketing. That’s exactly why we are writing for TheBrandAuthority.net – to share the latest cost-effective branding and marketing techniques - things that we personally used to build one of the world’s most recognizable brands, and much of which is not taught in school” they add.

They offer real world experience on brand building, positioning, and sales. The site also contains many resources to allow cash-strapped and savvy business owners to benefit from the fruits of a number of little-known secrets.

Taking over a year to build, TheBrandAuthority.net is designed for intuitive navigation, with the structural integrity to withstand large amounts of web traffic.

“We have plenty more insights that we are eager to share in our future posts. We strongly urge all business owners to visit the site frequently and look for updates. They can join us as well on our Facebook and Twitter social media channels,” said Houlihan and Harvey.

The pair are about to release an exciting new book, The Barefoot Spirit, which can be pre-ordered at TheBrandAuthority.net.

For more information and to find out how to grow your business today, please visit: http://www.thebrandauthority.net

About Michael Houlihan and Bonnie Harvey
Having built and sold a best-selling national brand, Houlihan and Harvey appreciate the value of brands and everything it takes to make them successful. Companies are valued by their brand equity.

Starting in their laundry room with no money and no knowledge of the industry, the couple built the famous Barefoot Wine brand. They learned many lessons not taught in school, and much of it the hard way. Although their success was in consumer products, their real world experience will be helpful to anyone looking for information and advice about brands.

At TheBrandAuthority.net users will find a blog and many other contributions, interviews, and helpful info-graphics, which will help with the design, development, and monetization of their brands.

Today, Houlihan and Harvey serve on boards as advisors, produce several blogs, teach branding, and offer public speaking on the subject throughout the country. Their new book, “The Barefoot Spirit,” chronicles the history of the Barefoot Wine brand and lessons learned from inception through acquisition. The pre-release download will be available in October 2012 with final print version available in February.

They seek to provide inspiration and encouragement to all those contemplating starting a brand or wanting to improve their existing brand.