Barter can work - barter agreement between Casio Inc. and Active International Inc - Marketing

Chief Executive, The, June, 1994 by John J. McDonald

* Have advertising personnel plan part of the agreement and have the barter company work closely with your ad agency.

* Ensure that the barter company is stable, so it will be around to honor its trade credits.

* Think globally. There's a world of opportunity through barter arrangements to avoid conflicts with your current markets.

Following these guidelines will help you find those companies that are doing barter right. Companies such as Active have restored credibility to the industry, so that barter, the oldest form of commerce, has re-emerged in the '90s as an effective financial-management technique. CEOs should take note.

John J. McDonald is president and chief executive of $500 million Dover, NJ-based Casio Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Japan's Casio Computer Co. Ltd., which manufactures watches, business organizers, music systems, electronic toys, personal digital assistance, electronic cash registers, hand-held color TVs, and audio products.