A marketing encyclopedia system (MES) is a system that electronically distributes and consolidates up-to-date marketing information into a highly cross-referenced, single-source repository. An MES enables users to quickly locate and display information, thus shortening sales cycles and decreasing printing and distribution costs. An MES contains a database capable of storing all types of information that will be incorporated into the system (e.g., audio, video, sound, text and graphics). The system should have the capability to be used unconnected to a server and should include a remote communications mechanism for electronically downloading and uploading information.