Different. Escaping the competitive herd. Youngme Moon. 2010 ISBN 9780307460851. Sub sub head , Succeeding in a world where conformity reigns but exceptions rule.   This author has really nailed todays marketplace.  In her words, “ Differentiation is a way of thinking. It’s a mindset. Its a commitment  …It is not a tactic. It’s not a flashy advertising campaign; it’s not a sparkling new feature set ”

I enjoyed her indentification of types of brands:

• Todays vast all the same stuff, Minstrel marekting – the pursuit of maximally agreeable ( from Grant McCracken
• Breakaway brands , like Swatch or AIBO
• Reverse -positioned brands like Google
• Hostile brands like Red Bull or Marmite

Her identification of aggressive competition and endless market data forces companies to become more and more alike as they pile more and more features ti create more

• Hyatt-like hotels
• Boring airlines
• A plethora of choices for a TV

So that working like crazy to beat the competition does exactly the opposite – making the product mediocre and more like the competition.

If you are responsible for a product of any kind or want to become a more aware consumer, this is wonderful book for you. It starts differently, from the uneven cut pages,  and avant garde layout. Yet the content over delivers, with an easy insightful read, that will grip and hold your attention.  This is the 2010 marketing book so far.

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Flip The Funnel. How to use existing customers to gain new ones. Joseph Jaffe.2010 ISBN 9780470487853. This is a game changing book for marketing. Jaffe is a prolific writer, blogger and customer care advocate. This thoroughly researched book illustrates the winning metrics that tell us we spend way too much on customer acquisition and way too little on customer retention. Since the social media wave dramatically affects the impact of WOM marketing, he speaks about some very serious stuff. In our efforts to drive new sales, and close new clients, we can lose sight of the tremendous value in getting more work from present clients. Jaffe delves into using social media to help your present customer base become enthusiasts who drive more business through referrals than you ever get through your acquisition campaigns. See lots at www.jaffejuice.com. www.youtube.com/jaffejuicetv , www.facebook.com/jaffejuice, @jaffejuice and www.flipthefunnel.com

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Repositioning. Markeitng in an era of competition, change and crisis. Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin.  2009. ISBN 9780071635592. This is an update after 30 years.   With “Repositioning,” you can conquer the “3 Cs” of business: Competition, Change, and Crisis . . .

• BEAT THE COMPETITION: Challenge your rivals, differentiate your product, increase your value, and stand out in the crowd.
• CHANGE WITH THE TIMES: Use the latest technologies, communications, and multimedia resources to connect with your consumers.
• MANAGE A CRISIS: Cope with everything from profi t losses and rising costs to bad press and PR nightmares.

I really like Trouts writing style.  He always tries to simplify marketing for all of us. This is the mark (to me)  of someone who really understands what he is talking about.

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B2B Brand management.  Phillip Kotler, Waldermar Pfoertsch. 2006.  ISBN 3540253602.  This book really looks at brand management for industrial companies.  I appreciated their comment about two moments of truth wrto brand management. The first is when the prospect buys the product/pays for it.  The second is when the product is when they use the product.  Good B2B companies focus intensely on winning these moments of truth.  eg, Apple comes to mind.  Lots of relevant case studies with a very thorough academic  treatment make this an important book for senior brand managers in the larger enterprise.

Brand Digital. Simple ways top brands succeed in the digital world.  Allen P.  Adamson. 2008. ISBN 9780230606043.  The book these  revolves around the question. ” How do you stick to a simple, credible, and compelling brand promise while addressing the multitude of consumer touch points. He has many interviews  (100) with top companies as to what they are doing to harness the multiple functions of social networking, digital word-of-mouth, consumer-generated ideas, “green” branding, and new technologies such as the Blackberry and iPhone. Topical and useful book on something we believe goes to the core of IT marketing, your brand promise. His chapter on the importance of brand promise is well done.  A good e.g. is Doves, “Campaign for Beauty” as a successful ongoing initiative.  You might howl with some of the prehistoric thinking evident in some companies, the thought being that their increasing irrelevance dooms them to failure. He has an easy simple writing style which helps your learning.

Developments in cross-cultural communications, PR and social media. Silvia Cambie’ and Yang-May Ooi.  2009. ISBN 9780749453299. ” International Communications Strategy” is about the cross-cultural challenges currently facing PR practitioners. Providing information on alternative communication approaches as well as cross-cultural case-studies and examples, “International Communications Strategy” will give readers points of reference and ideas to use every time they are asked to provide strategic communication guidance to senior management or clients.

The authors are sensitive to how technology and social media create new online cultures and new communication audiences. This poses a real challenge to the present generation of PR specialists.  I was sensitive to theri idea that we must enter international markets without any preconceived baggage. Examples are taken from around the world and really reflect a view into how one needs to change to be successful in Europe and Asia.  If these are your markets, this is a great book for you.  The writers are clear and do not getlost in jargon , making your reading experience pleasant.

The Next Evolution of Marketing. Connect with you customers by marketing with meaning.  Bob Gilbreath. 2010. ISBN 9780071625364.  Interruptive marketing’s time is a over as we see customers increasingly tuning out.  Gilbreath unveils a  new approach to business that fills the gaping voids left in bottom lines when people started tuning out. He describes the marketing change now underway and the powerful forces driving it.

Inside, he provides Marketing with Meaning success stories, including: Samsung’s laptop and cell phone charging stations, which are now found in more than 50 airports throughout the United States Dove’s Campaign for Real Beauty and its viral video “Evolution,” which has been viewed more than 100 million times,  Burger King’s Xbox advergames, which helped boost the company’s profits by 40 percent in one year.   Lots of success stories and also failures ( GM’s Saturn) . The author has the creds to talk about these things, being a seasoned ad guy who has worked with the largest clients. His marketing campaign outline is very clear and thoughtfully laid out.  I appreciate him asking the question, “Is your marketing adding value to the customer so its worth his time to interact with it? His copy is easy to read and digest.

The Complete Idiots Guide to Target Marketing.

Susan Freidmann. 2009. ISBN 9781592579037. I do so love this book series. Its kind of a Coles notes for marketing basics for  those who do not have big budgets. As well the authors are careful not to steer you wrong so the guides help the range of businesses from start up to mature. You’ll learn:

• Five easy steps to identify the most lucrative niche markets
• Tech-savvy tips on using online surveys and other e-tools to identify your customers’ needs
• Powerful pointers on viral marketing, blogging, webinars, and other web marketing ideas
• Highly-effective and low-budget advertising strategies and customer retention techniques

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Energize Growth Now. The marketing guide to a wealthy company. Lisa Nirell.2009. ISBN 9780470413920. From the foreward by Guy Kawasaki to the appendix pages full of sample plans and templates, this book give full value. Written in an easy style, it is very useful to those of you who may be starting to feel a bit overwhelmed and tired of the multi- year struggle that building a successful company entails. Yes you wiull start with an overview of the impact that marketing can make , but the author also goes into things that are very relevant today , for instance where social media marketing can help but what you have to decide first before you launch in.  She gives you road maps, relevant examples and the pitfalls along the way.  Pragmatic and a very useful book. Eg. In trying to identify the economic buyer:

• Who has the most to gain from this project
• Who has the most to lose if it is canceled or fails
• Which exec will sponsor this
• Who will report your results and succcess back to the board
• Who budget will support this project
• Which dept or div will be most supportive
• Who in the org tried to solve this in the past and with what results
• Whose bonus and performance will be most affected by the success of this project?

Check out more at http://blog.energizegrowth.com

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How Come Your Marketing Plans Aren’t Working? Malcolm McDonald. 2002. ISBN 074943726X.  The author is a well known Brit who has established a name for himself outside of the US.  This is part of an essential guide to series.  The work is clear and brilliant. Typical UK understatement that underscores an ability to get right into the meat of his thesis.  None of the I am so great because I have done all this US style of fluff to wade through before you find out that it is only about one good idea.  If you want a quick, dense short read on marketing strategy and what you absolutely must do, then this is the book.  Good for a long flight – but bring notepaper as you will be working right alongside with the book.

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Pow! Right between the eyes. Profiting from the power of surprise. Andy Nulman. 2009. ISBN 9780470405505.  What  a delightful easy to read and valuable book.  Nulman is a guy who has a whole host of successful campaigns behind him ( check out his client list!  When you read his thesis – you come up with , why not do it this way?  If you have any interaction/involvement with marketing – this is a must read book for you.  If you want a very enjoyable entertaining business book (That happens to “surprise” have some Vancouver related references.

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Taming the Search and Switch Customer. Earning customer loyalty in a compulsion-to-compare world. Jill Griffin. 2009. ISBN 9780470345047.

The author is called the Loyalty Maker and this book is evidence that she really does know her stuff. see www.loyaltysolutions.com The book covers large and small B2C and B2B sales so well.  The compulsion to compare seems to be now part of our human nature.

Her thoughts about using some of the new solution media channels are bang on.  The demographics in clients are changing and the new guys on the block are used to the social media. They are certainly keen on using the Internet to keep all vendors honest. Your product/service can rise and fall on customer reviews online.

The chapters are short enough that you can take it all in and she uses good real world examples to illustrate the points. I think sales is all about the story and the author has good stories.  I  think that any business person  would benefit from reading this book.  Very readible, highly interesting and perfect for a coast to coast plane ride. So pick it up and enjoy it.

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buy-ology Truth and lies about why we buy. Martin Lindstrom. 2008. ISBN 9780385523882.  This is the best book on marketing I have read this year.  Lindstrom  (www.martinlindstrom.com)  is famous world over for assisting major firms about effective marketing.  So take this expertise and marry it with science  i.e fMRI and SST studies of brain activities to actually measure brain response to marketing messages (no more this what I think he wants to hear feedback)  The outcomes  are hilarious, upsetting and completely different than what you expect.  Eg

• The Surgeon Generals warnings on cigarettes actually stimulate smokers to smoke more!
• Only Coca Cola is really getting true value from its American Idol ads (unlike Fords $27m) .
• It just goes on and on. Oh and the logo you sweated over so much – no effect considering the other things going on in your targets life!

If you have any touch points with marketing you must buy read and reread this book. If you are a consumer – you will be a better informed one if you read this book.  I can think of no one who would not benefit from reading this bok, unless you are the the unlikely ad exec who “sold” a big campaign that Lindstom just blew holes in.   Clearly written , well organized (and thoroughly annotated)  you will really enjoy this one!

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