Your Marketing Sucks

July 7, 2003
Most companies don't have a clue about good marketing, argues entrepreneur Stevens (Extreme Management) in his slender but vociferous book. What they need are the principles of"extreme marketing," in which every dollar"is set in a strategic context," is part of an integrated plan and brings in more than a dollar in return--strategies Stevens lays out in his readable, thought-provoking and sometimes outrageous book. He bashes marketers'"conventional wisdom" with an almost immoderate glee, and proposes big changes too: stop all marketing if you can't prove it works; don't use your competitors' marketing as a benchmark; don't depend on the results of focus groups; fire sellers that don't sell; cross-sell to consumers; and try direct mailings are just a few of his ideas. With charges like"Be persistent, relentless, inventive, counterintuitive, challenging, combative, strategic and tactical," readers may be tempted to think: easy for you to say. But this gem of a book is brimming with anecdotal evidence of advertising strategies gone awry, and full of examples of better plans. Diversification of programs is key, as are market testing and tracking. And if Stevens's examples aren't enough to convince (though they should be), his passion for his subject may carry the day. At the book's conclusion, Stevens instructs readers to not return to the office until they have figured out how to implement his advice. This is as different from more traditional and staid marketing how-tos as its title suggests.

July 1, 2003
The president of MSCO, a marketing firm based in Purchase, NY, Stevens (Extreme Management) here argues that the measure of marketing success is whether every dollar invested is returned in more than a dollar of sales. Once companies establish a marketing budget, their marketing departments often try to spend the entire budget, regardless of whether the marketing program is effective or profitable, simply to avoid having the following year's budget cut. Stevens counters that scenario by proposing marketing that works: infomercials and the ads that people love to hate (or at least ridicule) are effective because they deliver measurable results. This book does not present any new theories or practices that would define it as groundbreaking, but it does serve as a reminder that marketing is all about generating new business, not just building "mindshare." This is a good acquisition for secondary-school libraries interested in the basics of marketing and for business-school libraries where case studies are emphasized; public library systems may also consider adding it to the main branch.-Stephen Turner, Turner & Assocs., San Francisco

Copyright 2003 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

July 1, 2003
Stevens, a marketing consultant, promotes his theories by teaching readers how to get a positive return on their marketing investment. He offers strategies that include aligning marketing with a company's objectives, developing a clear statement of purpose, determining how to reach the broadest audience, and qualifying prospects. The author's tactics help readers describe their offerings, differentiate themselves from competitors, determine the best products to sell efficiently, capture leads and follow up on them, and structure steady growth plans. The author concludes with a step-by-step approach to analyzing a company's marketing efforts and then designing an action plan to make necessary improvements for reaching stated objectives. By following the author's instructions, the reader will engage in Extreme Marketing, in which every marketing dollar spent will bring in more than one dollar in return. Although this book is clearly an infomercial for Stevens' business, in our competitive marketplace it is critically important to reflect upon marketing initiatives and make every possible adjustment to improve them.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2003, American Library Association.)