Reviews (19)

Buy this book!
For anyone involved in business this book gives very practical advice on not only the methodology for pricing new products but also changing the strategy of one's existing pricing policy.

Look for a sustainable competitive advantage, maximise contribution margin, concentrate on value and profitability and then market share will follow are some of the key philosophies contained in the text. Concerning the value of this book, it is worth the price alone just for the chapter on costings and formula for calculating what level of sales a company can afford to lose/must gain after a price increase/decrease in order to break even.

A common complaint about business books is that they are all OK in theeory but contain little in the way of explanations of how to implement - this book however offers not only theory and case study examples but also practical instructions on what needs to be done to improve pricing strategy. Overall very, very impressive and a must read for anyone involved in finance, sales or marketing functions. As someone has already said these guys really know their stuff and it works!!

Superb guide to pricing as business strategy
Written with great clarity, "The Strategy and Tactics of Pricing" is a phenomenal book. It begins with an explanation of strategic pricing, and proceeds to cover competition in the market place, segmentation of buyers, pricing and the marketing mix for industrial and consumer goods, as well as the psychology of pricing. Also covered are models for determining price sensitivity, implications of sales staff price setting and negotiation, and finally, legal aspects of pricing.

After reading this book, you will understand the pitfalls of pursuing market share at all costs and common mistakes businesses and sales people make when setting or negotiating price. You will view your current pricing structure and strategy in a new light, and be able to spot the weak spots. You'll have a better picture of how to attract the right buyers, those that can be served profitably.

The book indirectly touches on topics covered in Co-opetition, and Thinking Strategically, as well as elements of the Theory of Constraints (see Eli Goldratt's "The Goal" and "It's Not Luck" or "Management Dilemmas" by Eli Schragenheim)

I can't recommend this book highly enough. As for the other reader who states:

"After reading this book, I was able to talk circles around the $20,000 "marketing consultant" we were considering."

believe it, it's that valuable!

Absolutely essential !
A must-have practical guide for any marketing executive, interested in improving his organization's performance.

Get into a new world of pricing strategy
One of the most focused book I have read recently. If anyone wants to learn about the factors influencing pricing strategy or developing right value proposition for their pricing decisions, this is the book. A must read. If you're skipping it then I would say that you are missing something.

Scholarly and comprehensive
Strategy and Pricing is the comprehensive work on pricing, with hundreds of chapter sections dealing with academic and business elements of pricing. The scholarly nature of the book is exhaustive. Of the three major price works ("Strategy and Tactics", "Power Pricing" by Dolan, and
"Winning the Profit Game. Smarter Pricing, Smarter Branding" by Docters, et al) I think Prof. Nagle has the definitive treatise. For those who like a more prescriptive discussion of price, and some leading edge ideas, "Winning the Profit Game" might be a better read. Power
Pricing is perhaps better at organizational issues. The Docters book is the easiest read, with some humor along the way. ... Read more

Book Description

You're either a Purple Cow or you're not. You're either remarkable or invisible. Make your choice.

What do Starbucks and JetBlue and KrispyKreme and Apple and DutchBoy and Kensington and Zespri and Hard Candy have that you don't? How do they continue to confound critics and achieve spectacular growth, leaving behind former tried-and true brands to gasp their last?

Face it, the checklist of tired 'P's marketers have used for decades to get their product noticed -Pricing, Promotion, Publicity, to name a few-aren't working anymore. There's an exceptionally important 'P' that has to be added to the list.It's Purple Cow.

Cows, after you've seen one, or two, or ten, are boring. A Purple Cow, though...now that would be something. Purple Cow describes something phenomenal, something counterintuitive and exciting and flat out unbelievable. Every day, consumers come face to face with a lot of boring stuff-a lot of brown cows-but you can bet they won't forget a Purple Cow. And it's not a marketing function that you can slap on to your product or service. Purple Cow is inherent. It's built right in, or it's not there. Period.

In Purple Cow, Seth Godin urges you to put a Purple Cow into everything you build, and everything you do, to create something truly noticeable. It's a manifesto for marketers who want to help create products that are worth marketing in the first place. ... Read more

Reviews (104)

Purple works...I've tried it!
Seth Godin is the most astute marketer of the last 10 years. His latest book, Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable arrives at just the right time to save the corporate world from ruin.

Hyperbole? Not at all.

As an adjunct professor in a nearby university, I have the privilege of teaching the principles of direct marketing and advertising to the next generation of adcats and DM pros. I base a lot of my class lectures on both personal experience (I've been a direct marketing guru for nearly 15 years) and cutting edge books -- especially those from Seth Godin.

What I like most about Seth Godin (in addition to his witty, insightful style of writing) is that he walks his talk...and doesn't bother to sugar coat what's going on in the world today. He tells it like it is. Or, more accurately, how it should be.

Seth is right: This is the most challenging time in history to be part of the American workforce.

Recent news reports reveal the unemployment rate (at 6.4%) to be the highest in nine years. But the fault doesn't lie with The White House.

Companies these days are actually more interested in playing it safe than in reaching for the stars. Ditto for employees. Remarkable ones aren't getting hired any more. Ones that "fit in" are. (Remarkable ones are routinely shown the door.)

The result is an endless parade of boring products, services, and employees.

And let's not overlook Hollywood. Or the whiney music industry.

Both churn out such bland tripe that they seem bent on drowning the world in a sea of mediocrity. So they have no one to blame but themselves if sales are down.

Enter the Purple Cow.

Seth's message is simple: BE REMARKABLE.

That's it. He calls on companies to be unique and exciting. He calls on employees to be extraordinary, to think big thoughts, to stand out.

Here's a personal example. I put the principles of Seth's book to work in my own advertising agency. When I started PurpleCrayon Direct earlier this year, I aimed for a target audience roughly the same as every other agency...and got literally zero reponse.

So I stepped back, rethought my strategy, and relaunched PurpleCrayon Direct to a completely new and unique audience: Artists. We now work with painters, musicians, actors, writers, sculptors, dancers, poets -- anyone who makes his or her living (or would like to) as an Artist with a capital "A."

And it worked. Big time. The buzz has been amazing.

So I know from observing society (and talking to friends out of work and looking for jobs) that America is in trouble. Forced sameness is crippling the human spirit and destroying hope.

But I know from personal experience what the answer is: BE REMARKABLE.

Thanks to Seth Godin's latest book, I'm more excited than ever before about my professional life. I may still go down in flames with my agency. But at least I'll go down giving it my best shot, being true to myself and to my clients.

I highly recommend Purple Cow: Transform Your Business by Being Remarkable.

It worked for me. It'll work for you, too.

Quite simply you need this book - No question!!
This is without a doubt simply the most awesome book I have ever read on the subject of marketing.

Seth truly gets it and if you buy only one book this year to improve your business this is the one - the book is provoking, challenging and most importantly it will rock your world in the best way be cause if you read and get the message your company, business, job or life will change and change forever.

If you really want to connect with Seth read all his other books and make sure that you get the new ebook that came out on the same day as this book its called 99 Cows and it goes further with the Purple Cow strategy by giving you examples all with links.

But this book is the one and only marketing book the key to what Seth is saying is that business has to be remarkable if it is to cut through the static and make itself heard.

I have one other thing to say BUY THIS BOOK! Then tell everyone you know to get a copy too as the good news always spreads the fastest.

Don't waste your money
I feel suckered. Godin must be a clever marketer to have swindled me out of $15. There is nothing in this book that is remarkable. It's common sense: in order to be successful, you need a remarkable product. Well, duh.

I think I'm really, really dumb
There is nothing remarkable about Godin's book on being remarkable. All the info in this book is basic business sense. I am an artist.. how can I possibly sign my name to a painting that I do not feel is original or remarkable?? Anyone who starts a business knows the info in this book. If you didn't think your product was better than others why on earth would you have launched it? Unless you are like really, really dumb.

You can apply these principles to anything
I read an excerpt from this book in Fast Company and had to buy this and the accompanying "99 Cows". This is a great, eye- opening read because of its simplicity and brilliance. You can apply these principles to many things - I have been telling people about the "purple cow" principle as much as possible. If you want to be remarkable, this book has some good ideas to get you started or get you thinking about ways to apply the principles to your own situation. It's a fun read and very refreshing for a business-related publication. I highly recommend reading this and "99 cows". ... Read more

Amazon.com

Sometime during the last 30 years, the service economy emerged as the dominant engine of economic activity. At first, critics who were uncomfortable with the intangible nature of services bemoaned the decline of the goods-based economy, which, thanks to many factors, had increasingly become commoditized. Successful companies, such as Nordstrom, Starbucks, Saturn, and IBM, discovered that the best way to differentiate one product from another--clothes, food, cars, computers--was to add service.

But, according to Joseph Pine and James Gilmore, the bar of economic offerings is being raised again. In The Experience Economy, the authors argue that the service economy is about to be superseded with something that critics will find even more ephemeral (and controversial) than services ever were: experiences. In part because of technology and the increasing expectations of consumers, services today are starting to look like commodities. The authors write that "Those businesses that relegate themselves to the diminishing world of goods and services will be rendered irrelevant. To avoid this fate, you must learn to stage a rich, compelling experience."

Many will find the idea of staging experiences as a requirement for business survival far-fetched. However, the authors make a compelling case, and consider successful companies that are already packaging their offerings as experiences, from Disney to AOL. Far-reaching and thought-provoking, The Experience Economy is for marketing professionals and anyone looking to gain a fresh perspective on what business landscape might look like in the years to come. Recommended. --Harry C. Edwards ... Read more

Reviews (28)

Nardelli-led bounce gives book its just due
As I write this review on July 29, 2003, I see 'The Experience Economy' is ranked at #624 in amazon.com's constantly updated sales rankings. Pretty heady for a fairly esoteric business book published in April 1999.

The reason has to do with the latest (August 2003) edition of 'Fast Company' magazine. The editors asked a series of business leaders to pick one "book that matters," noting that "one book can change the direction of a company -- or a career." Bob Nardelli, ex-of GE and now CEO of the Home Depot, chose 'The Experience Economy.'

That's a great thing, because this excellent piece of work really got the short shrift - with its April 1999 publication date, its message of capturing the full potential of face-to-face retail got buried in the tsunami of e-commerce hysteria.

Now that we all recognize the Internet as just another viable sales channel, this fine effort by Pine and Gilmore has a second life. The fact that Nardelli picked it as his one book that matters tells you all you need to know about his vision for the future of Home Depot.

The Divergence of Theory and Reality
The book takes a very logical, reasoned approach towards the theoretical next steps of economic expansion. It reasons that margins drive profits and that by constantly searching for higher margin offerings, a company will naturally improve and increase its profitability.

The logic is understandable... Commodity goods have small margins, as they are undifferentiated from each other and relativly easy to reproduce. Manufactured goods take things one step further, providing higher margins due to some level of product differentiation and brand specificity. Above that are Services, where the products don't last long enough to be copied and are customized enough to prevent easy manipulation. The higher margins should lead to higher profitability and better staying power. Fair enough.

Where the book's logic becomes strained, however, is where it strethes out towards the next generation of higher margin offerings, "Experiences." While it is true that experience companies my be able to provide higher margins than can older economy companies, experience companies tend to suffer from a fatal flaw that has infected many of the companies praised in the book. That flaw is the utter lack of repeat business generated by most experience economy companies.

Take two of the companies mentioned in the book as companies to emulate -- Planet Hollywood, the restaurant chain, and Peapod, the online grocery store. Planet Hollywood is under bankruptcy protection, because people are simply unwilling to pay through the nose repeatedly for the same experience over and over again. Peapod ran out of cash and is limping along only after being bought out by a Dutch firm. Hardly two stellar companies to emulate when searching for ever expanding profits.

Throughout the book, by expounding the virtues of ever expanding margins, rather than focusing on goods, services, and 'experiences' that people would be willing to repeatedly pay to have, the authors make the mistake of ignoring the overall forest for the sake of a single tree.

In the real world, experience companies know their limitations and create their pricing scheme to represent that fact. Amusement parks sell season passes for less than the cost of two visits -- acknowledging the fact that people may pay more for experiences, but only once, and repeat business depends heavily on making the repeat worth the cost.

Had the book focused more on successful ways for experience economy companies to thrive, rather than spending its time drolling on about the virtues of failing companies with the right plan, it would have been far more believable and enjoyable.

Insightful Look at Business Today
This book definitely makes you stop and think about what today's consumer wants and expects. (In fact, it's easy, just ask yourself what you would want - what you're offering or what Walt Disney is offering). Businesses that don't make a lasting impression, offer an experience for the consumer will eventually go the way of the dinosaur.

a fresh and novel view of the current business trends
this book is definitely out of the ordinary: it proposes a novel (to me at least) view of the current economy trends and well illustrate an equivalence between the work environment and the stage of a theatrical play.
Worth reading it.

The ultimate product differentiator
This book really opened my eyes, and made me see my service offerings from a customer perspective. I've become incredibly passionate about the experience economy concept, and am constantly looking for real life examples or potential applications.
When I stand in a queue I'm thinking about how I would go about offering the service or product I'm queueing for.
When I speak to the beauracracy that provides me banking or insurance services, I'm forever demanding that they change the impersonal and inflexible way that they engage with me.
If you're looking for a new paradigm in selling what you have to offer, then this is the book for you.
I love it. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Nothing more to say...other than this book is great!
The other reviews here sum up this book nicely. It is very insightful and great to read. Highly recommended.

learn from the best
"Uncommon Practice is the book that lets you hear about the essence of business success straight from the horse's mouth. "
Phil Dourado, Editorial Director, eCustomerServiceWorld.com

In an increasingly crowded market place, there are certain companies that really stand out from their competitors - companies like Tesco, PizzaExpress, Virgin, easyGroup, First Direct, Harley Davidson, Krispy Kreme and Pret A Manger.

This new book by Interbrand and Forum, demonstrates, through interviews with key executives from these and other leading companies, how they provide remarkable experiences for their customers and staff alike. The premise behind Uncommon Practice is that that this success stems from their distinctive cultures uniquely developed to meet the needs of customers. The companies featured have defied conventional wisdom and broken the traditional rules of management to engender exceptional levels of commitment from their people, who, united behind a clear brand vision, translate their belief in the company into exceptional customer service.

Editors Andy Milligan and Shaun Smith have taken care to let the voice of the organisation speak for itself. Uncommon Practice is not a 'how to...' book, and does not provide a 'quick-fix' list of invariable rules for success. The editors do however provide insight into the core principles and practices that the leading companies featured share but which are uncommon in many organisations today.

Uncommon Practice explores the creation of outstanding brand experiences delivered through people, illuminated with interviews with senior executives and front-line managers.

Critical to the success of these brands is the way they treat their own people. Open management, share ownership, training and appraisals are common benefits, but can you guess which company has an empty seat policy on the company jet, keeps a fleet of yachts, has a monthly beer bus, gives an employee the Bentley for the weekend or awards Tiffany stars? Through a series of interviews with key executives, Uncommon Practice gives an insight into how certain companies have become so successful by providing remarkable experiences for their customers and staff alike. ... Read more

Book Description

The Product Manager's Handbook is the essential guide to successful product management in today's fast-changing business world. Product and brand managers, as well as upper-level sales, marketing, and branding executives, will find the text thorough and informative as it explains and analyzes the product manager's role in both traditional, hierarchical organizations as well as in newer horizontal, team-driven decision-making structures.

What is a product manager? The overall responsibility of a product manager is to integrate the various segments of a business into a strategically focused whole, maximizing the value of a product by coordinating the production of an offering with an understanding of market needs. A product manager must oversee all aspects of a product or service line in order to create and deliver superior customer satisfaction while simultaneously providing long-term value for the company.

The Product Manager's Handbook covers all of these topics in a convenient, easy-to-follow presentation that includes:

• Hands-on charts for managing every key step, from concept to completion
• Practical checklists for evaluating progress at every critical stage
• Brief profiles in every chapter of specific product management roles, functions, and issues
• Real-world cases illustrating the challenges of product management in action

This thoroughly revised and updated second edition fully integrates the Internet and other digital technologies into the product manager's arsenal of tools. The book includes all new information on what it takes to be a successful product manager. It explains the product manager's role in the planning process (including strategic and operational planning), how to evaluate product portfolios, how to propose and develop successful new products, and more.

The product manager is frequently the source of the entrepreneurial spirit and sense of innovation that drives a successful organization. Learn to make the most of your product management system with this indispensable reference guide.

Reviews (15)

Great Overview for Role Definition and General Planning
I wish I had bought this book a year ago when I began building our PM Department! I live in Germany and the role of the product manager is poorly understood by many people I come into contact with. So it helps to have written examples which indicate that I am moving in the right direction. Even today, I find the book to be quite useful and the scenarios described in the book certainly apply to much of what I had to learn the hard way. It is a bit general for an experienced product manager but its small form-factor makes it easy to have with you at all times. It is an invaluable resource for those who are new to product management and is full of great ideas to help you move your product forward.

Great book, highly recommended for new PM's
I read this book in 2000 when I started my first job as a PM. Since then, I have re-read it a few times. Each re-read is such a pleasure as I am able to tie in my experience to more and more facets of the book that were previously unclear. The book is an industry independent, general review of the roles and responsibilities of a product manager. It lays a nice foundation for those who are new to the position by outlining business processes, internal and external interactions and organizational roles a PM can expect to have.

The book does not delve into the mechanical details of marketing: such as conducting research, performing surveys, managing channels or evaluating effectiveness. However, it does talk about which kind of product managers would benefit from certain types of marketing initiatives.

If you are new to Product Management or would like to learn more about the processes involved in managing a product's lifecycle, this book is an excellent introduction.

Best in the lot.
I wouldnt say that this is an exceptional title but compared to other books in the market , this is the best. Be aware that this covers 'Product Management' in a very generic fashion. It doesnt talk about the role played by a PM in Software Development Process.

Good coverage but a bit light on details
This is a very good introductory text to anyone who aspires to be a Product Manager. It skims through the generics of what is required of a Product Manager in general. Coverage of topics such as planning for new products, some light financial discussions, discussions about marketing plans, etc. are useful to know.

It pays to note that this book is light on details and should be used as an introductory text. There are books that offer in-depth coverage of specific areas of product management areas such as marketing planning, business planning, marketing analysis, data mining, and so on.

Although a bit light on details, I gave it 4 stars because if it went into details it would have been a 5000 page book as Product Management sits anywhere between a simple to complex discipline depending on what industry and what firm one works in.

Lower the transition cost from pre-sale to PM
It's a must read if you are new to PM position. It defines what you shall focus to keep your life easy and simple, especially PM faces complex situations as usual.

From my experience, it will take you at least 1 year to be familiar with PM position after reading this. If it's not your original industry, then it may cost you more time.

While the skillsets required by PM and pre-sale are quite different, this book provides a general roadmap to indicate where you are. You can keep track how solid your capability is before you make the decision to change your career.

I was a I/T pre-sale three years ago. And now, I'm PM in notebook business and is finishing our company first widescreen notebook project which gained the support from nVIDIA to be their NV36 beta site. This book and the books derived from it really help me a lot.

And to play your game well, I suggest to read Michael Porter's books and game theory to complement. ... Read more

Book Description

Positioning, a concept developed by the authors, has changed the way people advertise. The reason? It's the first concept to deal with the problems of communicating in an overcommunicated society. With this approach, a company creates a 'position' in the prospect's mind, one that reflects the company's own strengths and weaknesses as well as those of its competitors. Witty and fast-paced, this book spells out how to position a leader so that it gets into the mind and stays there, position a follower in a way that finds a 'hole' not occupied by the leader, and avoid the pitfalls of letting a second product ride on the coattails of an established one. Revised to reflect significant developments in the five years since its original publication, Positioning reveals the fascinating case histories and anecdotes behind the campaigns of many stunning successes and failures in the world of advertising. ... Read more

Reviews (42)

The most important marketing book you can read
I discovered this book in 1994 and it changed my business life. It opened my eyes to a facet of marketing that is too often overlooked, and it's the most important facet. Positioning is more than branding, it's the key to success. Luckily, most companies don't do proper positioning, which is why there's always room for new companies to start up, get it right, and be very successful.

If you don't read this book, you're chances at success are like everyone elses: 1 in 10. Read and learn positioning, and the odds are with you. Simple as that.

Simple and powerful, essential reading for any marketer.
Technology changes constantly; people, and the way the mind works remain pretty much the same. This book is every bit as valuable in the "New Economy" hoopla, as it was before the net exploded onto the scene, maybe more so. As the amount of advertising explodes in every media outlet, (s)he without a positioning strategy is increasingly lost in the crowd.

Positioning is simply cutting through the immense amount of "noise" in the advertising and marketing world with a clear, concise, SIMPLE, message that occupies a place in the mind of the consumer. Positioning requires a focus; the brand, company or person who tries to stand for, and cover everything ends up representing nothing.

Examples abound in "Positioning" of companies that have utilized positioning to attain and maintain leadership and business success, as well as multimillion-dollar write-offs caused by brand dilution.

Within the book, you'll find chapters on choosing (brand) names, the decision to extend a brand or to not, repositioning other products to carve out your own niche, and how this applies to your company, its' products and even your career.

You can't afford not to buy this book!

A Classic, A Milestone and a Must Read
The twentieth anniversary edition of "Positioning" is uniquely updated without disrupting the original edition. Ries and Trout provide commentary in the margins, rather than rewriting passages in the book.

And in those margins, they can sometimes be brutally honest, as they occasionally admit to being wrong on some of their theories. But what you will note as you read this book is that the theories they advanced 20 years ago have largely proved out in the interim. This is a seminal work, a book that should be read by anyone involved in any form of marketing.

The current hot trend in marketing-- "branding"-- is in many ways an outgrowth of the theories put forth on "Positioning." Essentially you distinguish your product or service from the competition. The ideal means of doing this is to be first to the market with your product or service, although that is no guarantee of continuous success. This may also mean finding an untapped niche, particularly in crowded categories.

Particularly interesting I their discussion of line extension, and how it dilutes, rather than strengthens, a company's position in the marketplace. And it is interesting to read how some companies at one time literally owned a particular product category, only to lose it when they tinkered with their concept too much.

Education, entertaining, and enlightening, this book is an important addition to anyone interested in marketing library.

Much More Than Marketing
Positioning is the idea that shook Madison Avenue to its core in the 1970s. Ries and Trout published what the high priests of Madison Avenue deemed as heresy. These two upstarts dared to take the voodoo out of marketing - and marketing has not been the same since.

Over the years I have given away countless dozens of Positioning. I have found two types of recipients: (1) Those who view it as a book on marketing, and (2) those who truly "get it."

Positioning is not actually about marketing, though that is its platform. It is about how the human mind works. The principals taught in this book apply across all of our lives - from how we are viewed by our friends to why we affiliate with a particular political party or other social cause. Learning how Positioning works is learning about life.

Positioing Needs Updating
Jack Trout is a very good writer and has important insights about the importance of differentiation. I especially liked this book as the cases are very relevant.
But many ideas are getting a bit dated. That being said, if you haven't read anything by Jack Trout or Al Ries then this book, or one of the aforementioned books, is essential reading for marketing and brand managers. An updated book would be High Intensity Marketing by Idris Mootee, an ex-Mckinsey guy. I also like George Day, the Wharton professor who wrote a few good books in postioning. ... Read more

Book Description

"The authors technical skill and work-environment experience are abundantly apparent in the real-world methodology they bring to the study and understanding of the importance of project management to the success of any organization."–From the Foreword by Norman R. Augustine. Chairman of the Executive Committee, Lockheed-Martin Corporation

Effective project management is an essential skill in virtually every professional and technical setting and, like any skill, it is best mastered through the right combination of in-depth, expert training and hands-on experience.

Visualizing Project Management, Second Edition is todays best resource for both. Delivered by a trio of authors whose combined project management experience is unequaled in the field–a team that has been an integral part of the development of project management from the 1950s to the present–the processes and techniques in this landmark book have been confirmed through the experiences of over 30,000 working project managers and over 100 corporations.

Profound in its simplicity yet unique in its completeness, the integrated approach presented in Visualizing Project Management focuses on the four essential elements of project management:

1. Common Vocabulary: Terms and jargon are defined as they are introduced, minimizing the vocabulary problems that can lead to conflict and undermine otherwise successful teamwork.

2. Teamwork: Each of the fundamentals of real teamwork–from common conduct to shared rewards–is discussed, along with strategies to strengthen this vital component.

3. The Sequential Project Cycle: Valuable lessons are provided to enable you to develop a template for project-unique tactics as well as achieve project-to-project continuity.

4. Management Elements: The authors provide all the techniques and tools you need to guide a project to its successful conclusion–the achievement of stated objectives, within budget and time constraints.

Visualizing Project Management shows you how to breathe life into each of these inanimate project elements. The result is a working guidebook for total project management success–and a tangible model for moving your organization and career forward into the exciting new millennium.

An Integrated Approach to Results-Oriented Project Management

Better . . . Faster . . . Cheaper . . .

Todays take-no-prisoners competitive environment has made this the project management mantra for 2000 and beyond. Enlightened project managers know: Unless you can identify accurately the correct benchmark and correctly isolate how to surpass it, your organization will succeed only in producing a better, faster, cheaper failure.

The bestselling Visualizing Project Management first set the standard for effective project management in 1996, and introduced models that have been adopted by over 100 leading government and private organizations. In this Second Edition, the authors have revised the tools and techniques that changed the foundations of project management in order to help you better understand, compete, and win in todays lightning-fast global business arena.

A few short years ago, the insights and ideas in Visualizing Project Management invented the wheel. Now, its pioneering authors refine your understanding of the project management wheel, as they simplify and clarify the complexities of project management and system engineering.

Also includes a dynamic CD-ROM–Visual Project Management (Visual PM)–providing an interactive software version of the books revolutionary process model, a guided tour of a commercial project cycle, vocabulary definitions, sample document templates, and more. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Weighty in its Simplicity
Rarely do I read a book that is weighty in its simplicity while being exhaustive in its subject treatment. Visualizing Project Management succeeds where many have failed.

The book focuses on the five common elements of every successful project: a common vocabulary, teamwork, a plan, leadership and management.

Starting with the project requirements, it details the correct way to plan, schedule and control projects. These elements do not naturally occur, particularly in complex technical projects. The techniques and tools presented are applicable throughout the project lifecycle.

The book is full of illustrations, which clarify the techniques being discussed. The best idea I found book was the Cards on the Wall technique, which calls for each team member to attach each WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) to a wall and interconnect the dependencies with yarn. The resulting interaction, I found, encourages group thinking and project buy-in, while anticipating the unanticipated.

There is also a great section on Earned Value, a powerful and effective tool for the early detection of slippages and cost overruns. As the authors correctly note, "If you can't measure it, you can't manage it."

Aspiring project managers and executives responsible for supervising it in their organizations should read this book. It will help them successfully understand and apply the project management process in their pursuit of "better, faster, and cheaper."

Comments by Max Wideman
Visualizing Project Management: A Model for Business and Technical Success" by Kevin Forsberg, Hal Mooz and Howard Cotterman, second edition, has much added material since the first edition. It is still my recommended first choice for those seeking a better insight into the role of project management, and I have read quite a few books on project management since that first edition. The book introduces many new concepts to the discipline, including an "orthogonal" model of the project management life cycle and its related processes which provides a conceptual basis for the book. It draws distinctions between the technical, business and budget aspects of project management work, one often confused for another by many would-be practitioners, yet it emphasizes the need for close alignment of these three aspects. The author's "Vee" model nicely bridges the gap between those whose primary focus is on the decomposition of the project for definition and control purposes during the project's planning period, and those whose focus must be on the integration of the various components during the production period of the project. But perhaps Chapter 4 warmed my heart the most - dedicated, as it is, to "Project Vocabulary" and the need to communicate clearly! I find the book easy to read, well illustrated, and very sensible. It is a valuable resource for students and practitioners alike.

A practical guide, full of insights
I found this to be an excellent book, particularly for those of us trying to make sense out of the wide range of project management approaches. It is a valuable compliment to the Project Management Institute's PMBOK, which is functionally based and organized as categories of required knowledge. Visualizing Project Management is behavior based and provides a project manager and the project team a roadmap for success and a resource for solving problems. Since project management often encounters the intersection of one or more processes, three-dimensional models are used to clarify these often confusing relationships. Many of these relationships include the technical development or systems engineering aspects and they are plainly conveyed so that the non-technical person can benefit. The section on project control is refreshing. Most books represent project control as only a reactive process to bad news. These authors emphasize proactive project control, establishing the proper control systems, yet are appropriately reactive with corrective action when things go wrong. Overall, an enlightening approach to complexity and technical project management.

Call to Arms
In his foreward to Visualizing Project Management (second edition), Norman Augustine, retired Chairman and CEO of Lockheed Martin, reminds us of the unfortunate high incidence of failures in IT projects. Mr. Augustine then notes the key role of the project manager in producing success or failure. This book was published in 2000, and I maintain that the failure rate is still too high. In fact, I'll use the book's concepts to very briefly analyze a failed NASA project later in this review. First though, why and how can this book help?
What's unique about this book is that it contains, all at once, a call to arms, weapons handbooks, and mechanisms for producing a battle plan for YOUR project.
The call to arms is conveyed successfully through the many high-level diagrams, and of course the message behind the diagrams. For example, the orchestra metaphor (each musician is a team member and the project manager is the conductor) is one of the most powerful images. The "common vocabulary" (score) keeps everybody on track. Further, the key system engineering concept of the project manager pulling diverse specialties (strings, percussion, etc.) together is illustrated. Chapter I has an explicit call to arms (Why is Project Management a Critical Issue?); the rest of Part I and two chapters of Part II set up the rest of the framework needed to use the weapon handbooks and create the battle plan.
Weapons in the arsenal of the project manager are the Project Cycle and the (ten) Project Management Elements in Part II. This handbook-type information should be reformatted to be more usable. The current very basic numbering scheme, and the interspersed exercises make reference difficult. A separate workbook could be published with the exercises. While much of this information is familiar, there are some real zingers that show more depth of experience than many other project management books. For example, the emphasis on project control (one of the elements) is indeed different from "most project management texts (which) describe project control as comparing actuals to plan (status)." You actually need corrective action! The authors (and I) "were flabbergasted to find that the word "requirements" did not even appear"...."in a well-respected reference from the project management field".
And the battle plan? That is the "orthogonal" project model - with an axis made up of nine elements as the spokes of a wheel (project leadership being the tenth, on the rim) and the project cycle on the axle. You'll have to get the book to appreciate the applicability of the model. But that is the only the first "generic" battle plan. It has to be worked and applied in YOUR organization. No more "we used to have a project management plan, somewhere".
The authors' preface mentions that Chapter 9 (Applying the Process) has been added to address the Internet time goal of "better, cheaper, faster". The book has numerous case descriptions. I've applied some of the book's concepts to the WIRE case study. NASA's Wide-Field Infrared Explorer (WIRE) mission failed soon after launch on March 4, 1999 when the telescope/cryostat ejected prematurely. NASA has published some very valuable lessons learned (by the way, the book highlights the need for "lessons learned to get into the hands (and minds) of those who would benefit most")... One of NASA's lessons can be related to the orchestra metaphor: "WIRE failed because people could not or would not communicate well with each other. ...These folks feared oversight and criticism and hid behind organizational boundaries". Another lesson concerns the risks in shortcutting the project cycle: the "belief that we pushed the faster, better, cheaper paradigm too hard, such that key corners were cut too closely." So heed the call to arms, master the weapons, and create your own battle plan. We'll win more battles if we really apply the lessons of this book.

Horrible - A Waste of Time and Paper!
I recently started with new company and needed some reference materials on project management. This book was intriguing because I thought it would allow me to use a right-brained approach to understand the topic (ie visualization). Instead, I got dissertation from the school of MBA managerial double-speak. Nothing in this book is clearly written. You will spend hours trying to figure out what these clowns are trying to say. An example from page 119:

"At each level, the DA&R process is driven by higher level requirements, constaints of approved baselines such as the utilities provided to the structure and the influences of users and stakeholders at the system level and at every level of decomposition to the level under construction."

No, I am not making this up, this is what these authors pass off as writing.

In my opinion, these two authors, and some of the reviewers that gave this book high marks, are in a profession that needs to build its reputation by making what they do seem complex and scientific. Absolute bunk! ... Read more

Book Description

One of the key determinants of success for today’s high-technology companies is product strategy—and this guide continues to be the only book on product strategy written specifically for the 21st century high-tech industry. More than 250 examples from technological leaders including IBM, Compaq, and Apple—plus a new focus on growth strategies and on Internet businesses—define how high-tech companies can use product strategy and product platform strategy for competitiveness, profitability, and growth in the Internet age. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

targeted for core products at large companies
I love this book: the concept of a "vector" for product
development is a terrific way to think about competition.
IMHO, this book is a must-read for all product managers,
product marketers and people involved in strategic decisions,
i.e. all senior executives.

That said, speaking as a five-time startup engineer, the advice
and examples in this book seem geared towards the core product
lines in larger companies, where you can credibly talk about
"two years from now" as opposed to wondering if you'll even be
in business, which is also the problem for new product lines at
large companies. The experience for the book comes from the
PRTM consulting firm, which was made famous for their work with
parallel product development at Intel. We hired them in the
early days at Inktomi, and found mixed success with their
process because we were terrified of immediate failure, and
they wanted to talk about version 3. Obviously, there's a
successful middle ground because Inktomi was a huge success in
the short term, but ultimately lost its strategic direction.

watch out cost to implement in ur office before do it
For example, author addressed the benefits to have a product platform strategy are focusing managemnet on key decision at the right time;enabling products to be deployed rapidly and consistently; encouraging a longer-term view of product strategy; leveraging significant operational efficiencies; helping management anticipate replacing a major product platform.

However, he may forget to remind readers that these require cost before enjoying the benefits, such as you need to hire a new tier of middle management if you company is too small to afford before; to establish the new channel capabilities to justify the investment on the platform bcz to access new markets; the IT system to calculate operation efficiencies such as engineering head count, material cost, and supply chain cost is also not cheap if you only have the option to use turn-key solution.....

It may be reasonable to equip product platform strategy only when benefits are greater than costs.

Unmatched User Guide to High Tech Product Strategy
In his richly illustrated Product Strategy for High Technology Companies, Michael E. McGrath rightly describes product strategy as a management process. Like any process, product strategy defines structure, timing, responsibilities, and skills. The process architecture reproduced on page 359 provides a practical framework starting with the definition of core strategic vision. Core strategic vision requires answering three questions: 1. Where do we want to go? 2. How will we get there? 3. And most critical Why will we be successful? Core strategic vision determines the criteria used for reaching a strategic balance in the product development process: Focus vs. diversification, short-term vs. long-term, current product platform vs. new product platform, business Alpha vs. business Beta, research vs. development, and high risk vs. low risk. Available resources influence the outlook of strategic balance.

Core strategic vision, strategic balance, core competencies, and competitive strategy are together the foundations on which the often-ignored product platform strategy is built. Product platform strategy is the lowest common denominator of relevant technology in a set of products or a product line. Product failures in high-tech companies frequently can be traced to an incomplete product platform strategy according to McGrath. Strategic balance, product platform strategy, and competitive strategy are together the foundations of product line strategy. Product line strategy is where specific product offerings are defined.

Core strategic vision also influences the competitive strategy that high technology companies must define. McGrath provides an in-depth, practical review of differentiation strategy, pricing strategy, and supporting strategies. Supporting strategies are first-to-market and fast-follower strategies, cannibalization, and global product strategy. McGrath's examination of both time-based strategies and cannibalization is particularly interesting because both subjects are rarely covered in such a luxury of detail. McGrath finally examines the optional expansion strategy and innovation strategy. High technology companies only need them if they want to invest in expansion or innovation.

To summarize, Product Strategy for High Technology Companies is a practical guide to a management process from which even product managers from outside the high tech industry can draw useful lessons and more importantly apply them to their own product strategy.

Best Strategic Toolkit Ever Written
There are countless strategy books out there. Each one has an overriding framework that the entire book is based on, that often warrants only a 15-page article. This book is loaded with practical frameworks that together provide a thinking and creativity-channeling approach. Better yet, every framework has been proven in practice at dozens of companies by the author's implementation-based consulting firm. Each chapter is filled with examples from a broad range of technology-based companies. When applying these frameworks outside of technology-based industries and large companies just use common sense to strip them down to their essence and don't worry about the fancy techno-speak. You can also use most chapters as stand-alone strategy tools. I personally like "vectors of differentiation" and wonder how so many companies blow it when it seems like common sense. But then again if common sense were common, books like this wouldn't be needed. And then there's the issue of actually implementing what you come up with...

Don't Just Read It, Do it!
After founding a leading market research firm and teaching New Product Development at Harvard, I found this book so compelling that our firm has completed a review of our entire new web research product strategy, and come to some startling and highly productive insights on how to proceed and succeed. It is by far the most practical, in-depth guide to achieving competitive new product development strategies I have ever read.

The book shows clearly how to answer the critical questions: 1) Where do we want to go, 2) How will we get there, and 3) Why will we be successful. It shows how to create a Core Strategic Vision that is the foundation for new product success. And it shows how to use that vision to create highly competitive and profitable product lines, particularly in high technology.

Having tested new product ideas for hundreds of companies over the last 25 years, it is difficult to think of more than a handful who couldn't have benefited from not only reading this book, but doing what it recommends. ... Read more

Book Description

Advance praise for Developing Products in Half the Time Second Edition New Rules, New Tools Preston G. Smith • Donald G. Reinertsen "This is an exceptional book! Get a new highlighter before you start. There are so many ‘ah ha’s’ in each chapter you will never make it through with an old one." Don LaCombe, Ford Motor Company, Product Development Process Leadership "An excellent book with a strong treatment of the cycle-time consequences of overloading your development capacity. It provides powerful and practical concepts for dealing with this issue." Andrew Aquart, Director Product Development, Cordis, a Johnson & Johnson Company "This is practical, useful stuff for people competing in highly competitive fast moving business." Dr. Paul Borrill, Chief Scientist, Sun Microsystems "3M has absorbed many of the tools from the original edition, and this new one will be even more useful. The topic of incremental innovation is crucial to us, and I really appreciate its balanced treatment." Ronald H. Kubinski, Manager New Product Commercialization Services, 3M Company "As the authors correctly point out, the Fuzzy Front End is the least expensive place to reduce cycle time. This book is one of the only sources of concepts, methods, and metrics for compressing this critical portion of the development process." David M. Lewis, Product Manager, Eastman Kodak Co. "Using these tools we’ve more than cut our time to market in half. The new edition of this classic crystallizes the synergy of the fast-to-market techniques, and the icons in the margins highlight the opportunities and pitfalls." Mike Brennan , Vice President of Product Development, Black & Decker ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent must-read for senior managers
I found that this book was packed full of common sense, which is rare in a development management book. Although it has a lot of examples of manufacturing of phsyical goods, I found it great as a software manager. There aren't many spare words in this book, either -- it's terse and well edited, so you get the raw facts and the necessary stories to back them up, but not a lot (or any, really) fluff.

I am putting it on my bookshelf for software engineers, right next to Writing Solid Code and Debugging the Development Process, two classics for software engineers and team leads, respectively.

Buy and Read
Absolutely the best book there is on the subject of new product development. Of particular import is the discussion on market and pricing dynamics, which may be new to technical-types. Choosing the right product to develop is critical to avoid "The Innovators Dilemma". The book however needs to add more to the discussion of the importance (and risk) of rapid return of (partial) information to the team during the development cycle, as well as human (team) dynamics. I would therefore recommend "The Team Handbook" as a necessary adjunct.

very sophisticated tools for real life product development
While the first edition was a bit dry to read in the first four chapters, the second edition is more fun. The value of the content has not been reduced with rev 2.0, on the contrary.

The book is full of sound business theory which is well explained and put into real life context to help the non-MBA to transfer the message to their respective challenges.

Also invaluable are the hints towards common pitfalls. They show that the authors have really applied the theory and are aware of the human factor in change processes.

I read rev 1.0 and 2.0 and will probably buy 3.0 as well.

Keep going!

Great Reading for Software Managers
Over 14 years of software experience confirmed alot of what this book offered. It's well written, chalked full of great facts and gives you a perspective on the possibilities for software development. Let's face-it, software development has almost zero manufacturing issues. So, if your looking for the real reason to implement processes and methodolgies into your development processes, this book will take you there.

This is a must-read book for all development managers
This is a treatise on management techniques, not process improvement. The first two chapters detail the decision of which projects to speed up, implying that a manager can only speed up a project by overstaffing it and clearing its path of the usual bureaucracy. Therefore, there is no permanent process gain to be had. But it is a great guide for decision makers looking to cut some time off any (or every) project. The fundamental tenets are these:

1) Make the decision to develop a new product idea quickly.

2) Staff all functions to the project immediately and keep them on throughout (no ramp-up, no handoffs)

3) Specify it simply and quickly and do not change the spec (3 days, 3 pages).

4) Spend a little time on the product architecture, designing for modularity and quick development.

5) User overlapping development techniques (work on multiple modules simultaneously)

6) Make a successful transition to manufacturing to complete the project.

You can halve the development time of most projects just by changing the way you manage your projects, without doing a lot of overtime or increasing the cost of development. Many of the answers are in this book. Again, this is a must read book for all development managers. ... Read more

Book Description

This comprehensive guide to the commercial production of ice creams and frozen desserts for retail or wholesale operations covers planning and starting up a business, marketing and merchandising, production and service. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Excellent book for ice cream professionals
Working as a dairy technician in a medium sized ice-cream-factory, I needed something to expand my knowledge on the subject. That's why I bought this book. And I was amazed: Ice Cream and Frozen Desserts: A Commercial Guide to Production and Marketing really met my expectations and did a lot more. It's well written, easily accessible and thorough. A must buy for both ice-cream-professionals and enthusiasts.

Excellent description of all phases
This book was *exactly* what I was looking for to help me get started in this business. A very broad overview of many different topics related to the ice cream business.

As my plans are to possibly open a parlor, some of the aspects of the commercial operations were not useful to me, but it *was* at least interesting to see how the big boys do it.

The one area that I was a little disappointed in was the business aspects of it. There were some general discussions of things to accomplish, without any real instruction in how to go about actually *accomplishing* them.

Overall, well worth the (rather steep, I admit...) price.

Very helpful in setting up a frozen desert establishment
This book contains invaluable information about making ice cream and gelato and about setting up and marketing the product. I was not disappointed and learned a lot.

Excellent Book very informative
As a professional in the industry for 11 years, this by far is the most intensive book I have had the pleasure to read. Not only to those who produce ice cream, but anyone interested in the industry as a profession will find this very informative and enlightening. This was obviously written by someone who has exstensive industry knowledge and truly wants others not to make the costly mistakes one often makes in a new endever. If I had read this 11 years ago I would have saved thousands of dollars and a whole lot of misdirected time.

The source for anyone entering the business of ice cream
This book gives the reader all the information needed to get into the business of making and selling ice cream. Along with the author's newsletters, ICE CREAM STORE NEWS and BATCH FREEZER NEWS, the reader will feel comfortable to move forward in this exciting business of ice cream. Contact the author at Mstogo@aol.com. for further information. ... Read more

Book Description

What does it really take to succeed in business today? In A New Brand World, Scott Bedbury, who helped make Nike and Starbucks two of the most successful brands of recent years, explains this often mysterious process by setting out the principles that helped these companies become leaders in their respective industries. With illuminating anecdotes from his own in-the-trenches experiences and dozens of case studies of other winning-and failed-branding efforts (including Harley-Davidson, Guinness, The Gap, and Disney), Bedbury offers practical, battle-tested advice for keeping any business at the top of its game. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

BRANDING, FOR EXECUTIVES. READ IT FOR THE CASE STUDIES.
It is difficult to review a book that one has enjoyed reading and then say that it was not up to the mark (in terms, of course, of only my expectations.)

No doubt that Scott Bedbury's work is a fast paced read, his writing is lucid and quite frequently quotably light-hearted. There is a lot of material here for people in larger corporations or even general marketing folks. And where Bedbury truly shines is in the case studies he presents in the 8 chapters.

But if, like me, you set off on this book looking for some newfangled insights into the world of branding, then this is not the book for you. The title claims to proffer "8 principles". Let's face it, at the end of the day, principles are not that hard to create and this becomes quite painfully clear when you reach the end of this book and wonder if you have learnt anything new.

But I am being unfairly critical. From his style, it seems an approachable business book was precisely what Bedbury's intended?

As a comprehensive introduction to the field of branding, I'd still recommend "Strategic Brand Asset Management" by Keller. For a discussion of some innovative yet reasonable forms of brand creation, especially on a shoestring, I'd usually point to a PR related book, or perhaps the rapier wit "60-minutes Brand Strategist."

But as a gentle introduction for executives in to the nebulous world of branding, or as a non-technical business book for business folk in general who place less emphasis on a structured analytical framework and are more interested in a soft springboard into the field, then "Emotional Branding" and this book from Bedbury are pretty near the top of my list of recommendations.

Very accessible and insightful stuff, if you aren't expecting a summary of last decade's JCR.

Pure Genius Strikes Again
Scott Bedbury, the architect of building the Nike and Starbucks brands, invites us into the inner sanctum of building statement brands. For someone who loves both business biographies as well as strategy, I found this book as entertaining as I did informative and useful. It is no wonder to me why Scott was able to navigate two distinct brands to a lasting impression in America. As someone who is building my own brand (TotallySoccer), I found that Scott is right on: you must have the vision and the imagination as well as the ability to execute. A great and entertaining read.

Interesting information, but it gets old
This book was interesting and had some good information in it, but I wouldn't recommend it unless you want to read a book on Starbucks and Nike. I found myself dreading another story about how wonderful Starbucks or Nike are, and how great a manager the author was. It really starts to get old.

The principles are good, but you can read about most of them in any college marketing textbook.

Shows how brands are of financial importance to businesses.
There is no shortage of books on this subject and I've probably read three-quarters of them. This one comes closest to cracking the code. In fact, the author uses that exact word in describing how marketers must go about cracking a brand's genetic code.

While some may find the heavy reliance on Bedbury's experiences at Nike and Starbucks limiting, I think they're quite instructive. Mainly because while one of these brands, Nike, was created largely using traditional mass media, the other achieved its preeminence doing exactly the opposite.
In either case, Bedbury does a great job of defining what a brand is, why it is of such financial importance to a business, how to go about discovering its genetic code, and how to maximize a brand's value and ubiquity. And he does it in a very readable fashion. Definitely something anyone who places any stock in branding will want to read.

Microsoft Comments destroy his argument
Scott has some great experience to relate but while they are a small part of the book, his diatribes against Microsoft and its nascent branding efforts in 1994 undermine his arguments and make me question his credibility.

His bias is clear. Microsoft parted ways with Scott Bedbury's favorite ad agency, Weiden & Kennedy, with whom Scott spent untold millions of dollars -- perhaps hundreds of millions -- as a Nike exec, convincing urban American youth that his shoes built with child labor at poverty wages were worth hundreds of dollars.

Bedbury says that W&K "resigned" Microsoft but my understanding was that Microsoft didn't like W&K's work.. nor did the consumers watching it. Contrary to Bedbury's comments, Microsoft's campaigns were not watched over by clueless engineers but by a career Procter & Gamble man, Bob Herbold.

Bob and P&G are not fools when it comes to advertising, handing over cash to glitzy agencies and fawning over their results. He followed each campaign with rigorous testing. The W&K ads tested poorly with consumers and really looked cold and impersonal. As I recall, they looked a lot like... tiresome Nike ads. Perhaps W&K is a one-trick pony or maybe they're just more comfortable selling shoes.

Bedbury suggests that Microsoft is the laughing stock of the advertising world and "couldn't buy" good advertising if it wanted to.

Really? Visit the latest Interbrand brand rankings at BusinessWeek's site ( August 4 edition) to view the top 10 most valuable brands. Microsoft is #2 behind Coca Cola (and would have beaten Coke had it not been for antitrust issues eroding the brand value). Curiously, I don't see Nike or Scott's Starbucks anywhere on the top ten list. Nike is in the 30s, and Starbucks almost at the bottom of the top 100.

Clearly Microsoft has figured out how to build a brand without spending all their money on television advertising or employing small children. Perhaps that's threatening to ravenous advertising agencies and execs like Bedbury who spent so much of the shareholder's money on television advertising aimed at kids who have very little money to spend. ... Read more

Book Description

ROI (Return on Investment) is today's key business tool for measuring how effectively money was spent--yet few marketing managers receive any ROI training at all. Marketing ROIchanges all that, showing marketing pros at every level how to use ROI and other financial metrics to support their strategic decision making.

This comprehensive book details how an accurate working knowledge of ROI is essential for using the latest marketing measurements, and provides insights for gaining the greatest competitive advantage from the skilled use and understanding of ROI concepts.

Reviews (1)

Introducing Rigor to Marketing Spending
With Marketing ROI, Jim Lenskold has introduced a very useful level of financial rigor into what the typically imprecise process of targeting investments in marketing and then measuring their impact on company profits. Two key concepts introduced are how Marketing ROI is correctly calculated (many companies do it wrong), and more importantly, how the Marketing ROI informantion is used to manage marketing investments, looking at the incremental investment in marketing, and its incremental effect on sales and profitablity. Jim covers the subject from a big company perspective, focusing on multi-product, multi-customer segment environments, but the concepts in the book can also be applied to small companies concerned with spending marketing dollars most effectively.

This is a key text to be used along with the latest in customer relationship management techniques and customer information technology to manage the profitability of a company's demand chain. ... Read more

Book Description

Companies like American Girl, Best Buy, Washington Mutual, and TiVo came out ofnowhere to virtually own their respective markets. How did they scoop their bigger andwealthier competition? It wasn’t through a fat marketing budget. It was because they kepttheir promises . . . and not just any promises, but dangerously ambitious promises. In fact,these companies overpromised to lure customers in—and thenoverdelivered to keep them.

Rick Barrera, a respected marketing consultant and business lecturer, has studied theseword-of-mouth-driven successes and concluded that they are masters of what he callsTouchPoint Branding—the art of making sure that every point of contact between acompany and its customers is well executed and fulfills an over-the-top brand promise.

Barrera explains how TouchPoint Branding’s three major components—ProductTouchPoints, System TouchPoints, and Human TouchPoints—can create dramaticmarket differentiation. The companies featured in the book start with an extraordinaryproduct (like the Hummer), supported by smoothly running systems (like the SumersetHouseboats Web site), and add satisfying human contact (like the service at an AmericanGirl store).

It’s an old cliché in business that smart companies underpromise and overdeliver. But intoday’s crowded market, that’s not enough. Barrera’s insights and case studies can helpany company overpromise . . . and still overdeliver. ... Read more

Book Description

As we learned from New Coke, Pets.com, Apple's original handheld device, the Newton, and the reissued Ford Thunderbird, all the promotion in the world won't save a product that somehow isn't right. Robert Cooper is the world's leading expert on making sure your new-product introductions are more like Apple's iPods and less like Newton's.

Cooper invented what's called the "stage-gate" process of new-product development-a process used by 60% of all businesses today.

For this second edition Cooper has completed a major new study-the largest study of product development practices and results ever undertaken. He analyzed thousands of new success and failures from hundreds of companies, with a particular emphasis on high-technology products and services. Product Leadership won't just tell you what things are helpful to your company's success. Now it will tell you how and how much they help. ...