Synopses & Reviews
"If you ever dreamed of having a power lunch with the one-and-only Z, this book is the next best thing. Z argues that advertising is much more than 30-second TV commercials; for him, it includes branding, packaging, service, and everything else that communicates. Make sure you keep notes as Sergio drops his pearls of wisdom on the truth of advertising and beyond."
-Bernd Schmitt, Author, Experiential Marketing
In this follow-up to the bestseller The End of Marketing as We Know It, Coca-Cola's renowned and outspoken former chief marketing officer argues that current advertising practices are dead. He contends that advertisers have lost sight of their primary goal: to sell the product. Fortunes are wasted on hip, award-winning commercials that often fail to even communicate the brand. The reality of business demands that advertising answer to the bottom line.
Based on his years of experience building and maintaining some of the world's biggest brands, Zyman shows how truly effective advertising involves not only thirty-second TV spots, but also branding, packaging, celebrity spokespeople, sponsorships, publicity, and customer service. The End of Advertising as We Know It presents battle-tested advice for designing truly effective ad campaigns that drive business.
Backed by case studies and hard-won insight, Zyman reinvents advertising as a focused, disciplined, and even scientific process in which every expenditure generates a return. He shows how the most fruitful ad campaigns start with a company-wide strategy from top management that filters down through the organization, influencing all marketing and advertising efforts. He presents a new methodology for analyzing and charting the results of ad campaigns and offers fresh ways to connect with customers. Rethinking traditional advertising methods, he debunks some of the most indestructible myths in the business-like the old saw that any publicity is good publicity. In short, he shows that the rules of the game have changed, and warns advertisers everywhere to wise up to the new set right away.
Today's consumers are bombarded by information and overwhelmed by choice. As a result, advertisers are constantly seeking more inventive ways to reach them, forgetting the industry's true purpose. Sergio Zyman challenges ad agencies to rethink their approach to customer service and the metrics of success. For corporate leaders and advertising professionals alike, The End of Advertising as We Know It presents a plan for effective advertising that does one thing and one thing only-sell the product.
Review
Zyman began his career in an advertising agency, worked his way up to become the chief marketing officer of Coca-Cola and now runs his own marketing consulting firm. Readers might expect him to be a friend of the advertising industry, having played on both sides. But he doesn't hold his punches, particularly when it comes to the industry's recent emphasis on shock value, a trend that is also mocked by another new book, The Fall of Advertising & the Rise of PR, reviewed below. The nearly simultaneous publication of both books should concern ad execs who've based their campaigns on irony and nonsense. Their work might win ad industry awards, but it does little to sell products, both of these books argue. Zyman also advises marketing managers on such esoteric decisions as whether to tap a dead celebrity for a TV spot or to trust in fads like "viral marketing." Frequent references to last year's terrorist attacks make the book feel up to date, but sometimes result in jarring passages, such as, "Right after the September 11 attacks, Pepsi started having a little trouble keeping consumers interested in the message." No kidding. Zyman addresses chief executives and marketing managers directly, counseling them to get tough on their ad agencies and base their evaluation of the agency's work on whether it sells products or services, not on whether it generates buzz. Seems like obvious advice, but judging by recent commercials, Zyman's thorough, thoughtful words might be the kick-in-the-pants the industry needs.
Forecast: The cover photo-of Zyman staring sage-like out at the reader-might work, as he is well known in his field, although he's not exactly a familiar face to the public at large. While the book is aimed primarily at CEOs and marketing managers inside companies, advertising and PR execs will want to read it, too. (Publishers Weekly, July 22, 2002)
As chief marketing officer at the Coca-Cola Company, Zyman (The End of Marketing As We Know It) speaks from practical experience, but he also holds an MBA from Harvard. At Coca-Cola, Zyman both increased sales dramatically and oversaw the introduction of New Coke-one of the most visible missteps in the annals of marketing. Advertising now is not effective, claims Zyman, because it is dominated by overly created television ads that entertain and win awards but don't generate sales. Expanding the definition of advertising to include everything from packaging to employee behavior, he argues that advertising must show a clear measurable return. One of his best arguments is that sponsorships should be reconsidered to make sure that every dollar spent drives increased sales. Zyman does not introduce many new ideas, but he does advocate that CEOs and marketing managers take a more active role to reinforce the brand and value proposition. While walking readers through a series of real-world examples of what worked and what didn't, he downplays his own mistakes and shows little sympathy of the mistake of others. Ultimately, though, the book reaffirms the classic notion that a company must think through its strategies up front while also welcoming change. The writing style is refreshingly simple and easy to understand. Appropriate for any library that has a business section. --Stephen Turner, Turner & Assoc. Inc., San Francisco (Library Journal, August 2002)
Synopsis
There is only one rule: advertising must sell
"This is Zyman the zealot, wielding howitzers, high explosives and earth-moving equipment. He demolishes myths, fancy theories, and reputations. He returns to the foundations of advertising, which he drills into rock. He builds-or rebuilds-the house of marketing from the ground up. It may not be pretty, but it sure feels storm-proof." --Sir Martin Sorrell, Group Chief Executive, WPP
"Reading Sergio Zyman's new book, I understand why Time magazine named Sergio as one of the three best pitchmen of the 20th century-along with David Ogilvy and Lester Wunderman. I hope CEOs read this book. They will stop wasting their precious dollars on 30-second commercials and start doing some real marketing." --Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson Distinguished Professor of International Marketing, Kellogg Graduate School of Management, author, Kotler on Marketing and the forthcoming Marketing Insights A to Z
"Sergio is one of the few who recognize that the real problem with advertising is that the process itself is broken. And he is the only man in the history of the industry courageous (or insane) enough to attempt to change it. You may not agree with everything in this book, but you'll still find yourself nodding, laughing, taking notes-and reading on compulsively." --Sam Hill, cofounder, Helios Consulting Group, author, Sixty Trends in Sixty Minutes
"If you're in marketing-and these days, who isn't-this book is a must-read. Sergio Zyman is tough-minded and irreverent. His insights into the evolution of advertising are vital for anyone building a business." --John J. Dooner Jr., Chairman and CEO, Interpublic Group
"Sergio Zyman has put his finger on a significant shift in consumer spending: buying patterns within categories are no longer a zero-sum game, and product categories are no longer neatly organized. The implications for positioning, advertising, and marketing are profound-which is why this book is so valuable." --Geoffrey Moore, Chairman, The Chasm Group, and venture partner, Mohr Davidow Ventures
Synopsis
The controversial marketing guru discusses the revolution in advertising strategy
"What can I say about Sergio Zyman? He's a genius; that's all."-Warren Bennis, University Professor and DistinguishedProfessor of BusinessAdministration, USC Marshall School of Business
In this follow-up to his bestselling book The End of Marketing As We Know It, Sergio Zyman, Coca-Cola's renowned former chief marketing officer, argues that the business of advertising as we know it is dead. He uses real-world examples to illustrate how modern advertising overemphasizes art and entertainment and neglects the most important rule of advertising-sell the product. With a keen eye and a no-holds-barred approach, Zyman discusses how advertising died, what killed it, and how to revive it. He addresses the most critical issues affecting any organization's sales and marketing departments, using his time-tested, unorthodox, and sometimes even counterintuitive principles in order to translate key strategies into positive business results. For marketing managers, advertisers, and CEOs, this book offers groundbreaking advice from one of the legends of modern marketing, as well as the knowledge, insights, tools, and direction to transform advertising strategies from hoping to planning, from art to science, from guessing to knowing, and from random success to planned success.
About the Author
SERGIO ZYMAN is the former chief marketing officer at Coca-Cola and the bestselling author of The End of Marketing as We Know It. He is the founder and Chairman of the Zyman Marketing Group, a leading firm in strategic consulting, software applications, and educational resources whose clients include Chase Bank, Callaway Golf, and Vicente Fox, President of Mexico.
ARMIN BROTT has co-written books on business with some of today's highest profile industry leaders, and is also a bestselling author in his own right. His other titles include The Expectant Father: Facts, Tips, and Advice for Dads-to-Be, The New Father: A Dad's Guide to the First Year, and A Dad's Guide to the Toddler Years. He lives with his family in Oakland, California.
Table of Contents
Introduction.
Chapter 1. The First Casualty: How We Killed Traditional Advertising.
Chapter 2. Success Can Be Deadly--Don't Take Your Brand Awareness for Granted.
Chapter 3. Fish Where the Fish Are.
Chapter 4. Celebrity Endorsers, Spokespeople, and Icons: When to Use 'Em, When Not To.
Chapter 5. Packaging Matters: It's Your Last, Best Shot, So Make It a Good One.
Chapter 6. To Sponsor or Not to Sponsor: That Is the Question.
Chapter 7. Free Media--Your Best Friend or Your Worst Enemy.
Chapter 8. Making Your Employees Part of Your Message and Your Product.
Chapter 9. The Proof Is in the Pudding.
Chapter 10. Never Miss Another Opportunity.
Index.