Favorite Marketing Books Ever

October 4, 2006 9:09 AM

Your favorite marketing books of all time, please. Just two requirements: One, no textbooks or "principles of marketing" books. Two, only books with actionable ideas, preferably with guidelines, even, to implement whatever strategy the author is proposing. Thanks!
posted by whitebird to work & money (13 comments total)

The Big Idea, Robert Jones. Amazon link.

If you are able to influence the culture of your organisation at all, even through simply exhibiting certain behaviours, this book will interest you. It discusses the Big Ideas that started and continue to underpin certain companies (Orange, Apple etc) that go beyond the usual profit motivation and how these companies' big ideas continue to attract customers through unwavering belief in those ideas.

Should come with a warning label though - it's liable to make you very dissatisfied with your own place of employment...
posted by mooders at 9:18 AM on October 4, 2006

What area of marketing? Retailing? Strategy and concept? Advertising?
posted by SpecialK at 9:20 AM on October 4, 2006

"The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell has gotten a lot of press lately, and it's a quick read.
posted by chrisamiller at 9:25 AM on October 4, 2006

Preferably strategy and concept, but if you have a book idea related to another area of marketing, I'd love to hear about it!
posted by whitebird at 9:34 AM on October 4, 2006

"Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This" by Luke Sullivan. Fantastic book on creative development for advertising. And how to avoid schlock.
posted by theinsectsarewaiting at 9:40 AM on October 4, 2006

"Hey, Whipple, Squeeze This"

Read that one. Great book, indeed.
posted by whitebird at 9:56 AM on October 4, 2006

The Cluetrain Manifesto. I personally find its style annoying, but I sure wish more companies would embrace its ideas.

The Purple Cow also meets your requirements. I haven't read the book, but the author (Seth Godin) is generally worth reading.
posted by mbrubeck at 11:11 AM on October 4, 2006

Guerilla marketing. Really. Practical for the small business.
posted by filmgeek at 12:51 PM on October 4, 2006

Crossing the Chasm by Geoffrey Moore. Anything by Geoff is good.
posted by zaebiz at 1:47 PM on October 4, 2006

second Guerilla Marketing. wikipedia article.
posted by theora55 at 2:06 PM on October 4, 2006

sullivan's whipple is probably the best book on advertising yet but it's not about marketing. those are two different disciplines.
posted by krautland at 3:10 PM on October 4, 2006

Thanks, all!

I'm planning to read "Crossing the Chasm," as of now, then "Guerilla Marketing."

BTW, I would humbly propose that advertising *is* an area of marketing, as part of promotion.
posted by whitebird at 8:03 AM on October 5, 2006

wikipedia:

Marketing is a social and managerial function associated with the process of researching, developing, promoting, selling, and distributing a product, service, or intellectual property.

Advertising is the business of drawing public attention to goods and services, and performed through a variety of media. It is an important part of an overall promotional strategy. Other components of the promotional mix include publicity, public relations, personal selling, and sales promotion.

I'm an art director. I come up with ads. I am in advertising. the insurance-type jocks who try to figure out how my idea is actually going to move product off the shelves, who buy media and get erections when the needle moves an inch - they are in marketing.

I have absolutely positively nothing to do with them. I don't care about their world. advertising is not marketing, just as a hammer is not a toolbox. it is a method used in marketing, just as a hammer might be found inside a toolbox.
posted by krautland at 10:01 AM on October 5, 2006