Once a quarter I make you pay for access to this semi-lucid blog by filling you full of shameless self-promotion. Today is that day.
We're going to start off with the book, 101 Contrarian Ideas About Advertising. We've been the #1 selling advertising book in the U.S. for several months now at Amazon. But today I'm going to throw you a curve and reprint some excerpts from Amazon reviews in the UK:
- "This is without doubt the most stimulating book I've read about marketing & advertising. Bob takes a contrarian view but he supports it with data rather than the overblown but unsubstantiated claims of many "gurus"....How many business related books have made you laugh out loud? This one does."
- "This is the most brilliant book on the world of advertising like ever... And it is the funniest too, probably....Story after story ripping into the world of social media marketing, whilst making it very clear that his own house (Advertising) isn't exactly in order, especially attention being paid to planners, head of the congloms and CMOs....He comes at the subject as a creative and also a believer in evidence, being once a science teacher. Slashing at myths and mumbo jumbo in the world of advertising and marketing, like a swash buckling, Bernbach loving, pizza eating (no pineapple) atheist. He takes few prisoners."
- "His close-to-the-bone wit and sharp sarcasm, whilst hilarious (I dare you to read this book on public transport!) it does have some really good nuggets of insight, equips you with a BS detector... and an arsenal of quips when a colleague/client goes into a buzz-word frenzy."Now that I've convinced you to buy the book, let's do some serious business.
- First, if you are an officer for a consumer products company and you do not have a strategy for reaching people over 50, you are insane. The facts are undeniable and the opportunity is enormous. You need to contact the Type A Group.
- Or, if you run an independent ad agency, it is time for you to figure out what the hell you are doing. If you're early stage, you need to learn how to turn a hobby into a business. If you're middle stage, you need to figure out how to position and differentiate yourself for growth; if you're late stage you need to start planning how you're going to get out with some value (that means money.) You, too, need to contact the Type A Group.
- Finally, if you're a ceo or cmo and your marketing strategy is sucking really bad, you need a whole different way to look at marketing. It's called Creative Turnaround Marketing. Guess how you do that? Bingo. You contact Type A.
Just one more thing. I do one speaking gig a month. I am booked for July, September, and October. If you have an event in August and you need a speaker who will really entertain, stimulate, and annoy your members, act now.
Okay, you are now free of self-serving "content." Contact us then go back to work.