LIES, DAMNED LIES, AND MARKETING

A manual argues for a more holistically strategic approach to marketing that distinguishes success from sophistry.

Minocha observes that marketing often arouses suspicion, at least in part due to a tendency on the part of its professionals to chronically overpromise and underdeliver. But the real problem, the author avers, is usually the absence of a “big and comprehensive picture,” a “holistic” interpretation of strategy that serves as a framework for more minute tactical decisions. Minocha therefore distinguishes between “Big-M marketing” and “small-m marketing.” The latter refers to the tactical or “visible” aspect of marketing like advertising and logos, while the former covers the “foundational elements that help define your business strategy,” a company’s chief goals, target consumer base, and “competitive landscape.” The author strongly counsels readers to sharply formulate one’s marketing mission statement first or risk a lot of wasted time, effort, and money. Minocha expands at length on both features of marketing, furnishing plenty of helpful strategies illustrated with concrete examples, including from his own considerable experience. He covers a wide range of topics, from why a head of marketing should be in charge of setting prices to the proper role of sales. He writes lucidly, in an easily accessible style, and is unafraid to challenge orthodoxy—he cautions against the abandonment of traditional advertising for digital, warns against a rush to automation, denounces an excessive emphasis on speed in general, and discusses the limitations of social media. But he is prone to indulge in the banal conventions of the publishing genre; for example, he insists the customer isn’t merely a rational, calculating machine, but has emotions, too. Minocha even marshals some vapid pop neuroscience to substantiate this ersatz insight. But overall, this book should be a helpful reference to marketing executives and to those responsible for judging their work.

A thorough and useful guide to modern marketing.