BOOK REVIEWS

Essam Mahmoud Arizona State University

Gillian Rice American Graduate School of International Management

Developing, Implementing, and Managing an Effective Marketing Plan

by Hal Goetsch. Chicago, IL, 1993, American Marketing Association, $50.00, 249 pp.

This book begins with great promise. It is inspirational for the first few pages and has the format and style of an inspirational after-dinner speech. Unfortunately it also has the depth, consistency, and accuracy associated with an after-dinner speech. Ideas decades old are presented as recent discoveries of the author. This is a little book made to look big. It uses huge type, lots of nearly blank pages, large spaces between paragraphs, and far too many exam- pies, most of which seem to be included only to take up space. There is no clear focus. The text jumps from topic to topic and examples just happen.

The first 25 pages set the tone for the book. The mar- keting concept is presented as new. A long list of Studeba- ker innovations is presented to demonstrate that the company was a "victim of marketing inertia." The section on "marketing inertia in the retail sector" has little on inertia. It focuses on The Mall of America and other retail successes. Overall, there are too many examples with too little depth on any of them. They are dated and do not seem to be related to the points they are intended to illustrate. The author does make some good points but they are diluted by an absence of detail, poor editing, and a fluffy writing style. Despite the author's repeated use of the expression "in recent years," these points were made better in the introductory textbooks of a generation ago. Editing would have helped. The author felt compelled to add "people" to the standard four P's but included only four P's in Exhibit 2, the only place the marketing mix is "discussed." The clichts get old, although nothing in the

Journal of the Academy of Marketing Science. Volume 22, No. 2, pages 186-190. Copyright �9 1994 by Academy of Marketing Science.

first 25 pages is quite as bad as the three blind men and the elephant (p. 43).

The book brushes lightly over many topics without providing usable information. The reader is left to guess what terms mean, let alone how to implement concepts. For example, Management by Objectives appears several places in the book. Seven pages from the end, a mere 18 words are used to describe "the basics of MBO." The discussion of the marketing audit is composed almost entirely of a list of secondary data sources. The author does not tell the reader how to do one. Three and one half pages are devoted to pricing. Most of this is taken up with 33 questions in point form. While these questions have some value, they are not nearly enough on "the toughest part of marketing . . . . "The rest of this section is of little use to a manager needing to make pricing decisions.

This is a throw-together, both in the writing and in the editing. It may sell, but I would be surprised if many people bother to read it to the end.

mRick Sparkman Acadia University

How to Create Interest-Evoking, Sales- Inducing, Non-Irritating Advertising

by Walter Weir. New York: Haworth, 1993, $29.95, 213 pp.

It is refreshing to come across an advertising text that essentially tells it like it is. Waiter Weir's How to Create Interest-Evoking, Sales-lnducing, Non-Irritating Adver- tising is a timely in-depth analysis of the written word in today's world of advertising. His emphasis focuses on copywriting as opposed to the planning and strategic de- cision making involved with the development and imple- mentation of advertising campaigns.

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Weir believes that the root of all advertising is the copy. Copy styles differ for different media as well as for the product and the intention of the advertiser. For example, in his discussion of corporate advertising in newspapers, Weir writes, "To be an effective copywriter, an individual must familiarize himself or herself with many businesses and how they function and what they contr ibute . . , cor- porate advertising can be totally unrelated to what the business does or produces and simply reflects what its management thinks." In another chapter on trade advertis- ing, Weir notes, "By contrast, trade magazines are edited and published to provide specialized information . . . . " Hence Weir points out that different copy styles are neces- sary when writing advertisements for different products and/or with different intentions.

In reviewing advertisements for TV and various other media, there has been an increasing trend by advertisers to copy those ads that are perceived as "winners." Given this, to create an ad, someone could just copy one that is "successful." However, in Weir's book, there are no exam- pies of so-called winning advertisements as so commonly seen in general advertising texts. According to Weir, copy- ing yesterday's winner may have devastating results today. Copying various patterns of advertising may not be appro- priate for the product and, furthermore, does not use a copywriter's talent for originality. Weir wants to eliminate this adversity to originality in today's and tomorrow's copywriters and encourage them to produce interest-evok- ing, sales-inducing, non-irritating advertising.

With a foundation in Starch techniques, Weir gives instructions rather than providing a multitude of pictured examples for copywriters to pattern. Why copy? he ex- claims! For example, in "Direct Response Advertising," based on Starch findings, Weir outlines favorable typesets, use of lower- and upper-case letters, positioning of head- lines, coupons, and so forth. However, there seems to be a contradiction here. If a multitude of instructions are given to write the optimal advertising copy, what room is there for originality? Tracy Locke once said that if an advertiser can break the rules, but even more important, break them successfully, it has chartered new waters. How are copy- writers' talents to be used if they must consistently follow a set of rules for writing copy for various media? Creativity is stifled in this rigid environment.

In addition, because photographs of winning advertise- ments do not accompany written examples as presented in the text, doesn't this provide an atmosphere for greater miscommunication? I f it is a known fact that 5 percent of the target audience gets the message as intended, doesn't simply explaining the ad allow for greater misinterpreta- tion of the idea? Photos might be included in future edi- tions to minimize miscommunication and aid in retention of the material.

The book is composed of 42 chapters that are compre- hensive, yet concise. Topics focus on the copywriting aspects for various media from TV to magazine and leaf- lets to direct mail. Weir also focuses on the specifics of copywriting with chapters like "Dramatization vs. Dia- logue," "Headlines," "The Stand-Up Pitch," and more. Each chapter is about two to three pages long, with "Ques-

tions for Discussion" and "Project" sections concluding each topic. Specifically, the "Project" sections help in identifying exercises that could aid students to further understand the textbook and lecture material. Some of the exercises include identifying certain types of advertise- ments in newspapers, TV, and radio as well as creating them. These are helpful ways to invite students to discover current advertising techniques and enrich the chapter material.

Although Weir's book is refreshing in the world of theory-based advertising texts, I still prefer those theory- based books as the primary text over Weir's. His book serves as a guide, a handy reference for advertising pro- fessionals as well as an academic text for university under- graduates. For a copywriting class this book would indeed be ideal; however, in more limited marketing programs, a book of this nature would work best supplementing theo- retically based general advertising texts. Because market- ers are involved with determining marketing and ad- vertising objectives, advertising budgets, GRPs, CPMs, and how campaigns are to be evaluated, just to name a few, Weir's book would best serve as a guide when it comes to developing and evaluating copy. Furthermore, as a handy reference it would be advisable in future editions to present the information in bullet form, figures, tables, or graphs rather than text for easy scanning and retention of the material.

Overall, How to Create Interest-Evoking, Sales Induc- ing, Non-Irritating Advertising, is well written and timely (in a world of copycat advertising) with only one or two shortcomings. It combines the author's knowledge from a practitioner's point of view with coverage from an aca- demic's perspective.

Victoria A. Seitz California State University, San Bernardino

Marketing Masters: Secrets o f America's Best Companies

by Gene Walden and Edmund O. Lawler. 1993, HarperBusiness, $22.50.

Regis McKenna concludes his 1991 Harvard Busi- ness Review article, "Marketing Is Everything," with the following:

That is why marketing is everyone's job, why mar- keting is everything and everything is marketing. (p. 79)

In tune with McKenna's thesis surrounding the impor- tance of the customer, we now witness the onset of books such as this one by Walden and Lawler. Unlike McKenna, however, Walden and Lawler tend to focus on marketing as a function with domain ownership. As such, one does not find reference to the notion of a customer orientation permeating the organization.

188 JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF MARKETING SCIENCE SPRING 1994

Like McKenna, I tend to think of a customer orientation as something that everyone in the organization has respon- sibility for, and I believe both academics and practitioners have made great strides in implementing such an orienta- tion. The implementation has focused on such things as multidisciplinary teams, reengineering, and mass customi- zation. As such, I was somewhat surprised to see very little of this in the book and somewhat shocked that nothing along these lines was referred to as a"secret." In hindsight, my thoughts regarding a customer orientation may have shaded my reading of the book. (If notlaing else, it made me read the book more than once to make sure I had not overlooked anything.)

Wanting to avoid a jaded review since my personal and professional expectations were not met, I decided to ap- proach the review of this book from another angle--a more structured, critical analysis of the approach the au- thors took to preparing the data and the method to reach conclusions concerning what made a firm a "marketing master."

Marketing Masters is a collection of vignettes describ- ing 38 examples of what the authors say are "the best marketers in America." The nine chapter rifles are catchy. Chapter 2, "Launching Against All Odds," provides exam- pies of companies that have launched successful products in the wake of 13,000 new product introductions each year (with few being successful). "Back From the Dead" (Chapter 7) focuses on companies that have revitalized dying products. And, Chapter 8, "Establishing Distant Beachheads," adds a strong international flavor to the book. (However, I am still very uncertain about this chap- ter title.)

Regarding "Secrets of America's Best Companies," however, I cannot figure out how the authors determined "best." The introduction to the book is "Defining Best." Yet, I was never able to pinpoint the criteria for "best." Rather, the authors say they selected companies in varying stages of corporate development and from a full spectrum of industries. Walden and Lawler assume that small com- panies can learn from blue chip businesses, that small companies may be the most creative marketers, that les- sons can be learned from failure and adversity, and that effective marketing is essential to all businesses in pursuit of success. I still cannot grasp the criteria for "best." Although these assumptions may be valid, anyone reading the book must keep in mind that "best" could be the availability of information (i.e., companies with stories to share?). What if the best companies are really keeping their secrets as secrets? If so, Walden and Lawler's "marketing masters" may not really be the masters at all.

The authors actually contradict themselves several times. For example, the book suggests at one point that the best marketers know that they must go beyond selling to reach the customers . . , adaptability is the key. Yet, early on, the authors quote Robert Louis Stevenson ("Everyone lives by selling something") and Samuel Butler ("Any fool can paint a picture, but it takes a wise man to sell it") and they also begin Chapter 1 with"In the day-to-day business of peddling goods and services . . . . " I have a difficult time

reconciling a customer orientation with such emphasis on selling (i.e., "peddling").

Regarding advertising, Horst Rechelbacher of Aveda Corporation is quoted as thinking that a lot of money is wasted on advertising. Yet the company story immediately preceding the quote says that "no one in the mail-order computer business spends more on advertising than Zeos." Would Rechelbacher think that Zeos was wasting the $2 million a month it spends on advertising? Why/why not? In the next chapter, focusing on business-to-business mar- keting, we find that Truevision creates barriers through advertising. Would Rechelbacher think Truevision was wasting its money on advertising? Why/why not? Analyz- ing these situations could have provided some valuable insight, yet the authors ignore apparent conflicts in these three "best" companies.

Another irritating conflict surrounded the notion of market planning. Chapter 1 quotes Biomet CEO Dane Miller as saying they do not operate from a five-year marketing plan. The connotation is somewhat disdaining regarding the value of such a plan. However, on page 177, Myrna Deckert, Executive Director of the E1 Paso YWCA, talks about the value of a plan ("Got to Have a Plan"). Interestingly, Deckert's discussion actually moves beyond description to analysis and focuses on implementation as being the critical component. Unfortunately, Walden and Lawler overlook implementation as a "secret" to success.

There were many issues/items presented in the com- pany vignettes that were not new or informative. In order of appearance in the book: 1) a toll-free hot line (Gerber) (haven't these been around a long rime and used by many companies?), 2) the distinction between 'push' and 'pull' (Newell), (have I been expecting too much from my un- dergraduates?), 3) franchising (Subway Sandwiches) (didn't this help make Pizza Hut, Domino's, Burger King, and many others successful?), and 4) "Unique products require unique marketing strategies" (Octel Commu- nications) (this is not too profound, is it?). I look at these four, in particular, and have trouble discerning the value added to the person wanting to learn from the masters of marketing.

The lack of any analysis in drawing conclusions sur- rounding the companies selected for this book is evident in many instances. Chapter 4 defines three elements nec- essary to succeed in the highly competitive consumer market of the 1990s--value, convenience, and effective marketing. The companies described in this chapter do incorporate these elements. However, I am not sure that the companies described in Chapters 2 and 3 incorporate these three elements as well. Does this mean that Gerber and Southwest Airlines are not really masters after all? (By the way, what's "effective marketing?")

Other examples of description taking precedence over meaningful analysis are the following:

Aveda Corporation plans to open 500 stores in the next five years. I am uncertain why 500 is the number to open. The authors might have helped Aveda a little by pursuing the validity of that num-

BOOK REVIEWS 189

ber. Or, the authors may have helped the reader by describing the technique used to find that 500 stores should open in the next five years.

�9 Maybe Subway Sandwiches could use a little help with the disgruntled former franchise owners who think the site selection process leaves much to be desired. If these former franchisees are having con- cerns worthy of a Wall Street Journal article, is Subway's site selection process really that great?

�9 Does capturing share of mind capture market share? U.S. Pioneer captured share of mind In the 1970s but was having major problems capturing share of mar- ket. Truevision may find that there is more to market share than meets the eye (e.g., distributors in part- nership with manufacturers).

�9 How familiar is Octel with the concept of mass customization? Can the company remain a market- ing master if it is not at least keeping up with capabilities in the marketplace?

Occasionally, the authors make comments such as "suc- cess formula," "the toughest sell," "distant beachheads," and "ten secrets o f . . . " without justification, definition, or rationalization. What is Pitney Bowes' success formula?-- support appears to be the commonality, yet the authors never draw that conclusion. Who says business-to-business is the toughest sell? Why is it? Is there something unique about business-to-business marketing that makes it more difficult than those fickle consumers? What is a distant beachhead? Are Devon Direct's 10 secrets of successful direct marketing really secrets if they are printed in a book?

Regarding the structure of the book, the framework developed does not warrant such a lengthy exegesis. The unifying piece to each chapter appears to be the title---one definitely does not see linkages among the companies when reading the anecdotes--the dividing double line signifies the end of the old anecdote and the start of a new one. There are no summaries or conclusions within the chapters. Also, the brief overview of each company (often a quote from the CEO) at the beginning of each chapter does not do much aside from avoiding starting each chap- ter with one of the anecdotes.

Finally, I have to question the value added of the last chapter (which, by the way, appears to identify the major thrusts of the master companies). First, I do not see the logic used for arriving at the 14 items that "differentiate the great companies from the others." Second, 5 of the 14 are identified in any marketing principles text: pricing, distribution, packaging, promotion, and target marketing. Granted, I believe these five are very important, but the authors try to present these as secrets(?). Rather, I think the authors may have missed the boat somewhat due to their lack of analysis. They provide a story about Devon Direct and refer to Devon's direct involvement with the client. It seems like there might be something valuable in that partnership strategy (and a lesson to be learned consistent with what we are seeing in the marketplace today), yet the authors overlook this issue. Anyway, the last chapter does nothing to add value beyond repeating ideas/practices

found in earlier chapters. It certainly does not address how or when to put "principles to practice" as the title implies.

While it is easy to see that I do not rate this book highly, I might recommend it to the marketing academic (or executive) who likes to use real-world examples to de- scribe points/issues. The companies may or may not be "marketing masters," but the vignettes are examples of some good marketing practice. The book presents stories from many companies and has served to shorten my pe- rusal time of the current business press.

In sum, Devon Direct's list of 10 secrets of direct marketing ends with "Be wary of any list of ten sure-fire direct-marketing tips." My recommendation regarding this book: Be wary of any book that claims to include marketing secrets.

Victoria L. Crittenden Boston College

M o s c o w Mee t s Mad i son Avenue

by Gary Burandt with Nancy Giges New York: Harpe r Collins, 1992, $22.50, p. 222.

In 1989, the advertising agency Y & R/Sovero officially opened in Moscow. The agency was formed through a joint venture between international ad agency Young and Rubicam and the government-owned agency responsible for international advertising, Vneshtorgreklama. Moscow Meets Madison Avenue is an account of Gary Burandt's experiences as the first CEO of Y & R/Sovero. Scattered throughout the pages of the book the reader finds interest- ing anecdotes about life in this Russian city and about what one may still expect when doing business there. In telling his story, Burandt states in the beginning that he has tried to do it in an entertaining fashion, arranged topically and nonchronologically, with each of the 13 chapters generally independent in its focus. The book, therefore, is narrative and descriptive in style and not an academic or technical treatment of market entry or doing business in the Moscow environment. Nevertheless, in addition to Burandt's enter- taining and humorous experiences, the book also touches on and illustrates several issues that have received much attention in both academic and practitioner media.

The most significant contribution of Moscow Meets Madison Avenue is its validation of what is needed for successful marketing in the emerging markets of the for- mer command economies of Europe. Burandt stresses the need for a major commitment of agency resources, people, and money. He notes that this long-term investment could be more palatable for a privately held firm but more difficult to swallow for publicly held companies with more short term-oriented performance concerns. According to the author, marketing and advertising success in a country such as Russia begins with "creating an environment to encourage the free thinking that precedes good ideas, smart strategies, and exciting ad campaigns. It starts with

190 JOURNAL OF THE ACADEMY OF MARKETING SCIENCE SPRING 1994

finding the best people for the job and finding a place for them to work productively. Most important, it starts with the concept of choice free choice in a free market- place." Burandt concedes that the difficulty lies in teaching the concept of choice in an atmosphere of scarcity: teach- ing about different brands in a single-product category when there is no product on store shelves. An added challenge is training a Russian staff, particularly in a ser- vice industry, to understand that marketing is about custo- mer satisfaction.

As discussed in Chapter 5, critical to marketing and advertising success in the former Soviet Union is a sub- stantial understanding of the needs, as well as limitations, of the Russian consumer. Before focusing on traditional advertising or public relations, both the Russian marketer and customer need a more basic education on a market economy based on supply and demand. Western marketers need to understand Russian consumer behavior and the loyalty of the Russian customer to a firm or brand that can regularly provide an adequate supply of product. More- over, consumer education about product existence and basic features or uses, while taken for granted in more developed markets, is a fundamental prerequisite in an emerging economy like Russia. These points emphasize the two important marketing considerations in the former Soviet Union: limited manufacturing capabilities and lack of consumer knowledge. Adequate awareness and under- standing of these concerns may lead to the need for adap- tation of the marketing mix such as packaging, pricing, and product strategy. For example, effective advertising would be educational instead of promotional or competitive. A good example discussed by Burandt was the experience of Tambrands | and Tampax | and the lessons that were learned from it.

The relative importance of secondary marketing tools may also change, as further illustrated in the book. Whereas television advertising may dominate in the United States, trade shows are a more significant advertis- ing and promotional tool in markets such as Russia's where media availability is insufficient. Media advertising needs to be developed further. Burandt points out that TV advertising, for example, has to begin "from ground zero" to establish a Western-type broadcast with programming that would attract viewers and advertisers alike. He la- ments that the Moscow network people do not know the concepts of dayparts, research, or audience measurements. The Russians basically see advertising and marketing as tantamount to selling. Western marketers should realize that their Russian counterparts need experience, resources, and a service-oriented attitude. Moreover, Western mar- keters need to understand the workings of the Russian

distribution system and learn how to effectively use it despite the notorious bureaucracy. Finally, the importance and difficulty of obtaining adequate and accurate market research increase in an unfamiliar environment like what Burandt had to deal with. A reliance on local input, a focus on psychographics, and the difficulties with focus groups are just a few of the relevant considerations that concerned the author.

Several chapters of the book tend to ramble with a more personal and human touch, focusing on people important to Burandt. The chapter on the author's wife does make a point often overlooked: that expatriate adjustments do include spouse considerations. However, devoting an en- tire chapter to it proved to be too long and irrelevant. Also too personal and lengthy is the chapter about Burandt's partner. These chapters are more fragmented and redun- dant. This, however, may be a symptom of the book's nonchronological approach. What this reviewer would have found more interesting would be more on the Y & R/Sovero's experiences while operating in Moscow (more of Chapter 5). Burandt also briefly mentions Young and Rubicam's philosophy of offering its clients "the whole egg" - - "a total communications package: not only adver- tising but sales promotion, public relations, direct re- sponse, and corporate design all under one roof." The author claims that almost all agencies have adopted this philosophy today. However, the book does not mention the keys to success, pitfalls, or difficulties (the case of Saatchi and Saatchi, for example) of such an approach. A more in-depth coverage of the author's joint venture experience, from letter of intent to agreement document development to joint venture maintenance, would also have been more interesting.

Moscow Meets Madison Avenue does not have much in terms of any objective theoretical or empirical contribu- tion, nor does it have any clearly defined conceptual or managerial implications or prescription. However, it has survived the uncertainties of two coups. Both academics and practitioners may find the book useful as an important supplement to more technical reading, providing person- alized real-life experiences that illustrate the issues con- cerning doing business in Russia. For the American businessman about to do business in Moscow, careful and substantial preparation is obviously needed for success. Reading Moscow Meets Madison Avenue on the long flight to Russia would be an entertaining and relevant way to cap off such preparation.

Francis M. Ulgado Georgia Institute of Technology