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Summary: Kash's winning ways
Review: Here is a book that in only 233 pages, plus 10 more pages of helpful notes, turns a basic law of economics on its head--to the benefit of any business manager who wants what the book promises: "faster growth and higher profits."The beauty of the book is that it is well-written, easy to grasp, and makes use of the most business-basic way to inform: the case history. Author Rick Kash, founder and CEO of The Cambridge Group, the Chicago-based business consulting firm, makes use of case histories that are like nails that drive home the points in his persuasive arguments. Best of all, Kash's case histories are given from an insider point of view, because his firm was the consultant for most of the companies cited. They are a blue-chip roster of American business: Merrill Lynch, AT&T,Citibank, Levi Strauss & Co., R.R. Donnelly, McDonald's Corporation, PepsiCo, Inc., DuPont, Pharmacia Upjohn, the Quaker Oats Company, and Sears, Roebuck and Co. The case histories are dazzling in their cumulative effect to document what Kash calls his "Six Principles" of demand strategy. This is a business book that reads better than a "whodunit." It's a "howtheydidit," using the six principles Mr. Kash espouses. Well done, Mr. Kash.
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Summary: From the makers of Duh Magazine.
Review: Okay, this should not be revolutionary to anyone. Companies should concentrate on demand and customers? Uh, thanks. Try to differentiate your product to get higher returns. Uh, thanks again. Proper resource allocation is essential. No, really? Kash makes some good suggestions on how companies should develop, market, research and produce in order to meet demand, instead of concentrating all efforts into the supply side. These suggestions, which are very sound, are just plain common sense. It's not revolutionary in any terms. He develops six principles on which to do this and devotes chapters to it, ranging from researching to resource allocation. I would provide the list here, but then that would mean Kash's book would be entirely useless. What's more insulting than the "revolutionary" in the title are the complements on the back of the book. Such people as the head of McDonalds, EMC, and Gillete have gave great reviews for this book. Of course, if you read the book, you'll see that Kash has actually praised those executives countless times. If someone wrote a book about me, and praised me - heck, I'd consider it a literary masterpiece. This book just basically is a list of principles wrapped around tons of success stories and a complete lack of humility. Avoid it.
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Summary: The book every marketer needs to drive strategy
Review: The central argument Mr Kash makes is dead on: After decades of building businesses based on what a company can make, companies have to build their businesses on what consumers demand. A simple principle but, as the author makes clear, one that is hard to execute as it is so contrary to how most business people have been trained to plan. I've worked on a project once with the Cambridge Group, Mr Kash's firm, and this book summarizes the philosophy that has made this firm one of the best marketing strategy firms in the country: Get past the old thinking of selling what you think the consumer will buy. You have to do the hard work of analyzing the consumer market from understanding their true needs and then building your business to deliver on those needs. A must read for every marketer who wants to lead their businesses overall strategy.
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