Jack Trout on Strategy

Rating:
Summary: Recommendation
Review: My recommendation goes both ways. Over all the book is really good and I would definitely recommend it to people. It would be a good book for people that do not have much knowledge about marketing strategy and they would gain a lot by reading this book. On the other hand, I would not recommend it to someone who has already read quite a few of Jack Trout's books before. This book seems to sum up a lot of what he has to say in his other books. In fact, this book almost seems like it is trying to sell other books that he has written in the past. So if you have already gathered quite a bit of knowledge from Jack Trout, this book could be very repetitive to you.

Rating:
Summary: Great synthesis of Trout's work
Review: I don't agree with other reviewers. This book, as the author estates, is a synthesis of his previous work. Like a "greatest hits album". I have read all his books. True, he repeats himself (a lot), but I believe marketing basics MUST be repeated again and again because the temptation of doing something stupid (like forgetting strategy IS all about differentiation, line-extending brands or running campaigns in the media without a simple, powerful, clear and unique USP) is really an issue for all of us CEOs who have to leapfrog from quarter to quarter among the insane pressures from other stakeholders who really don't understand marketing, such as board members, shareholders and the almighty Wall Street.

Bottom line, buy this book if you want a kind of synopsis of Jack Trout thinking on the topic of strategy. Or, if you prefer, read all his ten other books. Among them (apart from the ones he co-wrote with Al Ries, which are all SPECTACULAR stuff), my favorites are, by far, Differentiate or Die and the Power of Simplicity. Now, this is really groundbreaking work. Trout on Strategy not about new ideas. It's about the immutable ideas he has been trying to get into our rebel minds during the last couple of decades. Remember. It's a greatest hits album. So be prepared to listen to the same classic tunes.

Rating:
Summary: Solid Counsel - but...
Review: I love Jack's strategic perspective. More CEO's and Marketing Executives should heed it. My personal disappointment with this book is it was in some cases, a word for word, cut-paste from his previous work. Maybe it's good he's put his previous works into an abreviated single book. But, personally, I expected new thinking. I regularly re-read some of his older books, so I didn't need to pay for the repetition. That leaves me wondering how to rate it. The content is a 5. But it's the same content I've already paid for in other books, so I have to knock a few stars off.

Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: Jack Trout made his name with straight, pithy talk about marketing. This book falls into the Trout tradition. Although some of his core points - protect your differentiation, avoid jargon, focus tightly - have been said before, frequently by him, he has a good salesman's way of making it seem fresh and exciting. A reminder of certain basic, important verities is often useful, no matter how established they are. Trout is best in intense doses and much of what he has to say here, while not complicated, is true, practical and useful. Any marketer who reads this book will learn something of value. We find it a worthwhile addition to the promoter's library as a motivational handbook, a memory jogger or a collection of short servings of solid advice.

Rating:
Summary: Horrible, Painful
Review: This book stinks.
For some reason, Both Ries and Trout get away with recycling old material and putting a new name on it.
More than that, you couldn't tell that their partnership fell apart years ago since the same ideas, and more importantly, the same examples are used extensively in each man's books.

For Example:
These guys must LOVE Papa Johns (or be shareholder's, as they both mention the compony time and time again (In multiple books as well) as some paragon of food and of great marketing. As far as I'm concerned, Papa John's is indistinguishable from Domino's. I wonder if either man has ever even tried it.

Marketing ALONE DOES NOT EQUAL STRATEGY. But Trout doesn't get that.

This book continually simplifies the reasons behind the success and/or failure of various companies and products to the poor use of publicity. No mention of poor management or shifting markets, or the fact that the product or service stunk in the first place.

He continues to show his ignorance of technology and pop culture with incorrect example after incorrect example.
Also chapters are repetitive and no usable information.

Save your money. A stinker of a book.

Rating:
Summary: Understands the mind of the consumer
Review: Trout again does a good job of identifying key strategical concepts. He uses his vast knowledge of brands and their effect on the consumers ability to choose. If you need help formluting a better strategy for your company, I suggest checking this out.