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Rating: 
Summary: Outdated, lacks substance, dwells on marketing basics
Review: I bought this book based one some of the reviews on this site. Unfortunately, this time they failed me. The book is outdated (as it was published 20 years ago) and lacks substance. If you have little or no knowledge of marketing, this might be a decent intro for you. It is relatively easy to read and dwells on few main concepts. However, if you have taken a marketing course in college or have read much on marketing, you will likely find this book dull and uninformative, as I did. Many of the big revelations in the book seem to me to be common sense. Maybe 20 years ago it was revolutionary, but somehow I doubt it. Also, some of the arguments he makes early in the book have been proven wrong by history...All in all, I would probably avoid this book. I was hoping to get some new insights, but this book sure didn't help. If you must buy it, buy a used copy as it certainly isn't worth [the money].
Rating:
Summary: Outdated, lacks substance, dwells on marketing basics
Review: I bought this book based one some of the reviews on this site. Unfortunately, this time they failed me. The book is outdated (as it was published 20 years ago) and lacks substance. If you have little or no knowledge of marketing, this might be a decent intro for you. It is relatively easy to read and dwells on few main concepts. However, if you have taken a marketing course in college or have read much on marketing, you will likely find this book dull and uninformative, as I did. Many of the big revelations in the book seem to me to be common sense. Maybe 20 years ago it was revolutionary, but somehow I doubt it. Also, some of the arguments he makes early in the book have been proven wrong by history...All in all, I would probably avoid this book. I was hoping to get some new insights, but this book sure didn't help. If you must buy it, buy a used copy as it certainly isn't worth [the money].
Rating: 
Summary: The Marketing Intangible Products!
Review: I first learnt the ¡§Intangible¡¨ when I was in secondary school. Then, I have learnt more about ¡§Tangible Product¡¨ and ¡§Intangible Product¡¨ in marketing course in the university. The course also taught me the strategies of promoting the ¡§Intangible Product¡¨ with its special characteristics. This book also taught me about ¡§Intangible¡¨. For example, it would teach you the intangibles of the tangible products, such as the quality of salesman, delivery. But it¡¦s really new for me that, the book explained the marketing intangible products. That is the ¡§promises¡¨. The first thing come to my mind is the ¡§Service Guarantees¡¨. The ¡§Service Guarantees¡¨ have done what is mentioned by the author, to tangibilize the intangible product. It is really important that the ¡§Service Guarantees¡¨ on one hand, gave the customers confidence that they will be satisfied from the service. On the other hand, the ¡§Service Guarantees¡¨ would also remind the customers how they benefit from our product or service. Since people would trend to form the habits after repeat the same behavior for several times. After that, they do continue to do that without pay attention to details. So, I think that it is very important for the marketer to promote benefit that customers receive from our product or service.
Rating:
Summary: The Marketing Intangible Products!
Review: I first learnt the ¡§Intangible¡¨ when I was in secondary school. Then, I have learnt more about ¡§Tangible Product¡¨ and ¡§Intangible Product¡¨ in marketing course in the university. The course also taught me the strategies of promoting the ¡§Intangible Product¡¨ with its special characteristics. This book also taught me about ¡§Intangible¡¨. For example, it would teach you the intangibles of the tangible products, such as the quality of salesman, delivery. But it¡¦s really new for me that, the book explained the marketing intangible products. That is the ¡§promises¡¨. The first thing come to my mind is the ¡§Service Guarantees¡¨. The ¡§Service Guarantees¡¨ have done what is mentioned by the author, to tangibilize the intangible product. It is really important that the ¡§Service Guarantees¡¨ on one hand, gave the customers confidence that they will be satisfied from the service. On the other hand, the ¡§Service Guarantees¡¨ would also remind the customers how they benefit from our product or service. Since people would trend to form the habits after repeat the same behavior for several times. After that, they do continue to do that without pay attention to details. So, I think that it is very important for the marketer to promote benefit that customers receive from our product or service.
Rating: 
Summary: A classic example of educated league
Review: It has an introduction, which is more or less easy to follow. The author tends to use intensified and complex language in his arguments which although tends to mislead the reader from the main message that the author is trying to convey, it augments to the readers understanding to the main situation in the study of marketing. The book is replete with key words, concepts and phrases that help in conveying the main message of the author. The reference to actual actions that have occurred with certain companies and his negative or positive criticizes to such actions adds to the readers understanding of the effect of marketing on the fluctuation of the status of companies and businesses that follow certain economic strategies. The author has divided his book into chapters with titles that correctly suggest the scope of his argument. This style of writing creates a chronological link between the discussed points in the book, which aid in clarifying the main point that the author is conveying
Rating:
Summary: A Business "Classic" Revisited
Review: Of the more than 27 billion books on marketing now in print, none has had a greater impact than has this one. It is truly a masterpiece. By way of background, in 1960 (in its July-August issue), The Harvard Business Review published "Marketing Myopia" in which Levitt ties marketing "more closely to the inner orbit of business policy." Specifically, "Management must think of itself not as producing products but as providing custom-creating value satisfactions." Companies should be marketing-led rather than production-led. That will happen only if and when there is a total commitment by senior management (and especially by the CEO) to satisfying current customers so that they remain loyal, and, to attracting new customers. Only marketing creates or increases demand. Without demand, there are no customers.
In the same article, Levitt makes an important distinction: "Selling concerns itself with the tricks and techniques of getting people to exchange their cash for your product. It is not concerned with the values that the exchange is all about. And it does not, as marketing invariably does, view the entire business process as consisting of a tightly integrated effort to discover, create, arouse, and satisfy customer needs." Given this background, you can now place The Marketing Imagination in a proper context. "Marketing Myopia" is reprinted within the revised edition, first published in 1986.The chapter titles correctly suggest the scope of the subjects Levitt discusses:
1. Marketing and the Corporate Purpose
2. The Globalization of Markets
3. The Industrialization of Service
4. Differentiation -- of Anything
5. Marketing Intangible Products and Product Intangibles
6. Relationship Management
7. The Marketing Imagination
8. Marketing Myopia
9. Exploit the Product Life Cycle
10. Innovative Imitation
11. Marketing and Its Discontents
I now ask you to re-read this list of chapter titles, keeping in mind that Levitt's comments on each subject were formulated 15-20 years ago. That is, pre-WWW. That is, prior to the widespread understanding and appreciation of positioning, paradigms and paradigm shifts, "customized mass production," Marketing Value Added (MVA) to create Economic Value Added (EVA), brand equity, product and service differentiation, etc.
In essence, marketing means "getting and keeping customers in some acceptable proportion relative to competitors." That was true in 1986 when Levitt wrote those words and remains true now. However, even if Levitt and all the other major thought leaders in marketing were to collaborate, their collective genius could not create demand for shoddy goods, nor overcome mediocre customer service. The corollary is also true: neither product superiority nor operational excellence has compelling value to customers unless and until "the marketing imagination" manages their perceptions of them.
If you need to clarify your own thinking on key issues which include but are not limited to marketing, Levitt can be of substantial assistance. Also, you will thoroughly enjoy the pleasure of his company.
Rating:
Summary: Classic text all marketers should own and highlight
Review: This is a collection of classic Ted Levitt articles from "Harvard Business Review." This is where you go to understand the concept of `total product' or `whole product' used by both Moore & Davidow in their marketing books. Those two authors, both of whom I recommend, are more oriented to high-tech. Don't limit your reading by ignoring one of their important influences. I strongly recommend supplementing industry- or market-specific books with Levitt's foundational classic. Every Product Manager and Engineering Manager should own this and read it. Levitt is mind expanding--once you've comprehended him, you realize that virtually everything a company does is relevant to marketing. Take its lessons to heart.
Rating:
Summary: A timeless classic
Review: Though it was first released in 1983, I still do not believe there is a better book on marketing that The Marketing Imagination. It's not a "marketing fad of the week" kind of book, but rather a practically worded treatise on basic concepts that are more often than not overlooked or ignored by those who chase fads and wonder why they're not more successful. Chapter 4, "Differentiation---of Anything" should be tatooed on the forehead of every marketer.
Rating:
Summary: A timeless classic
Review: Though it was first released in 1983, I still do not believe there is a better book on marketing that The Marketing Imagination. It's not a "marketing fad of the week" kind of book, but rather a practically worded treatise on basic concepts that are more often than not overlooked or ignored by those who chase fads and wonder why they're not more successful. Chapter 4, "Differentiation---of Anything" should be tatooed on the forehead of every marketer.
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