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Rating: 
Summary: Used as a sales tool ... to his own staff
Review: As a former employee of the EuroRSCG empire, one of the most common things we heard from the top brass was, "hey theres a new book out by bob, go buy out" I swear we got that once a week. I did read the book, found it interesting, and would have given it a better rating if i wasnt sick of the sight, and name of it. Good ideas and the CBI concept would work, if we actually used it, which we never did. Twaddle + (Internal & External) Book Promotion = One Rich Bob S.
Rating: 
Summary: Great book for anyone in the business world
Review: As someone who manages others for a living, I especially enjoyed
reading
about leadership on all levels, and inviting creativity into the
boardroom.
Leaders shouldn't just be figureheads; they need to encourage
creativity in
an organization by using it themselves. I've already bought copies for
those who work with me.
Rating: 
Summary: Could have been a great one
Review: Drawing on his 30 years in advertising, the author (CEO of one of the world's largest advertising and communications agencies) presents his philosophy and key to success which centers on bringing creative thinking to business strategy. Schmetterer writes "Connect the creative and business worlds, instill the magic of creativity into the very fabric and nature of business itself, and we can create the future." Stern's Management Review Online at hrconsultant.com gets many books on creativity but this one stands out for two reasons:
(1) it is written with a passion that brings its content to life and
(2) it truly shows how companies achieve a creativity-business strategy fusion that leads to success. This work is filled with examples of businesses that used leaps over the gap between strategy and advertising; what happens in this leap is "magic." The book is both the story of the author's success in business and a plethora of accounts of creativity applied as "creative business ideas." LEAP! is a fast-paced, stirring book that drives home its message with verve!
Rating:
Summary: Highly Recommended!
Review: Every executive pays lip service to creativity, but truly unusual ideas are tough to find among the button-down set. When it comes to encouraging and developing groundbreaking ideas, most organizations are at a loss. Enter advertising exec Bob Schmetterer and his focus on creative business ideas. These strategies, such as Volvo's emphasis on safety, set a brand apart from its rivals. How do you get creative? It could be as simple as tearing out your office doors and walls, and hiring a few dyslexics. Schmetterer's clear, crisp writing style, bold suggestions and liberal use of intriguing corporate case studies make this book a joy to read. We suggest it to any executive whose brand must cut through the clutter.
Rating:
Summary: Used as a sales tool ... to his own staff
Review: In working with Management teams charged with business development, our perspective is to always challenge the purpose of an effort or endeavor. No `work' exists that ignores the business product, clear communication, and an experience. All three components apply to anything we do either working for ourselves or companies as a: consultant, customer service agent, gas station attendant, secretary, CEO, insurance agent, factory worker, and of course, an advertising and marketing agency representative. Bob Schmetterer offers a framework for you to get at Why you do what you do, and How do you do it. This book is an inspiration for taking whatever you are engaged with, turning it on its side, and challenging the very premise of its existence. As I read the book, I have made so many notes that I must be careful not to overwhelm my customers with too many questions, challenges, and ideas. If you soak-up all the principles awash throughout the book and apply what you learn to your work or experiences you already know, you could walk into the Kroger and redesign the Experience of the produce department, propose a new Brand perspective to AAA insurance, or redefine how your customers `use you.' To be inspired, the reading material has to be inspiring. Bob Schmetterer's LEAP will go down in business literature as a fairy tale come to life. Bob, please conscript me into your service!
Rating:
Summary: There's No Time Like the Future
Review: In working with Management teams charged with business development, our perspective is to always challenge the purpose of an effort or endeavor. No 'work' exists that ignores the business product, clear communication, and an experience. All three components apply to anything we do either working for ourselves or companies as a: consultant, customer service agent, gas station attendant, secretary, CEO, insurance agent, factory worker, and of course, an advertising and marketing agency representative. Bob Schmetterer offers a framework for you to get at Why you do what you do, and How do you do it. This book is an inspiration for taking whatever you are engaged with, turning it on its side, and challenging the very premise of its existence. As I read the book, I have made so many notes that I must be careful not to overwhelm my customers with too many questions, challenges, and ideas. If you soak-up all the principles awash throughout the book and apply what you learn to your work or experiences you already know, you could walk into the Kroger and redesign the Experience of the produce department, propose a new Brand perspective to AAA insurance, or redefine how your customers 'use you.' To be inspired, the reading material has to be inspiring. Bob Schmetterer's LEAP will go down in business literature as a fairy tale come to life. Bob, please conscript me into your service!
Rating:
Summary: What your right brain wants and your left brain needs
Review: Like all the best books of its kind, Leap showcases entertaining case histories and lets them speak to make its points. And its core point is to harness creativity in business and apply it to business strategy rather than just to advertising. If you're not in the hot-house world of advertising, then this point may have a high duuuh factor - innovation and creativity are the hallmarks of many great businesses. But it's a point that author Bob Schmetterer makes tellingly, with great passion. He spotlights well-known examples such as Richard Branson. He also tells the tales of some less-known but equally entertaining figures such as chicken supremo Frank Perdue. If you have anything to do with advertising and marketing, then prepare to wrestle with Schmetterer's notion of agencies moving into Creative Business Ideas. For many it will seem tantamount to either heresy or lunacy. Yet it's neither, it's already happening. He offers some great examples where advertising people have come up with original ideas that communicate powerfully and transform businesses. Schmetterer's writing is engaging and informative. He brings a whole cast of characters to life with warmth. As befits the head of a global agency group, he has plenty of insights and anecdotes from outside the United States. While Leap offers some clear tips, it's not a 10-steps how-to manual. And despite the occasionally gushy tone, it isn't a CEO schmooze fest. It is a great read for anyone needing the courage and inspiration to spread their wings.
Rating:
Summary: One man's view
Review: The value of this book comes more from the entertaining story-like approach, rather than the business value. This is your book if you are looking for ideas/phrases like: the end of advertising; revolution in creative business strategy; left brain meets right brain; brand and company DNA; we face new times that require new tools.
The lack of research behind it makes this book more a local man's tale and a long opinion, which in turn causes the book to fall into repetitive ad and business jargon clichés. Probably the common mistake of many successful-business-man-turned-author.
My recommendation: approach this book with a great deal of business skepticism, but with a great sprit of enjoying a good story (especially if you are part of the madison ave crowd).
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