Marketing: The Core (Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Marketing)
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • excellent
Marketing: The Core (Mcgraw-Hill/Irwin Series in Marketing)
Roger A. Kerin , Steven W. Hartley , and William Rudelius
Manufacturer: Irwin/McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0072547030

Book Description

MARKETING: THE CORE, 1/e by Kerin, Hartley, and Rudelius continues the tradition of cutting-edge content and student-friendliness set by Marketing 7/e, but in a shorter, more concise package. The Core distills Marketing’s 22 chapters down to 18, leaving instructors just the content they need to cover the essentials of marketing in a single semester/quarter. Instructors using The Core also benefit from a full-sized supplements package that surpasses anything offered by the competition, while students will appreciate the easy-to-read paperback format that’s equally kind to both the eyes and the pocketbook. The Core is more than just a “baby Kerin”; it combines great writing, currency, and supplements into the ideal package for budget-conscious students and time-conscious professors.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars excellent.......2007-03-09

the book was in great condition and it was shipped on time which means alot when you are taking college courses.
Client at the Core: Marketing and Managing Today's Professional Services Firm
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Marketing 101, 201, & 301 for Professional Services
  • Gerry Riskin (co-author Herding Cats and Beyond Knowing
  • Required reading for my marketing leaders
  • Aquila and Marcus Deliver Practice Advice for Success
  • Focus on Application
Client at the Core: Marketing and Managing Today's Professional Services Firm
August Aquila , and Bruce W. Marcus
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0471453137

Book Description

"Clients At The Core is an essential blueprint to helping us all take the next steps. The authors, battle scarred by the evolution of professional firm management and marketing from then to now, have captured the changing needs of the firms in this turbulent new economic era. This is a well-written book that uses plain language to convey practical, well thought-out ideas."
- Patrick J. McKenna, a leading international consultant to professional service firms

"The authors have captured the changing role of professional services marketing and firm management. There is valuable insight [in this] down-to-earth guide to competing successfully in the new environment."
- David Maister, author and consultant

"The book is a masterpiece! Aquila and Marcus have produced the essential guide for managing a professional services firm. They've marshaled their considerable real-life experiences and far-reaching vision into a veritable operating manual for the successful firm."
- Rick Telberg, Editor at Large, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants

"At its heart, this book is the running shoe for legal and accounting professionals who want to put the client first. Following the evolution of the industry over the past twenty-five years, this must-have for every professional services firm is the key to leading in the turbulent and highly competitive waters ahead."
- Richard S. Levick, Esq., President, Levick Strategic Communications, LLC coauthor, Stop the Presses: The Litigation PR Desk Reference

"Client selection and retention is one of the critical success factors for a professional services firm, and Aquila and Marcus do a masterful job at educating us on the necessary ingredients of each. The chapters on firm governance and paying for performance are thought provoking and certainly challenging to the conventional wisdom. If you want a better understanding of marketing and leading a professional firm in these turbulent times, this book is essential."
- Ronald J. Baker, author, Professional's Guide to Value Pricing and The Firm of the Future

"Client at the Core is a commonsense approach to keeping your professional services firm relevant in the twenty-first century's client-driven economy. Aquila and Marcus have hit a home run with their insightful analysis and poignant prose."
- Jeffrey S. Pawlow, Managing Shareholder, The Growth Partnership, Inc.

Download Description

"August Aquila and Bruce Marcus reward readers of Client at the Core with an imaginative map for the perilous journey through the twists and turns of marketing and managing today's professional services firm. It is creative and thorough."
-Gerry Riskin, Partner, Edge International
"The authors have captured the changing role of professional services marketing and firm management. There is valuable insight [in this] down-to-earth guide to competing successfully in the new environment."
-David Maister, author and consultant
"The book is a masterpiece! Aquila and Marcus have produced the essential guide for managing a professional services firm. They've marshaled their considerable real-life experiences and far-reaching vision into a veritable operating manual for the successful firm."
-Rick Telberg, Editor at Large, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants
"At its heart, this book is the running shoe for legal and accounting professionals who want to put the client first. Following the evolution of the industry over the past twenty-five years, this must-have for every professional services firm is the key to leading in the turbulent and highly competitive waters ahead."
-Richard S. Levick, Esq., President, Levick Strategic Communications, LLC
coauthor, Stop the Presses: The Litigation PR Desk Reference
"Client selection and retention is one of the critical success factors for a professional services firm, and Aquila and Marcus do a masterful job at educating us on the necessary ingredients of each. The chapters on firm governance and paying for performance are thought provoking and certainly challenging to the conventional wisdom. If you want a better understanding of marketing and leading a professional firm in these turbulent times, this book is essential."
-Ronald J. Baker, author, Professional's Guide to Value Pricing and The Firm of the Future
"Client at the Core is a commonsense approach to keeping your professional services firm relevant in the twenty-first century's client-driven economy. Aquila and Marcus have hit a home run with their insightful analysis and poignant prose."
-Jeffrey S. Pawlow, Managing Shareholder, The Growth Partnership, Inc.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Marketing 101, 201, & 301 for Professional Services.......2005-08-31

This book should burnish the authors' already high reputations for having cogent, jargon-free, and street-smart things to say about what it's really like to try to market professional services. An unusual blend of (clear and lucidly stated) theory about marketing, and real-world insights into obstacles clients can throw up--not to mention the high barrier of internal resistance that "professionals" instinctively erect when asked to be marketers--this should be your starting point if you're facing the complexities of marketing in this environment.

Think that "marketing is just common sense?" Think again; it's both a discipline and an art. Aquila and Marcus will guide your hand at both.

5 out of 5 stars Gerry Riskin (co-author Herding Cats and Beyond Knowing.......2005-06-12

August Aquila and Bruce Marcus reward readers of Client at the Core with an imaginative map for the perilous journey through the twists and turns of marketing and managing today's professional services firm. It is creative and thorough.

5 out of 5 stars Required reading for my marketing leaders.......2004-09-25

August Aquila and Bruce Marcus have written a clear and comprehensive view of what every accounting or law marketer needs to know about this new, unprecedented professional services environment. Their book not only explains the new environment, but it's also a rich primer of practical "how-to" advice on all the marketing tools available to the professional services marketer. Strategy is fine, but I find that few books get down to the step-by-step implementation tactics involved in winning new business like this book does - that's one of its best points of differentiation. After reading it, I bought copies for every one of my regional, industry, service line and national marketing leaders.

5 out of 5 stars Aquila and Marcus Deliver Practice Advice for Success.......2004-09-07

In "Client at the Core: Marketing and Managing Today's Professional Services Firm," (Wiley, 2004) August J. Aquila, based in Minnetonka, Minn., and Bruce W. Marcus, in Easton, Conn., a pair of veteran consultants, combine their considerable experience, skill and insight into a veritable strategic planning operator's manual for today's consulting firm.

From the outset, they acknowledge "the professional world doesn't need another book on how to write a press release or write a brochure or run a seminar."

Instead, they provide a new perspective on the crucial subject of how to keep firms relevant to the needs of the marketplace -- mainly, creating clients and building a marketing culture.

They don't get tied up in ideas like "vision," or "mission."

Instead they talk about the new realities of the 21st Century and professions in turmoil: dot-coms gone bust, a stock market meltdown, and a rash of frauds, defalcations, misuse of corporate funds; and then a reformist reaction, still unfolding, that the authors term "a helter-skelter regulatory rush that was at least as punitive as it was appropriate. It would seem that the regulatory garment was cut to fit all, when all don't wear the same size."

"The time is past when just the presence of the professional was its own comfort factor. It's long been believed that the concept of the professional was so exalted, and so trusting, that people accepted advice unquestioningly. No more. The scandals of 2002 and 2003 seem to have bred a diminished - if unwarranted -- respect for professionals," they say.

"Traditionally, professional services have been a seller's market," according to Aquila and Marcus. But now the tables are turned. "It is now a buyer's market."

For today's professionals, here are six lessons you can take to the bank according to the authors:

1. Clients are more sophisticated. They no longer accept advice without questioning, challenging, demanding more reasoning and detail.

2. Because of the complexity of business today, clients demand that their professionals know more about the client's business and industry than ever before.

3. Professional services always function best when trust is at the heart of the relationship, but the corporate scandals of recent years have eroded that trust. That trust must now be regenerated. And the workings of trust are more important in the new economy than in the old.

4. Once the narrow structures of a profession were sufficient to serve clients. But clients now demand a broader spectrum of capabilities. The more broadly educated and well-rounded professional is the one with the greater advantage in meeting the needs of today's client. Clients demand that accountants know more than the basic skills of accounting.

5. Competition is now a fact of life. Clients know they have a choice.

Clients know the difference between marketing promises and professional services delivery. Today's client demands more real service and solutions -- not just a warm personal relationship.
To Aquila and Marcus, the new paradigm of professional services requires a new demand for partnership with the client and new participatory skills.

As they say: It's a buyers' market. Get used to it.

(...)

5 out of 5 stars Focus on Application.......2004-08-22

"Meaty and rich with texture. The authors understand the application of marketing concepts to the CPA profession at a very deep level, and communicate clearly and concisely."

"Every page was another 'Yes!' when reading about the application of marketing principles to the CPA world. The authors nailed it."

Beyond the Core: Expand Your Market Without Abandoning Your Roots
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Practical and Insightful
  • An Outstanding Growth Guide for Global Business Leaders
  • Questionable Choice of Examples and Lack of Definitions!
  • Not All Adjacencies Are Appropriate
  • Standing Tall
Beyond the Core: Expand Your Market Without Abandoning Your Roots
Chris Zook
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1578519519

Book Description

All companies must grow to survive-but only one in five growth strategies succeeds. In Profit from the Core, strategy expert Chris Zook revealed how to grow profitably by focusing on and achieving full potential in the core business. But what happens when your core business provides insufficient new growth, or even hits the wall?

In Beyond the Core, Zook outlines an expansion strategy based on putting together combinations of adjacency moves into areas away from, but related to, the core business, such as new product lines or new channels of distribution. These sequences of moves carry less risk than diversification, yet they can create enormous competitive advantage, because they stem directly from what the company already knows and does best.

Based on extensive research on the growth patterns of thousands of companies worldwide, including CEO interviews with twenty-five top performers in adjacency growth, Beyond the Core (1) identifies the adjacency pattern that most dramatically increases the odds of success: "relentless repeatability;" (2) offers a systematic approach for choosing among a range of possible adjacency moves; and 3) shows how to time adjacency moves during a variety of typical business situations.

Beyond the Core shows how to find and leverage the best avenues for growth-without damaging the heart of the firm.


Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Practical and Insightful .......2005-03-28

What is especially useful about this book is that it is practical. It gives advice for every stage of an adjacency expansion, from strategy development to execution, on how to increase the likelihood that it will be successful. The case studies are interesting and the analysis is insightful.

For people like me who do not have a business background or management consulting experience, this book is an excellent read and, at the very least, should get you by at parties where you would run into such people.

5 out of 5 stars An Outstanding Growth Guide for Global Business Leaders.......2004-05-13

As a second year MBA student at the Kellogg School of Management and a future corporate strategist for a global financial services firm, I found reading Beyond the Core to be one of the best time investments that I've made over the last few years. Chris Zook seems to have a knack for writing great books that not only stand the test of time but that are also highly relevant to the current business and economic environments. Specifically, his first book, Profits from the Core, which focused on maximizing the value of the core business, was launched when businesses needed it most - during the economic downturn. Now, Beyond the Core is perfectly timed since, from what I and other MBA's are observing in the market, most businesses are remobilizing for growth.

Overall, I greatly enjoyed Beyond the Core - it's a relatively quick read that is focused, insightful and well structured. More specifically, I think there are three key things that make this book stand out in comparison to many other business books I've read: 1) it takes a global perspective 2) it is highly data driven and has great examples and 3) its very actionable and offers lots of insights on implementation.

To elaborate, the first thing I really liked about Beyond the Core is that it takes a truly global perspective with examples from Europe, Asia and Latin America. As an MBA student majoring in International Business Strategy who will be working in a global firm after graduation, it was great to read about the strategies that firms such as Li & Fung (HK), Ambev (Brazil), Lloyd's Bank and Vodephone (UK) and STMicroelectronics (Italy). Overall, I also liked that the book mixes an array of fresh case studies (Tesco, Biogen, Ambev) with more traditional ones (Dell, Nike, American Express).

Secondly, Beyond the Core is highly data driven and the recommendations are based on empirical evidence, not conjectures. As a student of business strategy, I too often come across books or theories that are supported by nothing other than a few select examples that prop up the author's hypotheses. Beyond the Core, in contrast, is supported by an enormous amount of financial, competitive and market research and by many CEO interviews and studies by Bain & Company. This is extremely insightful as it helps the reader understand the odds of success and failure across the business world and thus leads to much more informed strategies.

Finally, Mr. Zook has focused nearly a third of the book on implementation and execution strategy. This makes the book and its recommendations highly actionable instead of leaving the author asking "so what?" The book sets out a systematic and understandable road map for adjacency expansion. More importantly, it discusses issues that are critical to growth initiatives such as: organizational structure, decision making processes, staffing, accountability and reporting, etc.

In sum, I highly recommend Beyond the Core, especially to global business leaders looking for a practical guide for profitably growing their businesses. Enjoy!!

2 out of 5 stars Questionable Choice of Examples and Lack of Definitions!.......2004-03-15

Many people who have been burned by going into new areas will grade this as five-stars for encouraging caution in expanding a company's scope. If that's all you want from a book, this is a five-star book. If you want to learn what the exact lesson is, and why that lesson is true, you'll have to look elsewhere however. If you want to learn how to beat the odds in this area, you will also have to look elsewhere.

I found Profit from the Core to be a directionless mishmash of data without firm definitions that repeatedly espoused the idea of "stick to your knitting." As a result, I took up Beyond the Core with great trepidation. At first blush, Beyond the Core seemed to cure some of the peripheral problems of Profit from the Core . . . until I began to notice how almost all of the important examples of continuing business model innovation had been excluded that seemed to fit all of the criteria (except perhaps being willing to be interviewed by the author). Mr. Zook continues to avoid defining what "the core" is, so that basic problem continues.

The book's message is "stick to your knitting . . . unless you have not choice . . . then don't go away from your cost advantages and knowledge." If you want to know a little more about that message, you can read all of the key points in the book summarized in the Afterword on pages 189-192 in less than five minutes.

The book will mainly be helpful to those who are thinking about making unrelated acquisitions. The advice: Don't do it! The odds are way against you . . . but even the most unrelated acquisitions sometimes work (GE bought NBC and has done well with it, for example). The book lacks clear direction for how some overcome the odds.

The book was also curiously silent about how companies can use small experiments to test their way into new areas. That's the way that most firms expand beyond their core.

The methodology looks very much like those employed in Build to Last and Good to Great . . . but don't believe it. Cases were selected in part based on whether Mr. Zook could interview the companies. So it's really a subjective sample. So take the conclusions with a selective grain of salt. Here are some of the cases of those who have prospered with expanding into new areas that seem to fit the Zook criteria but don't appear in the book: Beckman Coulter; Berkshire Hathaway; Clear Channel Communications; Education Management; GE; Iron Mountain; Nucor; Paychex; Sony; Virgin Group; Xilinx; and Zebra Technologies. It's not surprising that the book fails to describe the discipline of continual business model improvement as a best practice . . . a serious omission for this subject.

Ultimately, I think the flaw behind the book is to look at moving "beyond the core" separately from looking "at the core." If the two books had been combined into one that looked at how to outperform the competition, there would have been the basis of helpful insights. Or, this book could have been scoped down into how to grow into new areas with internal development activities versus acquisitions. That would have been helpful. But with the focus of "beyond the core," you are left in a never-never land that you may not want to be in. The other interesting question that could have been addressed is how companies prospered by eliminating the old core and replacing it with a new one through acquisition as a number of companies have.

As I thought about why the author might have chosen this direction, I realized that it may be an unconscious use of the older ways of strategic thinking. Those analytical schemes separated thinking about existing business areas from entering new ones. For some time though, most strategic thinkers have emphasized seeing the questions as connected. You should, for example, be pursuing your best opportunities. That means comparing all choices in some manner at the same time.

The other problem with data-heavy studies like this one is that you are relying on backward impressions (with 20-20 hindsight). Studies of best practices are best done by looking at the decisions and actions when they are made . . . and then measuring the results to see what happens. Interviews taken at such times reveal much different information than the neat success stories spun after the fact. Clayton Christensen does a good job of explaining this issue in chapter one of his new book, The Innovator's Solution.

As I finished the book, I began to think about the many unsuccessful unrelated acquisitions that I have run into among companies. In almost every case, I remember reading a thick book by a name consulting firm that had explained at the time of the purchase why the acquisition could not miss. Perhaps a follow on for this book would be how to avoid bad advice in evaluating acquisitions.

5 out of 5 stars Not All Adjacencies Are Appropriate.......2004-02-12

Perhaps you have already read Profit From the Core: Growth Strategy in the Age of Turbulence which Zook co-authored with James Allen. It was based on rigorous research which revealed the key strategic decisions that most often determine growth or stagnation in business. They note: "Central to our findings are three ideas: the concept of the core business and its boundaries; the idea that every business has a level of full-potential performance that usually exceeds what the company imagines; and the idea that performance-yield loss occurs at many levels, from strategy to leadership to organizational capabilities to execution." In the five chapters which follow, Zook (with Allen) examines "the types of strategic business decisions that most often seem to tilt the odds of future success or failure." Zook correctly suggests in this book that many organizations cannot resist the appeal ("the siren's song") of "miracle cures" of their problems. Zook focuses entirely on what has been verified in real-world experience, on what is practical, and on what will reliably achieve the desired results of sound strategic decisions.

In the first chapter of this book, Zook discusses what he calls "the growth crisis" which many (most?) organizations encounter. He observes, "Finding or maintaining a source of sustained and profitable growth has become the number one concern of most CEOs. And moves that push out the boundaries of their core business into 'adjacencies' are where they are most often look these days." I agree with Zook that these strategies have three distinctive features: "First, they are of significant size, or they can lead to a sequence of related adjacency moves that generate substantial growth. Second. they build on., indeed are bolted on, a strong core business. Thus the adjacent area draws from the strength of the core and at the same time may serve to reinforce or defend that core. Third, adjacency strategies are a journey into the unknown, a true extension of the core, a pushing out of the boundaries, a step-up in risk from typical forms of organic growth." Much of the material in this brilliant book is guided and informed by what Zook claims is "the new math of profitable growth." Specifics are best provided by Zook himself.

Zook presumes that those who read this book already know what a core business is, and more specifically, what the core business is of their respective organizations. Given his objectives, that assumption is probably necessary so that he can explore the opportunities which (key word) appropriate adjencies offer. Fair enough. However, my own experience suggests that companies frequently extend the boundaries of a core business without fully understanding what that core business is. Railroads probably offer the best example. Only much too late (if then) did senior-level executives at major railroads realize that their core business was transporting people and cargo, NOT "railroading." Obviously, trains are confined to the tracks as are ships to the water and trucks to the roadways over which they proceed. Early on, what if owners of railroads and their associates had addressed questions such as those Zook poses in his Preface (Page ix)? Had they done so, presumably they would have recognized appropriate adjacencies which include taxi cabs, Super Shuttle, local delivery services, and "overnight" delivery services (e.g. DHL, FedEx, and UPS). While they're at it, why not own or forge strategic partnerships with over-the-road trucking companies and cargo airlines? Given the central locations of railroad stations in major metropolitan areas, it would have been easy enough to combine a full-range of travel services within an upscale retail mall.

The question to ask, therefore, is not what an organization's core business is. Rather, what could AND SHOULD it be? The correct answer to that question is important, of course, because without a proper core, there can be chaos. Also, the correct answer suggests appropriate adjacencies by which to achieve and then sustain increasingly more profitable growth.

In the Afterword, Zook imagines himself engaged in what he calls the proverbial "elevator" conversation during which he reviews the "key messages" contained within his book. It serves no good purpose to list them here because each must be carefully considered within a meticulously formulated context. However, once the book has been read, I strongly recommend that all of these "key messages" be reviewed on a monthly (if not weekly) basis. For decision-makers in at least some companies, this may well prove to be the most valuable book they have read in recent years.

4 out of 5 stars Standing Tall.......2004-01-31

Standing Tall among Business Books, Chris Zook has indepth research examples of Companies portraying picture of today's business times. Numerous CEO reports, charts and graphs with real practical illustrations are varied. Outside a core business, the expansion is detailed in this book - on how to go ahead framing and practically applying the ways and means so as not to harness the existence levels. The books offers nurturing roots of business, examples on adjacency expansions with pros and cons of success and failure measures. The name itself speaks big 'Expand market without abandoning Roots' and the rule of the game lies in effective management. The author pin points steps to leverage best avenues and the possible adjacent moves so as to reach competitive edge and pooling profit without harnessing the roots of main frame business. In today's time, with diversifications, 'Beyond the Core'- the book serves a Good Reference and as I read on Chris zook's comments, I feel this is a 'Grab Pick' and Must for all Big Company Executives.
Value-Added Public Relations: The Secret Weapon of Integrated Marketing
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • NO NEW THINKING HERE
  • Kotler journal writings are more interesting
  • not very useful
  • Valuable, But Not Up-To-Date
  • Not a true PR book
Value-Added Public Relations: The Secret Weapon of Integrated Marketing
Thomas L. Harris
Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0844234125

Book Description

From Wonderbra to McDonalds, from Harley-Davidson to Viagra, today's world-leading companies and brands are using public relations to add power and persuasion to all of their marketing messages. Information, rather than salesmanship, builds credibility with sophisticated and skeptical consumers, and public relations, long viewed as the most trustworthy source of information about products and services and the companies that provide them, can effectively reach targets where other marketing communication tools fall short.

In Value-Added Public Relations, Thomas L. Harris, the industry-leading expert in marketing public relations (MPR), examines how and why public relations plays a critical role in integrated marketing and explains the many ways PR can add value to an integrated marketing communications (IMC) program. Harris analyzes the relationship between product- and corporate-brand building and, through dozens of case histories and examples, shows how some of the nation's most successful marketers have used PR techniques to enhance all of their marketing messages. Among the book's features is a comprehensive guide to writing an IMC plan including writing a situation analysis, setting objectives, developing a strategy, devising tactics, and then measuring results. Detailed descriptions of more than 50 effective PR tactics involving all media, including new technologies, are also included.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars NO NEW THINKING HERE.......2003-03-28

I just can't figure out who this book is written for. It was highly disappointing - instead of finding fresh thoughtful new insights and innovative suggestions for how to build on what's already tried and true and been done to death in Marketing PR from an industry "thought leader", or so Mr. Harris positions himself, I found tired old industry award case study submission retreads GALORE (fyi - these case studies are submitted by PR agencies and spun like no one else can spin 'em to advantage so they can win the award to get new clients). What that means to the reader is the facts presented in these "case studies" are highly slanted, and for starters, give no "fair and balanced" counsel in terms of explaining reality (the very same one we have to market in every day), such as, OVER HYPING with PR isn't any better than blowing your wad on ineffective national TV commercials that don't cut the marketing mustard anymore. Essentially, the case studies are PR themselves. <...Regardless of the date this book was published (1998), doing what worked yesterday was dated as soon as the campaign was implemented, which was long before Mr. Harris repackaged these case studies for a book publisher (no wonder self-publishers are flourishing).

MY KEY LEARNING TO YOU: If your strategy is to focus on how "they did it yesterday" and what worked yesterday, this book is for you. However, if you're a little more forward-thinking, concerned about constantly improving to stay ahead of the competition, and prefer seeking inspiration for creative new strategies, ways of thinking, and of identifying connections between seemingly unrelated concepts to get your marketing in high gear, do some real work: start digging for inspiration, it's everywhere, unlike what's in this book.

3 out of 5 stars Kotler journal writings are more interesting.......2002-12-05

The book was just okay. Kotler's business industry and journal writings are much more insightful and interesting. Too basic for marketing practicioners.

3 out of 5 stars not very useful.......2002-08-29

I read this book and I was dissapointed. It's out of date and not really relevant. My girlfriend hyped this book Gurilla PR Wired by this Livene guy which I read and was really impressed by. For anyone who is thinking about reading Value Added Public Relations read this other book instead

4 out of 5 stars Valuable, But Not Up-To-Date.......2002-08-21

Value-Added Public Relations argues that public relations are key to any successful marketing campaign. The book predominantly rests its premise on the belief that public relations adds credibility, and, thus, "value" to the marketing campaign. While I know plenty of marketing executives are unhappy about admitting it, I'm not sure I would call it a secret weapon.

The book is loaded with several case history examples. While it's well-written, overall, it fails to convey its message while taking into account the Internet. For that, I suggest Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired, which accepts the Internet's uses in a public relations and marketing campaign.

Overall, Value-Added Public Relations is a strong, if outdated, piece of work. While its suggestions are still useful, and it is a thorough piece of work, it would be worth considering to wait and see if an updated edition is released.

1 out of 5 stars Not a true PR book.......2002-03-10

This book is one of an increasingly common genre: the marketing book in PR clothing. Essentially, the author claims that to "add value" to public relations, the latter should be turned into marcomm. I found the author's condescending tone to be extremely grating, and his suggestions superficial.
It's a matter of outlook, I suppose, but if you are interested in a relational approach to PR, this book is a huge disappointment. If you are interested in the field of marketing communication, you probably won't hate this book nearly as much as I did.
Hard-Core Collections: Brutal But Effective Techniques For Getting The Money
Average customer rating: 1.5 out of 5 stars
  • unrealistic nonsense
  • Do not Read
  • Total Waste of my time and money
  • Pure Fiction...do not buy if you're looking for professional text
  • The reader will benefit from first-hand knowledge
Hard-Core Collections: Brutal But Effective Techniques For Getting The Money
David Demercurio
Manufacturer: Paladin Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Management & LeadershipManagement & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books | Business Ethics | Consolidation & Merger | Decision-Making & Problem Solving | Distribution & Warehouse Management | Industrial | Information Management | Leadership | Management | Management Science | Motivational | Negotiating | Operations Research | Planning & Forecasting | Pricing | Production & Operations | Project Management | Quality Control | Risk Assessment | Statistics | Strategy & Competition | Systems & Planning | Systems Analysis | Teams | Total Quality Management | Training
GeneralGeneral | Marketing | Marketing & Sales | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Reference | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
State & Local GovernmentState & Local Government | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
CriminologyCriminology | Crime & Criminals | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
GeneralGeneral | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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EspionageEspionage | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
True CrimeTrue Crime | True Accounts | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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  1. Collections Made Easy: Fast, Efficient, Proven Techniques to Get Cash from Your Customers Collections Made Easy: Fast, Efficient, Proven Techniques to Get Cash from Your Customers
  2. An Attorney's Guide to the Collection of Bad Debts An Attorney's Guide to the Collection of Bad Debts
  3. Credit & Collection Letters That Get Results Credit & Collection Letters That Get Results
  4. How to Start a Home-Based Collection Agency How to Start a Home-Based Collection Agency
  5. Starting a Collection Agency Starting a Collection Agency

ASIN: 1581600283

Book Description

Learn from a pro the secrets of collecting back child support, court judgments and other "uncollectible" bills by balancing legal issues with street realities. Plus, how to set up your business, attract well-paying clients, ensure delivery of installmentpayments and make sure you get your money up front. For academic study only.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars unrealistic nonsense.......2007-01-29

If you want to keep from being shot at beaten up or go to jail avoid
whatever this author has written.

1 out of 5 stars Do not Read.......2006-10-16

There are very few debt collection techniques that can be used in this book. Unless you care to get fired in the next week for violating the FDCPA, stay away.

1 out of 5 stars Total Waste of my time and money.......2006-02-22

In my opinion, this book is ridiculous and suggests doing things that are highly questionable.

1 out of 5 stars Pure Fiction...do not buy if you're looking for professional text.......2005-11-02

What a sham of a book. This should be retitled,
Hardcore Collections: A financial guide for felons and hustlers.
I returned it after wasting $10 and 30 minutes of my time reading it.

3 out of 5 stars The reader will benefit from first-hand knowledge.......2004-03-03

This book is very well written, and the author is
obviously college-educated, despite specializing in
a risky-area of collections, and treading a thin line
between exerting pressure on debtors and getting into
trouble from law enforcement for crossing the line on
socially acceptable behavior. It's an easy read,
humorous, insightful, but obviously... making the
transition from book to reality is a big step that few
readers will attempt. My guess is that this book is
for the experienced collector, who wants to take the
next step, and open up his own collections agency, as
opposed to operating in the mainstream, or being
employed by someone else.

It reveals a part of what goes on in the marketplace,
between consumers and retailers & banks, for example. In
that way, it's very practical and realistic, and
considering the price, is an affordable way to know
more, and to get out of the ivory tower of university
or college based techniques or theories regarding
how to get results as soon as possible, and get paid
for your work promptly.

Clearly, the author knows his stuff, has made a career
out of it, and is not writing this book from having
seen too many movies or what not. The reader will
benefit from first-hand knowledge. Finally, take the
book with a grain of salt, considering that only a
small percentage of people will actually be physically
fit or mentally skilled enough to undertake the

author's business plan and collections strategies, as
I mentioned above.
Study Guide for Marketing Telecourse to accompany Marketing: The Core 1/e
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Study Guide for Marketing Telecourse to accompany Marketing: The Core 1/e
    Roger A. Kerin , Steven W. Hartley , and William Rudelius
    Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback

    GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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    Libros Essenciales/essential Books: Building, Marketing, And Programming a Core Collection of Spanish Language Children's
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Libros Essenciales/essential Books: Building, Marketing, And Programming a Core Collection of Spanish Language Children's
      Tim Wadham
      Manufacturer: Neal-Schuman Publishers
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      Children's Literature GuidesChildren's Literature Guides | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      SpanishSpanish | Multilingual | People & Places | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
      SpanishSpanish | Instruction | Foreign Languages | Reference | Subjects | Books
      GeneralGeneral | Reference | Subjects | Books
      Art & PhotographyArt & Photography | Bibliographies & Indexes | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
      LiteratureLiterature | Bibliographies & Indexes | Publishing & Books | Reference | Subjects | Books
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      All TitlesAll Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
      ASIN: 1555705758
      Release Date: 2006-12-01

      Product Description

      Tim Wadham, author of the highly recommended (REFORMA) and invaluable (Booklist) how-to, Programming with Latino Children s Materials (1999), returns with this all new guide for children s and school librarians. He provides a core collection of over 100+ titles including board books, picture books, short chapter fiction, novels, poetry, and non-fiction ideal for serving toddlers to teens. Wadham shares authoritative advice for selecting Spanish titles including: an overview of the market, key elements to consider, review sources, and tips for authoring collection development. There is a wealth of programming ideas that may be used with the recommended core collection or adapted for other books. Wadham offers tips for marketing to your community and increasing circulation for these important titles. This unique resource also includes a guide to publishers and vendors and lists of award-winning books. Whether you are serving a Hispanic community, looking for ways to present bilingual programs, or building a new multicultural collection, Libros Esenciales is an invaluable, comprehensive guide.
      Core Concepts of Marketing
      Average customer rating: Not rated
        Core Concepts of Marketing
        John J. Burnett
        Manufacturer: Wiley
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Paperback

        GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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        Membership Marketing (Core Competencies in Membership Management)
        Average customer rating: Not rated
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          Manufacturer: Amer Society of Assn
          ProductGroup: Book
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          Student Guide for Concepts in Marketing: The Core 2/e
          Average customer rating: Not rated
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            Roger A. Kerin , Steven W. Hartley , and William Rudelius
            Manufacturer: McGraw-Hill/Irwin
            ProductGroup: Book
            Binding: Paperback

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