Advertising Books

Easy to read and easy to apply. I have a whole new thought process for copy on our website and brochures. This is a can't miss book for rookies!

This book is for a non-writer who needs to write advertising or marketing for his company.

The material is comprehensive and includes many good tips. A couple things to note--

1. The focus is on style and construction of materials (e.g., how to put together a direct mail piece), not on grammar, style, and construction of words.

2. Most of the book covers B2C marketing, not B2B.

All the advice is tried-and-true. If you follow it, you can't go wrong.

I bought this book for a good friend of mine, a skilled creative writer, but with little experience in writing professional copy. Like most creative types, he was looking for a job to support his writing and other artistic habits. With the help of Kranz's book, he was able to land a well-paying job that makes use of his talents, suitably focused by the advice in Writing Copy for Dummies. If proof of the pudding is in the paycheck, I can vouch for the effectiveness of this author's approach and suggestions for aspiring professional writers.

Kranz opens with a brief and witty definition of copywriting: "[it] attempts to persuade you to do or believe something-usually in regard to the surrender of your cash," then he launches into an explanation of the different things copy can do-everything from direct mail to branding to sales support; an explanation of "the basics" that is exactly that; and a truly step-by-step guide to writing sales letters and brochures.

Sidebars chip in along the way, occasionally offering a true gem, like the real difference between website headlines and their printed counterparts. And Kranz tells you why you should never waste your time and effort on a MISSION STATEMENT.

Based on the number of notes in the margins of my copy, I've found the chapters on websites, collateral, problem solving and "looking for ideas" the most helpful. Kranz also gives a detailed breakdown of what goes into a direct mail package, that should be enough to get any beginning mailer off to a promising start.

There are many books written about copywriting, that are aimed at business owners or the unfortunate folks who get stuck writing copy for their company because they once correctly used "presume" in an email. The nice thing about this one-and "nice" is a good word, because Jonathan Kranz is nothing if not a nice guy-is that it's a book about copywriting that doesn't assume non-copywriters know all the copywriting jargon and secrets. It takes its "For Dummies" title seriously, and that's a good thing.

I've been a copywriter for 14 years, most of the time as a freelancer. I've also been a senior copywriter for an advertising agency and worked in the creative department for a major newspaper.

This is the first book on copywriting I've bought in several years, and I'm now the newest fan of Jonathan Kranz's "Writing Copy for Dummies." Mr. Kranz has written an excellent book for the novice or pro, providing a complete, common-sense guide that covers the full range of marketing communications (including PR). Whether business-to-consumer or business-to-business, direct-response or branding, print or online, for-profit or non-profit, it's all there in an engaging writing style and easy-to-digest format.

After being in the freelance trenches for many years, I know how far-flung assignments can be. It's invaluable to have an all-encompassing reference to reach for when I need knowledge in non-specialty areas. In fact, just last Friday I reviewed parts of Chapter 17 in preparation for a fundraising project with a major university.

Some of the material might be a refresher for veteran marketers. As for me, I'm glad to benefit from a fellow pro's perspective on marketing and copywriting topics. As I told Jonathan via email, "I'm glad you took the time to write this book."

Friedman certainly seems to know what he's talking about. I wouldn't know since I ordered the book to learn about how to enter the market with a new product as a small entrepreneur. Friedman's advice is geared to the large corporation with large resources for research and marketing. He does not address the objectives stated in the title from the perspective and access to resources of the small business. For this type of reader the information may be interesting from a theoretical standpoint but I certainly found no practical advice to help my situation.

I strenuously disagree with the reviewer below who said this book is for big businesses rather than entrepreneurs. I'm an entrepreneur and this book has played an important role in my ability to build my business. A few years ago, a partner and I started a company and grew to 15 employees. We had a superb service to offer, but were not educated about how to sell it, and sales were leveling off. Stymied, we delved into atleast 20 books, seminars, and training events to learn how to "scale" our business. Honestly, nothing helped much. Then we found this book on Amazon. Go To Market Strategy helped us get organized, ask all the right questions, and put some simple ideas into use, to grow to 50 employees last month. After reading this book, we moved away somewhat from our "web fetish" and got much more serious about finding good partners, building our own small but effective sales group, and working with our customers to understand their needs and become more responsive. Many of the things we did came right out of this book. This book is *very* organized and systematic, breaking the sometimes overwhelming task of building a business into simple, proven tools which we were able to put to use. This book is also extremely well written, just lightyears ahead of the writing quality of other marketing books we bought. The author is very insightful and truly knows the ins and outs of "selling more stuff to more customers" as he puts it. I am sure this book is useful to Big Corporate America, but to me it's a wonderful resource for the small, struggling business.

Excellent marketing book by L. Freidman, who has written a few other good ones, too. Extremely interesting & helpful ideas, examples and tools for aligning your marketing strategies and your tactics with your customers. I see copies of this book floating around our and partners' offices all the time. Definitely worth reading and chewing on.

Author Friedman provides a very comprehensive picture of how to take products and services to market, in the most efficient and effective ways. This book is practical - it's more for sales management and marketing executives than for students and academicians. Going to market today is complex and risky, and difficult to figure out the right mix of people, channels (Internet, phone, mail, partners, etc). This book helps sort it all out in a well structured way. I highly recommend.

Friedman gives the whole go-to-market strategy picture, explains the key points and relationships between different aspects of customer and market analysis, channel model construction, channel management etc. Can easily be used as a manual for actual go-to-market and channel development.

This is the best book on marketing I have ever read. Since the first time I picked it up more than 9 years ago (it was published in 1997 but I found it on clearance at a Book Warehouse about a year after that), I have re-read it every year. I've also bought about a dozen copies, which I've lent out. Sadly, as I was looking at my bookshelf today, 10 of those have not come back. That's okay. I'll buy more. In fact, I'm giving away copy #11 tomorrow to the new athletic director at my alma mater. No matter WHAT you sell (but especially if you're in sports marketing), this book (and it's sequel, Marketing Outrageously!) are well worth your time and money.

Jon Spoelstra has come out with a marketing guide that will help every marketer become more successful. From his rubber chicken tactic to his ideas on hiring - this simple, yet effective course in marketing will take your business to the next level. Even though most of this book describes sports marketing - every business can benefit from Jon's strategies.

It is an excellent book. If you are new to marketing technique, you'd have a very good lesson by reading this. If you have been working in marketing for years, still, READ IT coz the author not only shares his real-life experience with you, but also REMIND you with something you have missed and not thinked of.

Marketing, Employee mentoring, Management...you can find everything from this book...

I would recommend this book to ALL people. Because it is helpful if one day, you were the product that needs jump-start marketing technique. (I am applying them to my job profile now)

trust me...this book is a MUST for everyone.

Spoelstra's sub-title, "How to Market a Product Nobody Wants," is a bit of a misnomer. For me, that conjers up the negative stereotype of the salesman/marketer tricking you into buying something you don't want. Inside the book, Spoelstra's concept clearly is the polar opposite of that. He should have called the book, "Making Your Product into Something People Really do Want: a Broader Definition of Marketing."

Once you're inside the book, Spoelstra presents a litiny of ideas that are obvious once presented to you, but often seem counter-inuitive without some assistance seeing them. As a marketer in a larger firm, I've run into a lot of the same resistance as Spoelstra and have found that if you can break down the resistance, his ideas really do work.

Overall this is a practical guide, not just for marketers, but for anyone who runs a business. Highly recommended.

Eskimos have all the ice they need and presumably don't perceive the need to get any more, let alone buy it. Joe Spoelestra illustrates how to take that ice and turn it into something desirable (a Slurpee) for example, or bundle it with something that makes it desirable - a sled and a lift to create an experience to sell.

Joe details his experiences, primarily in sports marketing. They are especially applicable to those in the entertainment and service industries but can be applied in virtually any industry. The book is full of new ideas, fresh insights, and ways to repackage that which nobody wants in such a way as to change the customers' perception of value and create a compelling value proposition.

The book is much better than this review. :-) Pick it up, read it, enjoy it and act on it. "Ice to the Eskimos" will give you fast easy ideas that can be used to jump start your business!

Arthur Hughes is a database guru. This books teaches you how to start and develop a customer database and how to use is it as your most powerful marketing tool. The author is world-renowned and has created concepts such as "lifetime value" which is essential to any business owner. This book is the database marketing bible.

I love this book. Working as a data analyst in the CRM department, this book teaches me all the practical caculation/ideas for my work.

So far, this is the only book on the market that view database marketing from a quantitative point of view. On the other hand, it also instills the relationship marketing mind-set to the readers. For the rest of books avaliable in the markertplace on CRM/Database marketing, either it's too theoretical or IT. This is the best I read so far.

My approach to marketing was totally changed by reading this book; I was able to refine a jumble of thoughts into a clear, cohesive strategy. If you are at all exposed to marketing at work, Hughes will give you the ability to prioritize what is most important in your job.

Hughes has just released a new edition of this classic. It is thoroughly updated to include developments of the last half decade (the failure of CRM in many applications, advancements in Web and e-mail marketing, etc). Every marketer and entrepreneur should read this book to learn how and why lifetime value is so important and how to build your company's strategy around it.

The best thing about this book is that it covers the technical details adequately, but is still readable enough that you do not need an MBA to understand it.

For anyone who's looking for a well-written reflection on state-of-the-art direct marketing, this is not the right book. Yet, Arthur Hughes' 'Strategic Database Marketing' still has its merits.

It's a straight-forward introductory text that covers many aspects of direct marketing - mostly from an old-economy point of view. The good thing about this approach is that Hughes explains many procedures in detail that have proved to be useful over many years of practice (as he lets the reader know on many occasions, he has worked in direct marketing for a long time). And while the dull writing-style occasionally makes the content of the book seem dated, most of the ideas discussed in the book still apply. For example, Hughes does a good job explaining lifetime-value calculations, the Recency-Frequency-Monetary approach, regression analysis and other useful tools for anyone involved in direct marketing.

Unfortunately, it's not an enjoyable book. The biggest drawback is that Hughes doesn't come across as an agile intellect. He's good at explaining procedure, but rather clumsy in discussing ideas. Adding to that is his over-reliance on examples taken from his own private life (you'll learn many things about his wife that you never wanted to know) and his strange need to praise the superiority of the American economy whenever possible. If you can look past that, 'Strategic Database Marketing' may well be worth reading for any professional marketeer.

Hughes makes it exceedingly clear why customer loyalty and lifetime value are such critical marketing concepts. Hughes helps marketers understand why our hyper-focus on customer acquisition needs to be adjusted to consider retention and upsell as well.

In particular, Hughes explains:

* What Lifetime Value (LTV) is, why it matters, and how to calculate it
* The importance of testing programs and how best to go about it
* Segmenting your customer base by loyalty and LTV
* How tactics should differ for each segment
* Practical tips for creating a successful database marketing campaign.

Case studies and ROI numbers are used throughout the book. A must read for marketing proessionals.

I bought the book. Two, by accident. Started to read it and thought "I know someone who could use this" (besides myself). I loaned the extra copy to a fellow photographer that does a "commercial photo" class at the institution at which I teach "fashion" (subtitled "forget the crap the other teachers taught and have fun).
Anyway, he liked it so much, he is asking that it become the text book for his class! Truly, although I probably wasn't ready for it, I wish this book had been there when I had graduated from College/Assisting...

Lesko relays equal parts insight, humor and experience into what might otherwise be a droll subject. Surprisingly, I found myself glued to the pages and I before I knew it I had learned something too! A great read.

excellent real world knowledge, with a friendly, real world voice. A photographer who knows the business, and is firm in his knowledge- like he should be. Highly recommended.

Not only does Lou walk you through the intricacies of doing business as a commercial photographer, he offers basic insights and meaningful advice any photographer can use. Further, his style of writing makes this a fun and interesting read. A definate thumbs up.

This book is a good book to go through whether or not you are a photographer. The stories that Lou tells are great. They make you laugh but also have a lesson and a point to each one. The photos are beyond amazing and I enjoyed all of them and the lessons they taught as you go through the book. I would recommend this to any reader whether you are an avid photographer or just a point and shot type of person.

Philip van Munching's book is less about the history and genesis of US beer - though those bases are very well covered - than it is about the lunacy of marketing, the most bogus science of the last century. It seems extraordinary that global brands are in the hands of so many people who appear this clueless - how the brewing giants ever sell a drop is unimaginable. But PVM tells their tale with a great deal of skill and wit, and - like most of the beers he describes - there's a zesty bitterness to most of the opinions. The best compliment? This is a guy I'd really like to share a beer with . . . .

This is terrific reading, not only for beer lovers and marketing buffs. Philip van Munching, grandson of the man who first brought Heineken to the United States, has written a non-fiction book that contains all the ingredients of a first-class thriller: megalomanic dynasties, a fatal car accident the evidence of which was tempered with, mad-gone advertising gurus, and conglomerates trying to take over the hood ("get your girl in the mood quicker, and get your jimmy thicker with St. Ides malt liquor"). Along the way, the reader learns quite a bit about marketing. That is what the Ivy-League-trainined marketing whiz kids at Anheuser-Busch, Miller, and Coors, apparently never did. Instead, they squandered away hundreds of millions of dollars in their futile attempts to win one of the most fiercely fought business wars of the last twenty five years: the war for the American beer market. Van Munching knows how they did it, and he tells it with wit and an incredible insider's knowledge. Great story, great writing, great book!!!

This book was very informative and written quite well. I would strongly recommend this book for anyone that likes to read about industry profiles. I also liked the fact that I did not have to know that much about the beer industry in order to enjoy the book.

This book is a great read and an interesting study of the beer industry and its history. The author due to his ties (son of the Heineken importer) provides great insight, but also some thoughtful and usable management and marketing analysis.

Now here's a book about something near and dear to my heart (and mouth). I bought this book when it first came out after hearing a radio interview with Philip Van Munching and finding him not only very informative, but also hilarious. This book is very entertaining and informative (and it always makes me thirsty for a cold one, but I digress).

Being in the Van Munching family it's hard to knock him for his emphasis on Heineken (is he supposed to know more about Miller and Anheiser Busch than his own family's company?) The book gives a very detailed background of the beer industry in the US but mainly focuses on the period beginning in the seventies which he refers to as the "Beer Wars" when Anheiser Busch, Miller and Coors began to take over.

Anyone interested in business, advertising and marketing in particular, will really enjoy this book. Oh yeah, and if you like to enjoy a cold one from time to time you'll also like this book. I've aleways been more of a microbrew drinker myself (beer snob) so I've never really enjoyed anything brewed by the big three. After reading this book I don't think I'll be enjoying anything from them anytime soon. Like one of the reviews on the back of the book says, " I don't know which one of them deserves my money less." Cheers!

This book is packed with ideas on winning back customers. It takes CRM to a new level. The authors have a great understanding of what motivates the customers' decisions.

We have utilized Customer Winback as a tool in taking our organization to the next level of service recovery. As a healthcare organization renowned for service excellence, we found that this book assisted us in developing new approaches through the case studies and examples offered by the authors. The information provided is clear, straightforward and easy to translate to any industry. It is refreshing to read a book that focuses of the value of keeping existing customers rather than constant recruitment of new customers. I would highly recommend Customer Winback.

This book deals with the often neglected area of bringing customers back once you have lost them. Griffin and Lowenstein give the reader numerouse specific strategies and tools for winning back lost customers, saving customer before they defect and "making your company defection-proof."

As I have stated in my review for "The Journal of Consumer Marketing",each chapter summarizes the points succinctly in a method that allows the reader to digest the material for long-term memory.

This book is right for people who have,had, or hope to have customers. It is one of the most comprehensive books on getting,keeping and getting back customers that I have encountered. It is for people who teach marketing and for people who do marketing.

Customer Winback has great information and wonderful examples (presented in depth) of what companies can do to address a much-neglected area of customer service--winning back lost customers. It shows how this concept is just as important as emphasizing customer loyalty and customer satisfaction in not only maintaining customers, but keeping them delighted and coming back to buy more.

It is very well organized, well-written and covers a wide range of material. It also gives you many ideas to implement at your own company. Just one chapter provides you with more substance than many entire books. This is an excellent customer service book and a must for customer service managers. I recommend it highly.

Customer Winback has great information and wonderful examples (presented in depth) of what companies can do to address a much-neglected area of customer service--winning back lost customers. It shows how this concept is just as important as emphasizing customer loyalty and customer satisfaction in not only maintaining customers, but keeping them delighted and coming back to buy more.

It is very well organized, well-written and covers a wide range of material. It also gives you many ideas to implement at your own company. Just one chapter provides you with more substance than many entire books. This is an excellent customer service book and a must for customer service managers. I recommend it highly.

I have known and worked with Ardi Kolah for a number of years and have found no one with such an in-depth understanding of the legal side of marketing.

In today's highly litigious society, knowledge of what is permissible in marketing is essential, even more so given the complex regulatory framework in which organisations operate today.

This book is well written, easy to understand and is a must for any truly professional marketer.

I have known Ardi Kolah since he was an outstanding post graduate law student here at University College London. On the basis of that contact I am sure that Essential Law for Marketers is an exceptional book in terms of its content and clarity of writing. It is important that such a book be read by all law students who are interested in working within the creative industries and those who need a robust introduction to the way in which law has influenced this important sector.

Ardi Kolah has captured many of the substantial legal issues that marketers could face as regulation and compliance standards increase. This book offers clear explanations of relevant law, with examples and practical advice for maintaining marketing momentum.....

Ardi Kolah's Essential Law for Marketers has been written with the legal virgin in mind and that includes a surprising number of advertising practitioners who should at least have a basic knowledge of the laws governing their business. This book is full of practical tips and suggestions that will also be relevant to the seasoned campaign director and is sure to prove essential reading for anyone in the advertising industry who needs to get up to speed with this complex area.

If you want an intelligent overview of the application of the law for marketers, then this is it. It should have been around years ago ...

This is the definitive guide for anyone looking for a corporate sponsor. It was enjoyable to read and I find myself reaching for it time and again. The concepts were easy to grasp and the tools were especially useful. It is a great source of information for beginners as well as seasoned sponsorship seekers. It's a great read and well worth purchasing.

Being a realtive newcomer to sponsorship procurement, this book has been valuable and well used. The Sponsorship Seeker's Toolkit teaches every step necessary to make first contact, foster relationships, build a creative winning proposal, administer your proposal and prepare followup reports.
This and the two previous Sponsorship Seekers Toolkit can take a novice and teach them how to speak to sponsors confindently and knowledgably.
If you're a seasoned professional, Kim and Anne-Marie come up with such creative partnerships, you'll find yourself smiling over the common sense they inject into every chapter.
This book has taught my staff how to present proposals that will enhance multiple sponsors, thereby giving them more bang for their buck as well as making the event more memorable for the audience.
This book is a dog-eared must in my professional library.

Content was relevant and definitive. Great examples and templates and every aspect clearly explained and expounded where necessary. An essential piece of reading.

This book is an excellent resource for anyone attempting to obtain sponsorships. It is well written and easy to follow with many useful tools.

This book is very useful and practical thanks to its suggestions in a matter which is at the same time delicate and fundamental. Besides it is well-organized and clear in its contents

"There's a customer born every minute" is a fascinating look into the life and business practices of Americas Greatest Showman, P.T. Barnum. The creativity he showed is a recipe for success and happiness every person should strive to attain. Some ideas he had were going bigger than anyone else, creating a buzz, and utilizing the media for publicity. I learned many intrersting things through Mr. Vitales research into this fascinating man. This book was put together nicely, easy to follow, and packed with great information on some many aspects of life and business through the eyes of Barnum. Well Done!

I bought copies of this book for myself and my entire business team.

Hey Joe, print some more I have more customers for you!

In todays world there is so much of competition in business and its becoming harder and harder for people to carve their niche in the market area. But by applying the 10 rings of power in your business, you can become more recognizable and increase your profits. These 10 rings of power helped P.T. Barnum earn millions of dollars in the world of no technology. And these 10 rings of power can make you a rich person too. By this book now and read it. But dont stop there. Be sure to apply the 'rings of power' in your business and see your company grow.

I found this book to be entirely fascinating and engaging. I couldn't put the book down. Joe Vitale has done a supurb job of of conveying the essence of P.T. Barnum and then translating the information into a way we can all use to further our marketing expertise. Run do not walk to get this book and all of Joe's other books! Cody Horton - Author of "Consciously Creating Wealth" & "The High Magic of India".

Once you've read any of Joe Vitale's marketing books, you are hooked - AND - they are all worth it. I started out as an engineer, so marketing doesn't come easy. But Joe "Mr. Fire" Vitale is helping me to think like a marketer. His proactive style really mixes well with mine; I think he has a knack for writer to each person as if you happen to be the one he intended the book for.

Needless to say There's a Customer Born Every Minute has played a huge role in helping me to be a successful businessman. Ever since reading the first book of Joe's, I have considered him to be a success mentor. His wisdom is easy to follow - but more than that, it is right on! I guarantee that if you read this book, you will have tons of business and marketing ideas - it's that incredible.

In his books and tapes, Joe always covers all of the proactive bases: smart thinking, system thinking, futuristic thinking, and positive thinking. If you are truly seeking the kind of success and abundance that makes your life 100% livable - you must read this book. Some of the ideas Joe promotes are found in SUCCESS BOUND, another book built on learning how to live a proactive life that is God centered and fulfilling.

Joe's research of P.T. Barnum is fantastic! He seems to cover every aspect of the great P.T. Barnum's business acumen, plus a lot of what made him such a great person. I hope that I might be as well read and thorough some day.

My recommendation to you is, take a few minutes each day and ponder the wisdom and truths of this book and let them seep deep into your subconscious mind. Then, move out confidently towards fulfilling your dreams and goals, knowing you are one with the Creator and are truly success bound.

Best wishes for a successful and proactive future!