Just thinking about other good marketing-centric books to put on the 'ole summer reading list. I have another one:
The Tipping Point by Malcom Gladwell
The premise of this book is that, at a certain point, some societal changes "happen" and some don't. It doesn't take much, it doesn't take a multitude of people for a change to hit "the point." This book takes the old "butterfly flaps it wings in Maine and it begins raining in California" idea to another level, and provides some very interesting case studies of events and their respective "tipping point."
Some of the studies discuss healthcare epidemics and their "tipping point" cause, other studies are more marketing-centric, discussing how one or two influencers can make a fashion product take off. The whole idea that one or two twenty-somethings in the SoHo district of New York City unknowingly resurrected Hush Puppie shoes to cult status (and within a year back down) is truly facinating. The point is that identifying those chief influencers (and getting them to talk to their respective audiences) is critical to marketing - the only problem is that the book really doesn't discuss how to do this.
Overall, the book is an easy read, very entertaining and one that you'll probably want to read again in a few months. The author, Malcom Gladwell, hangs out with Seth Godin a lot and has co-writen a few books with the former Yahoo! marketing chief. Check out The Tipping Point on Amazon or check out Seth & Malcom's latest book at www.ideavirus.com.
