Customer Reviews

Lanchester Strategy: An Introduction

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Dr.Taoka's original text from 1970s is worthwhile to view his original conceptualization of a marketing strategy employed by Japanese business. However, while the book's first third begins with defining a mathematical model in marketing its last two-thirds spiral into anecdotes of application. These 'case studies' use little of the formulas introduced earlier, suggesting that qualitative rather than quantitative methods are more useful in the field, and questions the validity of the first third of the book. The translation is a difficult read, despite its grammatical correctness, the words seem to make little sense. Maybe the "manga" comics are a better buy. Without quantitative methods much of Lanchester strategy is similar to methods from Sun Tzu to Andrew S. Groves: divide and conquer; superior numbers in battle is a plus; out-flank rather than meet powerful opponents head on etc., Nevertheless, the concepts laid down: market shares as ~70%= monopoly ~40%= market leader ~26% = player, shooting range, efficiency exchange and other pearls of Lanchester strategy has its roots in this book, and while the book isn't clearly a winner, the strategy is.

Marvin Gozum, MD

This book is still a good reference for the application of the Lanchester strategy, however the references to real examples are too old.