Customer Reviews

In Search of the Obvious: The Antidote for Today's Marketing Mess

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Six Top Insights

First) Accept the validity of the obvious.

The search for any marketing strategy is the search for the obvious. When considering the dictionary definition of the word obvious: Easy to see or understand, plain, or evident; you understand why `obvious' is so important. When a marketing message is simple, easy to understand, and evident - it works really well. The author goes on to talk about people's hesitation with this concept, because of the misconception that the obvious is too simple and does not appeal to the imagination. Likewise, we often think a marketing message has to be very clever and intellectually stimulating to be successful. Trout takes the whole premise of his book from a book published in 1916: Obvious Adams. The Story of a Successful Businessman, written by Robert R. Updegraff. Here are the 5 guidelines from Updegraff's book:
a. This problem when solved will be simple.
b. Does it check with human nature?
c. Put it on paper.
d. Does it explode in people's minds?
e. Is the time ripe?

Second) Watch out for "stuff" that gets in the way of the obvious.

a. Wrong focus: CEOs are not focused on the right stuff. Legions of competitors, constantly changing technologies, faster change of pace, and a flood of information challenges the CEO's attention. The trick to surviving is to know where you are going.
b. Wall Street: Wall Street brokers pursue growth to ensure their reputations and to increase their take-home pay.
c. No time to think.
d. Flawed research: A flood of data should never be allowed to wash away your common sense and your own feeling for the market. You'll never see the obvious solution.
e. Communication. The Internet (plus email) brings more clutter. Word-of-mouth marketing is not the next big thing.
f. Advertising people. Theater, emotion, sloganeering, and creativity are their trap. How to fix this?
g. Marketing people. They just can't stop tinkering. They sit around and try to figure out how to improve things. What top management fails to understand is that the road to chaos is paved with improvements. Convergence and brand schizophrenia are often the result.

Third) Zero in on the proper marketing process.

a. Make sense in the context of the marketplace. What has the marketplace heard and registered from your competition?
b. Find the differentiating idea. Look for something that separates you from your competitors. This does not have to be product related.
c. Have the credentials. The demonstration of your differentiating idea is your credentials.
d. Communicate your difference. Better products don't win; better perceptions do.

Fourth) Know the essence of marketing.

a. It's marketing's responsibility to see that everyone is playing the same tune in unison.
b. It's marketing's assignment to turn that tune or differentiating idea into what we call a coherent marketing direction. A differentiating idea is a competitive mental angle.

Fifth) Beware of obvious blunders.

a. Me-Too mindset won't cut it.
b. Don't get cute or complex. Describe your product in a simple, understandable way.
c. Not understanding that marketing is a battle of perceptions.
d. Don't try to copy a competitor's word or position in the prospect's mind.
e. Guard against arrogance when becoming successful. You tend to become less objective; arrogance leads to failure.
f. Trying to be all things to all people.
g. Don't live exclusively by numbers. When you go down this path, it often leads to bad decisions.
h. Not being willing to attack your own business plan. i.e. Xerox with laser printing; Kodak with the digital camera.

Sixth) Beware of obvious ground rules.

a. Law of the Ear - your obvious strategy has to sound right.
b. Law of Division - Over time, a category will divide and become two or more categories.
c. Law of Perception - Marketing is not a battle of products, it's a battle of perceptions. The perception is the reality; hence, "obvious ideas exploding in the mind" - Robert Updegraff.
d. Law of Singularity - In search for the obvious, only one move will produce substantial results. History teaches that the only thing that works in marketing is the single, bold stroke. To find that singular idea or concept, marketing managers have to know what's happening in the marketplace. They have to be down at the frontlines. They have to know what's working and what isn't. They have to be involved.
e. Law of Duality - Every market becomes a two-horse race.
f. Law of Resources - Without adequate funding, an obvious idea won't get off the ground

Unfortunately, author Trout has just warmed over his older books, and pitches them relentlessly. This is a clear case of "if you've seen (read) one, you've seen (read) them all..." It is too bad, because there certainly are enough situations in today's marketplace to allow a fresh treatment of a very valuable subject for managements, but this isn't it. On the other hand, if you've never read any of his earlier books, then this one will give you an understanding of all his points.

I had enjoyed all the books from Jack Trout so far. Trout, who created the notion of product positioning along with then-partner Al Ries has written many interesting and thought provoking books, but this is not one of them.

The overall concept isn't clear or well explained.

To people interested in brand management I recommend his previous work.

If a CEO were to read only one book on marketing, "In Search of the Obvious" is it. The pages fly fast with easy-to-understand counsel, everything you need to know to successfully manage the marketing function of your company.

But this book is more than initially meets the eye. Don't be misled by the subtitle -- "The Antidote for Today's Marketing Mess". Trout's thinking applies to any and all of the messes in which we find ourselves today. With all the obfuscation taking place in business, and certainly in marketing, this book helps you to keep your eye on the ball -- the simple obvious differentiating idea. This from the man, Jack Trout, who coined the term "positioning".


Trout writes about real-life brand examples to bring the positioning principles to life for marketers. But you don't need to be in marketing to appreciate his invaluably obvious thinking. His book is all about that good, old-fashioned virtue we call "common sense." We all have it, but we learn to shy from it because we are conditioned to make things so darn complicated.

Trout's book inspires us to be confident that common sense indeed facilitates the development of the obvious -- and thus the best -- ideas. And he brings the search back around to his original set of immutable laws of marketing. They are tried-and-true guidelines in your own search for the obvious. As Trout counsels, ignore them at your own risk!

Jack Trout, one of the most influential marketeers of modern times, rants about the broken marketing world and calls for more common sense and less BS.

The book: "In Search of the Obvious: The Antidote for Today's Marketing Mess" by Jack Trout; Wiley; October 2008

The big idea: Marketing is easy (which makes it hard). Find the obvious, distill the essence and use marketing to sell not entertain. Today's marketing initiatives are too often misguided in their approach and execution, with marketeers selling snake oil instead of working solutions.

The backstory: Jack Trout, co-author of some of the most important marketing books in modern times, is back - and back with a vengeance. He takes aim at the current state of the marketing industry, their BS and the misguided approaches which have turned marketing into a fluffy, aimless pseudo-science.

Five tests: Trout cites a 90 year old book from Updegraff, which lays out five tests of Obviousness: 1. The problem when solved will be simple. 2. Does it check with human nature? 3. Put it on paper. 4. Does it EXPLODE in people's minds? 5. Is the time ripe?

Perceptions rule: As much as we wish it wouldn't be true, people are guided by their perception, not facts. Perception becomes fact - superior products don't necessarily rule. And you can only do what your customers allow you to do.

If you read nothing else: Chapter 1 and 2 lay out the basic framework in less than 25 pages. Treat yourself to these nuggets of wisdom, reread them frequently and put them to work everyday.

Rating: 9 (1=Rubbish; 10=Awesome). Trout's experience, solid theoretical knowledge, body of work (both academically as well as a practitioner) and his tendency to call things by their true name make this book a must read for everyone in marketing (and everyone who is marginally interested in marketing).

Jack Trout's message is simple and clear: be obvious. Forget about being fancy or too creative when it comes to selling your product or service. And yet, that's what we all overlook sometimes. The book brings out some relevant observations, but perhaps Jack belabors this point or stretches it a little. Yes, he does mention Coke and how they should have remained "The Real Thing" many times - it sounds like an old man repeating himself, but maybe that is the intended effect. I was hoping for a few more examples, but Jack's book is written like a mantra that drills you with its theme: be obvious, be obvious, be obvious - and by doing so, avoid confusion.

The reviewers here are correct in saying that Jack may be recycling some of his key ideas. However, it's a worthwhile message, especially for those new to Jack Trout. You can't blame all marketing for trying to change and improve things however, so what exactly is the role of good advertising? Jack doesn't quite explain that, but his no-nonsense advice is hard to ignore. 4 stars for relevance; 3.5 stars for being longwinded here and there.

Just when the economy is going down the tubes and the state of marketing seems like it is at an all time high in terms of confusion, idiocy and meaningless jargon, Jack Trout steps to the plate in the bottom of the ninth with two outs and hits a home run.

Jack delivers a much needed and highly refreshing dose of common and not-so-common sense in this book and reminds us that no matter what the current so-called marketing gurus are teaching today, a time out to refocus on the basic immutable rules of marketing is in order.

Just when it seems like marketing has lost its mind with print ads that look more like art, internet marketing that looks like entertainment and other boneheaded maneuvers that don't seem to communicate anything at all, this book shows how important it is to remember the fundamentals: remember the goal (sell something to somebody to create more customers) and then understand your position in your customers' minds so the right marketing direction becomes obvious.

Full of examples and taking his 22 Immutable Laws to the next level, Jack has written a timely book that should be read by managers, CEO's and marketers everywhere.

I'm not sure whether Jack believes the same things I do or if I believe the same things because I learned them from Jack Trout in the first place, but whichever it is, it felt refreshing to be engrossed in a marketing book that isn't promising "the next big thing" but rather showing us that the future of marketing really lies in a look back to what made the great marketing and great companies great in the first place.

Buy two copies of this book so you can give one away to that person down the hall who believes that marketing is all about interruption, entertainment and engagement. He or she might not thank you for it right away, but maybe they'll at least stop to think a little longer next time they start creating a marketing message and that can only help us all.

- Review by the author of the e-book, "How to Build and Manage Your Brand (in sickness and in health)."

Jack Trout has been a marketing professional for 40 years. This book is about how the marketing profession has gotten off course, and the importance of timeless fundamentals, simplicity, and common sense.

Trout is critical of Madison Avenue. "To me it's creativity run amok...The fact is that creativity was always a misnomer. An agency isn't creating something. The company or product or service already exists. What they are doing is figuring out what is the best way to sell it. That, simply stated, means to take that logical, differentiating argument and dramatize it."

Another slam to the ad industry is the objective of awareness. "Customer awareness of a brand or product does not link to real customer behavior. Everybody is aware of GM and nobody is buying their cars."

Trout is also critical of tinkering by corporate marketing executives. "It's no wonder that the job tenure of a chief marketing officer is less than two years."

Of the Internet, Trout says, "Nothing in the marketing and business world has received so much hype. But be careful, it is not the ultimate solution. It's about new ways to reach people with your obvious ideas. It's just another tool but it can confuse things."

So what should be done?

Much of the book discusses positioning. There must be a differentiating idea relative to the competition. "A brand can only stand for one thing in the mind and the more things you try to make it stand for, the more the mind loses focus on what it is... Managed carefully, a good position is timeless."

"Any ad program has to start with a product difference you are trying to communicate. You're not after a meaningless slogan. Your program has to contain that difference and the benefit that comes with it... The ad must communicate that reason to buy."

Jack Trout's excellent writing style can be read quickly. He coauthored several marketing books in the 1980s and 1990s with his consulting partner Al Ries. Two of their notable titles were Positioning and The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing. In recent years Al Ries has coauthored books with his daughter Laura Ries, and Jack Trout has written Differentiate or Die.

Veteran marketer Jack Trout successfully manages to inject new material while belaboring the obvious. To do well, he says, marketers must go back to the basics, even though it's popular to chase trends and be cute. Marketers are concerned about fancy strategies, high-tech gadgets, quantitative research, entertaining ads and faddish consultants - all a waste of time. Trout says to go back to the core of marketing. Focus on the obvious. That's what customers really want. What you really need to know is right in front of you, not at the bottom of the data mine. Although Trout pounds away at his thesis, getAbstract finds his book enjoyably informative. He may sometimes seem like a scolding grandfather, but he has clear advice for marketers: Modern society is too complex, and complexity does not help you sell. Instead, he says, marketers should try common sense. It couldn't hurt.

You don't need a 1000 books. Just pick up few of then. This book is a special one, and tells what is important about marketing in 21th century.

Jack Trout is a special professional and his advices are clear and direct.

You can give as a gift to any one who works in the business area.