Sun Tzu Strategies for Winning the Marketing War: 12 Essential Principles for Winning the War for Customers [Paperback]

Gerald Michaelson (Author), Steven Michaelson (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 20, 2003

Battle-tested strategies for marketing your product or service to victory!

Millions of business warriors have been inspired by lessons from one of the world's greatest strategists, Sun Tzu. In Sun Tzu Strategies for Winning the Marketing War, the bestselling author and Sun Tzu expert Gerald Michaelson interprets the influential thinker's classic battle strategies specifically for today's marketing professionals by boiling down the classic The Art of War into "The Principles of the Marketing War," such as:

• Organization of Intelligence: Know your market as well as you know yourself
• Economy of Force: Assess accurately where you employ your resources
• Simplicity: Even the simplest plans are difficult to execute

Each principle is followed by strategic and tactical applications of the principle as adapted by the most successful armies of the world throughout history. The book features real-life applications of Sun Tzu's theories drawn from some of the business world's most successful marketing campaigns.

Editorial Reviews

From the Back Cover

Winning marketing principles from the greatest strategist of all time

What can an ancient Chinese military genius teach modern businesspeople about winning the marketing war? Everything! In Sun Tzu Strategies for Marketing, the bestselling author of Sun Tzu: The Art of War for Managers interprets the crafty General's classic battle strategies specifically for today's marketing professionals. Packed with brilliant insights that will help you apply this ancient wisdom in the modern world, this powerful new translation includes special notations that underscore the relevance of Sun Tzu's writings to marketing strategy. Gerald Michaelson restates these timeless ideas as "The Principles of the Marketing War." Each principle is illustrated with strategic and tactical applications drawn from the world's most successful marketing campaigns. These principles include:

• Organization of Intelligence: Know your market as well as you know yourself
• A Secure Position: Occupy a position that cannot easily be taken by your opponent
• Surprise: Gain psychological dominance and deny the initiative to you opponent
• Economy of Force: Assess accurately where you deploy your resources
• Command Structure: Good management unleashes the power of human resources
• Simplicity: Even the simplest plans are difficult to execute

Let the wisdom of the past brighten your future. Read Sun Tzu Strategies for Marketing and become a master at the art of winning.

About the Author

Gerald A. Michaelson, former national vice president of the sales and marketing division of the American Marketing Association, he presents his seminars on Sun Tzu to business audiences around the world.

Product Details

• Paperback: 200 pages
• Publisher: McGraw-Hill; 1 edition (October 20, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0071427317
• ISBN-13: 978-0071427319
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #907,241 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Sun Tzu: Strategies for Marketing, November 23, 2003

By 

Jusuf Hariman (Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Sun Tzu Strategies for Winning the Marketing War: 12 Essential Principles for Winning the War for Customers (Paperback)

Some of the wisest words for marketing professionals can be found in this book, not only because Gerald Michaelson' extensive studies but also by the fascinating framework he uses. Applying Sun Tzu's philosophy to marketing makes a lot of sense. Sun Tzu's the Art of War contains a great deal of wisdom applicable to marketing and Mr Michaelson illustrates this beautifully.

Marketing professionals from all cultures will enjoy this book, as it makes relevant the universal paradox of business - that strategy must be like water, with form yet formless, and most robust when it is least rigid. Such ancient Taoist's insights are prsented here in a fresh and entertaining style that will enlighten every marketing mind.

4.0 out of 5 stars Great Application of Sun Tzu to Marketing, June 7, 2010

By 

Jeffrey Pham - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Sun Tzu Strategies for Winning the Marketing War: 12 Essential Principles for Winning the War for Customers (Paperback)

I have studied Sun Tzu for over a decade and have applied the "Art of War" in various ways and in various businesses. I have read several different interpretations; as well as many attempts to apply Sun Tzu to the modern business world. Many authors fail, leaving us with only lightly touched "common sense" application and vague examples to learn from...Michaelson succeeds.

Michaelson's application, theory, examples, and format are all very successful in the use of Sun Tzu's 12 chapters translated into the world of Marketing. Each chapter is divided into smaller sub-topics, making the work easy to pick-up for quick reads. There are a few chapters detailing step-by-step stratagems. All points are reinforced with Sun Tzu's quoted text and numerous real world business examples. Even though it's a fairly easy read, I found myself skipping backwards often to connect sub-topics that build to the main point...this work gets deeper than most.

This is a definite recommendation for those wanting to apply strong Sun Tzu strategic theory to Marketing. Skip other variations of the "Art of Business" that aren't as in-depth and spend some time within these pages of real world examples and deeper Marketing principles.