Customer Reviews

War in the Boardroom: Why Left-Brain Management and Right-Brain Marketing Don't See Eye-to-Eye--and What to Do About It

5 star:		(6)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Al Ries won the hearts and minds of marketers back in 1981 with his seminal text on positioning, and, to his credit, he's still preaching the same message. And for good reason: his positioning theories and insights have been proven time and again over two-plus decades. This book -- written with his daughter Laura -- clearly shows how marketers and management sit on opposite sides of the table when it comes to outlook and actions. Management deals in reality; marketing deals in perception.

These two authors know how to write. There's not a dull page to be found. Instead, the book overflows with dozens of lively, real-world examples clearly demonstrating the difference between management and marketing -- and where right-brainers or left-brainers have taken their brands for better or worse. And the authors aren't shy about assessing and making predictions about some of today's marquee brands such as Google and Amazon. It's an interesting, fun read.

More literal-minded readers -- left-brainers -- might be disappointed that final chapters aren't devoted to by-the-numbers directions on what to do about the problems of divided brains in the boardroom. But right-brainers -- in fact anybody who pays attention -- will instantly understand that every chapter in the book and the myriad examples provide the case studies on what works and what doesn't work.

If you're on the management side, read and heed. And if you're on the marketing side do as the authors suggest and use the well-written case histories as analogies to help educate top management and sell your concepts.

Making marketing a continual science of the mind and pointing out the obvious -no one else can quite see with such clarity, the Ries Family does it again with yet another resource for the MBA marketing student catalog and again so user-friendly for the average marketing everyman who wants to understand why there's still a war in American corporate boardooms - and what to do about it. While their marketing classic "Positioning" book gave insight into how to 'plan your brand' into the minds of your targeted American consumer, "War in the Boardroom" (still leveraging those catchy head icons) addresses the the roadblocks marketers face from management in advancing their brands. One of the most concise quotes in this typical Ries fun-to-read book sums it all up definitively: "Management believes the key to success is developing a better PRODUCT. Marketing believes the key to success is developing a better PERCEPTION." Given the obvious conflict, if you want to take control of your marketing not just focused on your consumer, but on your own boardroom, pick up this book now - it could give you the power to understand what really has been holding your brand back.

Another must read book from the Ries power house.
As a professional marketer, this book is a powerful tool.

Josef Cohen/ Marketing research doctorate

I loved the book just like I like most of Ries stuff - I have been a follower almost from the start when Al Ries and Jack Trout wrote the great classic "The 22 Immutable Laws of Marketing"

Since then Al Ries has teamed up with his daughter Laura and written a number of other books - mostly on the same topic. They write about branding and positioning.

I do not like the title as I think most of the battles they talk about - management vs marketing actually take place outside the boardroom.

The branding rules they talk about are simple and logical. Focus on one thing. Do not try to be everything to everybody. Be dominant in a category. One brand - one category (so don't try to sell Crest soap). I love the logic in it but I still find it hard to focus.

The thesis of the book is left brained people (logic based - who they say are management) conflict with right brained people (intuition based - who they say are marketing). Management wants to extend the brand, marketing knows better.

It is all about perception. It may not even be current sales that determine how strong a brand is, it is what the customers think of the brand that will create future strength. It is not so much about the product which is often the sole focus of management.

I am a strong believer in much of what the Ries have to say and suggest everyone should read a few of their books. I would suggest starting with one of their earlier books. Their views on branding and positioning are right on.

Al and Laura Ries offer a fresh look at the mess between management and marketing. Great marketers build brands (right-brain) and management (left-brain) usually destroys them. An entertaining page turner that should be required reading for upper management.

Each chapter offers a unique take on the growing problem between management and marketing. The book is filled with great examples. It is concise and to the point. With many brands in America suffering more CEO's should take their advice from Al and Laura.

A great reading that is thoroughly entertaining. All entrepreneurs should read this book.

I'm a fan of the past work Al Ries has done on branding so it is no surprise that the book is slanted towards the marketing side of the supposed "War in the Boardroom" that takes place between management and marketing. While the book touts a resolution between left-brain management and right-brain marketing thinking, don't get your hopes up for a road map on how to overcome the differences. Instead you get an effective summary of how each side may look at selected topics and depending on your orientation you will lean towards the management drive for maximizing revenue and margin streams in the short term or the marketing push for mid to long term positioning to own a product category.
While Al and Laura Ries touch on the edge of the subject, the important takeaway from the book is that it provides a good orientation for you to find the common ground between management, marketing and sales that will drive sustained results for a company. Combine this book with Simplified Strategic Planning by Bradford, Duncan & Tarcy to get the ammo you will need to understand where all sides are coming from to communicate your position in your next meeting or next project.

For those of us who loved the Laws of Branding, this book provides very good arguments and ideas on how to communicate marketing concepts to our more financially-oriented partners or counterparts. From an entrepreneurial point of view, it is easy to picture yourself on many of the situations portrayed, learning a bit on how to manage a conversation towards the issues that matter to both numerical and creative minds, both of whom undoubtedly seek the best results for the companies.

War in the Boardroom did a great job of identifying the differences between marketing thinking and management thinking. Though the chapters were short and the content was easy read, I felt the book could have been more concise and to the point. I did not like how the book seemed to jump around from chapter to chapter. The content did not feel like it grew from chapter to chapter. I enjoyed the recent examples the book used. It was easier to relate to the concepts because the examples were recent and relevant. I found the background information the authors provided to the examples were excellent. Overall, I would recommend the book.

22 immutable laws of branding the book by the same authors has been reiterated in this by slicing the concepts from management and marketing points of view. nothing new but overall good reading again.

Finally! Someone has written about the "Wars" we have as Marketing and Advertising people with the CEO's and Management. This book identifies the "bridge" that's available when right-brainers and left-brainers look at branding and advertising. A must read for both sides. Great read.