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Your Marketing Sucks Paperback – April 26, 2005

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Mark Stevens (Author)
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Product Details

  • Paperback: 240 pages
  • Publisher: Crown Business (April 26, 2005)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1400081696
  • ISBN-13: 978-1400081691
  • Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.6 x 9 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
  • Average Customer Review: 2.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (89 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,341,203 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Most companies don't have a clue about good marketing, argues entrepreneur Stevens (Extreme Management) in his slender but vociferous book. What they need are the principles of "extreme marketing," in which every dollar "is set in a strategic context," is part of an integrated plan and brings in more than a dollar in return-strategies Stevens lays out in his readable, thought-provoking and sometimes outrageous book. He bashes marketers' "conventional wisdom" with an almost immoderate glee, and proposes big changes too: stop all marketing if you can't prove it works; don't use your competitors' marketing as a benchmark; don't depend on the results of focus groups; fire sellers that don't sell; cross-sell to consumers; and try direct mailings are just a few of his ideas. With charges like "Be persistent, relentless, inventive, counterintuitive, challenging, combative, strategic and tactical," readers may be tempted to think: easy for you to say. But this gem of a book is brimming with anecdotal evidence of advertising strategies gone awry, and full of examples of better plans. Diversification of programs is key, as are market testing and tracking. And if Stevens's examples aren't enough to convince (though they should be), his passion for his subject may carry the day. At the book's conclusion, Stevens instructs readers to not return to the office until they have figured out how to implement his advice. This is as different from more traditional and staid marketing how-tos as its title suggests.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Stevens, a marketing consultant, promotes his theories by teaching readers how to get a positive return on their marketing investment. He offers strategies that include aligning marketing with a company's objectives, developing a clear statement of purpose, determining how to reach the broadest audience, and qualifying prospects. The author's tactics help readers describe their offerings, differentiate themselves from competitors, determine the best products to sell efficiently, capture leads and follow up on them, and structure steady growth plans. The author concludes with a step-by-step approach to analyzing a company's marketing efforts and then designing an action plan to make necessary improvements for reaching stated objectives. By following the author's instructions, the reader will engage in Extreme Marketing, in which every marketing dollar spent will bring in more than one dollar in return. Although this book is clearly an infomercial for Stevens' business, in our competitive marketplace it is critically important to reflect upon marketing initiatives and make every possible adjustment to improve them. Mary Whaley
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Customer Reviews

2.9 out of 5 stars
5 star
22
4 star
19
3 star
7
2 star
9
1 star
32
See all 89 customer reviews
The book is very easy to read, it is short, chapters are organized in a friendly manner and the author doesn't present excesive examples.
E. Jimenez
The book is completely summarized between pages 23 and 45 and if you don't think those pages were helpful then reading further will be disappointing.
Joe with a camera
And, even if you think that this book is really simple, the reality that I've found is that most people in marketing really ARE doing it wrong.
T. George

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

51 of 55 people found the following review helpful
Playing it safe...3 stars...
By T. George on January 7, 2004
Format: Hardcover
Wow. I have never seen such bitterness about an Amazon product. There are some truly horrible products out there, I admit, but it looks like anyone who gives a positive review will get shot down 0 to 5 in the voting. It makes one think...
As for my review, I'll play it safe with 3 stars. I rated Mosquito Coast 3 stars too. What does it mean? It means I wouldn't go out of my way for it & I didn't get a ton from it, but there was something about it to justify it's existence.
For those of you who haven't read and who haven't been prejudiced to a negative review, the author's basic concept is that marketing should fall under the business domain and not the "artsy, creative domain" that it usually does. He makes a good point that your marketing should not be out there to win awards, and that more expensive (a la Super Bowl spots) doesn't mean better. Instead, everything you do to promote a product or service - and it can be at a grass roots level - should reinforce each other. I.e., your ads should tie to your website should tie to your publicity, etc. And all this should increase sales. If you don't increase your sales, your marketing sucks.
Now, it is true that the book is not an academic or even an intellectual book. Do not come here to learn about marketing. It's not even marketing 101. It's basically written to people in marketing who are doing it wrong. And, even if you think that this book is really simple, the reality that I've found is that most people in marketing really ARE doing it wrong. So, if you are in marketing - especially if you haven't had much business exposure - then this may be a helpful read.
Now, I will say that this book is INCREDIBLY poorly written. I think he spent 3 chapters winding you up to tell you what was inside.Read more ›
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49 of 55 people found the following review helpful
A Beginner's Guide to Sales and Advertising
By mruseless on September 22, 2003
Format: Hardcover
No original ideas, except of course the title. I guess this is worth something, after all, it persuaded me to buy the book!
The book starts off with the annoying phrase, "Extreme Marketing". Let's get one thing straight: Nothing in this book is extreme. The ideas are basic, focusing on sales and advertising. If that's what you need, then perhaps this is a good book for you.
Second, this book suffers from the ever-popular confusion between marketing and sales. This book doesn't really touch marketing as a discipline, but instead reads like a commercial for his advertising firm. He spends an entire chapter (one of the longer chapters in the book) describing how a company transformed itself using "his" principles. Guess what? The company is fictional! He made up the company, and made up the results! How is that helpful?
Overall, if you are a beginner in sales, this book may be of some help. But if you are looking for marketing tactics, strategy, or new insights, this this isn't the one.
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24 of 27 people found the following review helpful
This is a promo for the Author's Consulting firm
By A Customer on August 24, 2003
Format: Hardcover
This book is more hype than substance. Great title and admittedly well marketed. But a good marketer knows you have to deliver on your marketing promise to truly be effective. Mark Stevens does not do that. I would not buy another book from this author (fortuneately I got my copy from the library) I also would not reccomend it to others. His themes and concepts are not original. Sergio Zyman's book (End of Marketing...) is much better and insightful. Like most others who write on the subject of Marketing effectiveness, he talks a big game on Marketing ROI, but falls way short when it comes down to how to really measure it. He takes the easy road by speaking at a high, theoretical level. His most egregious mistake is confusing marketing communications (advertising, direct mail, PR) with Marketing. Even the Marketing undergrad knows Marketing communications alone doesn't motivate someone to buy, it is an integration of the product, the price you charge for it, how and where it is distributed and sold as well as the Marketing communications. Reading this book, you'd think just adjusting your advertising or direct marketing or PR will drive results. Shame on you, Mark.
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14 of 15 people found the following review helpful
Lack of Understanding
By Collin Watchel on November 24, 2003
Format: Hardcover
The author demonstrates a lack of understanding of big vs. small business sales development. Different strategies work based on where they are in the business cycle. To criticize a large powerful company with huge budgets for utilizing the single largest reach and most talked about media vehicle (SuperBowl)without any understanding of the sales dynamics behind it is absurd. The press pre and post, the web traffic, the merchandising surrounding the SuperBowl is the reason Budweiser has done it 18 times.
To cast all advertising people in the mold of "junket spenders" and as creative awards hungry is sophmoric logic. Clamoring after Clios is not what keeps clients. David Ogilvy created an award for his agency for the account that had the biggest register ring from their advertising. He created a solution.
No one in marketing would disagree that sales input is crucial. But---Ask any sales guy if he would like to go into a call cold or with a customer that has at least heard of him via some marketing---before you throw out the carefully crafted brochures, the interactive web page and kill the trade and or consumer advertising.
As I think about it, this is a book that seems to be trying to shock people with a non-issue.
I was hungry for solutions and kept waiting to read one. I was curious how Stevens markets for his clients. Does he create brochures for them even though he thinks brochures don't sell? Does he do web pages for them that are "pretty online brochures" and don't sell? I'd love to see some realtime stories and results of his efforts- a strong case study or two versus these statements that seem to go against the grain in strategy but mouth the rhetoric or the obvious.
Still waiting.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

Your Marketing Sucks!!!

Great book! If you need a Foundation on how marketing works this is your book! Its all about Extreme Marketing. Read more

Published 21 months ago by Jesse Garcia
The book title tells it all

My son who has his masters in marketing recommended this book to us for our company. Sadly I found out that we implemented too many of the ideas that Mark Stevens says 'suck'. Read more

Published 22 months ago by Amazon Customer
Giving two stars would have been generous

Your Marketing Sucks main premise is to change your marketing strategy from "Lazy Marketing" to "Extreme Marketing. Read more

Published on January 5, 2013 by Joe with a camera
Wonderful

A great guide for anyone that wants to have a good business and especially good for any entepreneur or small business owner.

Published on May 21, 2012 by Sean
This is the book to get to market your product...

I discovered this book because its author was one of the few people to defend Rush Limbaugh against the thought police. I had to buy the book to support such a courageous stand. Read more

Published on May 6, 2012 by Timothy J. Gannon
do NOT SUPPORT THIS PRODUCT

This man just went on national televison and referred to a bunch of hard working American women as "terrorist" His product is a bunch of garbage with out a single original idea. Read more

Published on March 20, 2012 by Otruelove
Completely revolutionized my view of marketing

I am in the process of starting my own online, home-based business, and I needed to learn about marketing. Read more

Published on August 2, 2011 by Janine N. Pollard
Your marketing sucks

"Your Marketing Sucks", by Mark Stevens, is a book about the mistakes and solutions to organizational mismanagement of marketing plans, dollars, and strategies. Read more

Published on February 15, 2011 by GREGORY DON HALL
Um, no.

I used to think that Getting Hits, by Don Sellers, was a bad, bad book. I stand corrected. Mark Stevens in Your Marketing Sucks makes a mockery of the trees (or tree, singular)... Read more

Published on May 9, 2010 by John Scott
It is good

Read this book as part of an entrepreneurship class. Great book! It helped me get a better/more practical perspective on marketing and sales--probably like a 140 degree change in... Read more

Published on January 30, 2010 by semilla

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