Marketing in the Round: How to Develop an Integrated Marketing Campaign in the Digital Era [Format Kindle]

When I initially quickly read first chapters, didn't learn much. Maybe missed it, I said to myself, and tried rereading. Then, I saw the innumerable 5 stars, (mostly given by reviewers with too few Amazon review, strange!), and so I reviewed it once more.

This book feels more like condensed seminar notes than an analytical book. If one has read marketing textbooks and kept current with web and social media, this book provides little value. The book's theme, "Marketing in the Round", as best as I can determine, is same as traditional integrated marketing communications, and its slogan-message "break down the silos" has been around for centuries.

The book's other coined terms (its marketing approaches), e.g. groundswell, top-down, flanking, or go direct, all have better known, traditional marketing terms. The book uses Musashi's warfare classic, "The Book of Five Rings" to derive and give analogy to these terms. Warfare philosophy really isn't appropriate here, because warfare is usually a zero or negative sum activity, and business is usually a positive sum activity. Campaigns, however, can be thought of in military terms; and, instead of relying of Mushashi, perhaps the authors should look more to Sun Tzu, the preemient military strategist.

For example, when the book states in order for Mushashi's "top down" approach to work, a company usually needs market leadership; such is too broad of a generalization and possible implementation strategies too obvious. By comparison, a Sun Tzu general would know details of the marketing terrain, have high degree of environmental (including enemy) intelligence, and deploy all kinds of sophisticated illusions and non-obvious tactics. Thus, as said by Sun Tzu, the great general will win without any recognized market leadership, provided he knows his craft. And, instead of the sophisticated analysis needed of Sun Tzu, the book exhorts the reader to adapt preferred approaches by using five simplistic qualifying questions.

And the book uses a supporting evidence technique that I can't stand--short anecdotes of various business stories. The anecdotes are so short that it's difficult for a reader to "evaluate". A seminar leader can use his far greater knowledge to answer questions and establish faith and trust. This book's short anecdotes don't create these, and somehow, the authors want the readers' blind faith.

It is a very short, survey summary book of marketing methods. I see this as a problem--there are many reasons for this or that marketing method, and this book simply is too short to provide reasoned discourse analysis. To be fair, I couldn't stomach more than half of the book, so will make my evaluation based on half read and remainder scanned. A good seminar supplement book, a decent summary book, a bad book to learn marketing analysis.

Just finished Marketing in the Round and found it to be incredibly helpful. I'm making it required reading for any hire or intern entering the Marketing/Communications field. The book beautifully balances itself between BIG PICTURE theories and more day-to-day how to advice and examples. Simple common-sense charts, tables and questions help you think through your situation and come up with an executable strategy.

Dietrich and Livingston break down the pros and cons of each discipline (Advertising, Web, Public Relations, Social Media, SEO, Content, and Direct Marketing)and illuminate the importance of cross-departmental collaboration. Their years of experience shine through and would serve as a much-needed reality check for those who don't know why they're not getting the results they want from their marketing campaigns.

For example, the section discussing starting up an online community starts out "This is not the Field of Dreams. If you build it, they will not come." Of course, the paragraph goes on to helpfully explain how to participate in existing online communities, where to find them, and how best to engage them.

A must read for anyone currently in Marketing and PR (at least those who plan to be in the business a year from now.)

This should be required reading for any marketing executive and change-agent in business who is trying to see an increase in their business results from marketing strategies. Gini and Geoff provide the historical context, a deep review of the approaches and sound recommendations to make this a worthwhile read.