Disruption: Overturning Conventions and Shaking Up the Marketplace (Adweek Magazine Series) [Hardcover]

"The impact this work has had on the industry is visible everywhere" (The Drum, October 17th 2008)

Disruption? It′s nothing new. Just look at any of the breakthrough business ideas of the last thirty years–from Federal Express overnight delivery to Saturn′s fixed sticker price–and you′ll see a perfect example of the principle of disruption in action.

Still, do you really understand what makes these ideas great? On an intuitive level, maybe, but can you articulate it clearly, reproduce it to create your own business breakthroughs, and make it an integral part of how your company operates? Probably not–unless, of course, you′re already familiar with the principles and practices spelled out in Disruption, the groundbreaking new book by global advertising and marketing authority Jean–Marie Dru.

To put it simply, disruption is about uncovering the culturally embedded biases and conventions that shape standard approaches to business thinking and get in the way of clear, creative thinking. It′s about shattering those biases and conventions and setting creativity free to forge a radical new vision of a product, brand, or service. It′s about spearheading change rather than reacting to it.

In Disruption, Dru shows you how to harness the enormous potential of this concept. He introduces innovative strategies for breaking down creative barriers and shows you how to analyze traditional approaches from new perspectives. Next, he provides valuable tools for identifying and cataloging conventions, including "what if," "multicultural analysis," and the "disruption bank." He then demonstrates–with the help of dozens of galvanizing examples from around the world–how to apply this knowledge systematically to create innovative competitive strategies, marketing campaigns, and operations plans that can revitalize your company or department.

Disruption is must reading for all advertising and marketing professionals, as well as business people who understand the value of creativity.

Praise for Disruption

"Dru offers not just a convincing context but a successful methodology for breaking out of creative ruts. There′s nothing like stirring up a little turbulence to get new thoughts flying. In this book, Dru tells how to pump new energy into brands, with fresh, even revolutionary thinking." –Aldo Papone Senior Advisor, American Express Company

"Dru′s advertising theories in Disruption are nontraditional, which is exactly what you need to regain the interest and trust of today′s consumers." –Scott Bedbury Senior Vice President, Marketing, Starbucks Coffee Company

"Disruption is all about risk–taking, trusting your intuition, and rejecting the way things are supposed to be. Disruption goes way beyond advertising, it forces you to think about where you want your brand to go and how to get there." –Richard Branson Founder and Chairman of Virgin Group of Companies.

"I read Disruption with admiration and recognition. The neat marketing premise of disruption, as articulated, is brilliant. The case studies are compelling . . . making this an unusually easy read." –Owen J. Lipstein Editor–in–Chief, Psychology Today, Spy, Mother Earth News.

"I enjoyed reading Jean–Marie Dru′s book and found myself nodding my head rather than nodding off. It′s a timely and well–argued reminder of the need to be different." –David Abbott Chairman, Abbott Mead Vickers BBDO Ltd.

"Dru offers a truly absorbing compendium of the what, how, and why of creating advertising that takes consumers by surprise–advertising that is different but effective. He offers a distinctive approach to discovering unconventional but sensible ideas for brands and for the advertising that supports them –in print, TV, or the Internet." –Stephen A. Greyser Professor of Marketing/Communications, Harvard Business School.

"Disruption is a catalyst of the imagination, an invaluable guide for rejecting conventionality, ideas which have always been at the heart of MTV." –Bill Roedy CEO, MTV International