The End of Advertising as We Know it [Paperback]

In branding, the cows are starting to look up.

Sergio Zyman is a former chief marketing officer of Coca-Cola who bills himself as a "high-profile marketing guru." He runs an Atlanta-based consulting group with clients in banking, aluminum, skiing and golf. In 2001, Time magazine named him one of the three best pitchmen of the 20th century.

This book is a follow-up to his 2000 book, The End of Marketing As We Know It. His current book is a collection of observations on the changing role of branding, specific advice on sponsorships and PR agency selection, and musings on the impact of 9/11on advertising. He writes only for companies selling to consumers, ignoring the vital role of branding for businesses that sell to other businesses.

The premise that advertising has "ended" covers attacks on large, traditional agencies, who see advertising through the lens of 30-second TV commercials and define success by the number of creative awards. "The truth is that most agency art directors are frustrated movie directors and most agency copywriters are frustrated playwrights and both consider themselves artists," he says. Instead, he defines advertising as the sum total of corporate operations, ranging from packaging and PR to how secretaries answer phones.

Zyman also argues that "awareness" is irrelevant. "Too many companies make the mistake of thinking that creating an image is some kind of goal unto itself, that once they get their image into the public's mind they'll automatically see an increase in sales and customer loyalty. Unfortunately, it doesn't work that way," he writes.

He makes a strong case for accountability. He dismisses traditional metrics like "reach," "frequency" and "continuity" because of a lack of targeting. Every marketing expense must be treated as an investment, with a quantifiable return. Even sponsorships must have a hard-dollar impact on revenue. Such accountability extends to ad and PR agencies. Don't hire anyone, he advises, who is not willing to be paid based on sales results.

Based on his extensive experience at Coke, he is especially strong on celebrity endorsements and sponsorships. When considering celebrities, key questions to ask include: "Is there a relevant connection between the brand and the celebrity?" Otherwise, it's a waste. Case in point: Hiring Terry Bradshaw to promote 1-800-COLLECT, or Michael Jordan for Ray-O-Vac batteries. What is the risk of controversy? Is the celebrity overexposed? ("Two words: Fran Tarkenton.") Can the celebrity be used in different media? And, does the celebrity actually use the product? There were a lot of frowns at Pepsi when Britney Spears was spotted drinking Coke.

Out of a worldwide marketing budget of $5 billion, Coke once spent about one-third on sponsorships. Zyman now suggests that the word "sponsorship" should be abandoned because it implies one-way philanthropy. His alternative: "Marketing Property Utilization." Key questions to answer before sponsoring events include: What specific business results are you trying to achieve? How much business will the event need to generate to achieve revenue and profit objectives? What are the opportunity costs? He emphasizes that the usual method of measuring return - minutes of exposure compared to equivalent media costs - "is a load of crap." He suggests that property sellers take a stake in the success from the event. For example, a bank sponsor of a NASCAR event paid NASCAR for every new account that was opened.

But Zyman misses the boat in several areas. He not only argues for "positioning," but "positioning du jour." "When it comes to brands, 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' doesn't work....If your brand is going to succeed, and you're going to stay ahead of the competition, you're going to constantly fix things before they break and continuously realign your message and your image to your customers' wants and needs." It's hard to imagine a scarred veteran of the New Coke fiasco making such a statement.

He dismisses the experience that results from product and customer interaction. Zyman writes: "Pay attention because this is absolutely critical: The people who got you where you are right now - no matter how good they are- can't get you where you want to go. They just can't. If you're going to move ahead, expand your business, or get into new markets, you need to bring in some new people with new ideas. If you can't do that, you at least need to send your old people out to be retrained."

And some statements are worthy of American humorist Dave Barry, known for his catch-phrase, "I am not making this up." "The Microsoft brand, for example, projects an image that the company and Bill Gates himself are committed to making their products bigger, brighter, and more useful. They even try to involve customers in product development. By continually putting out a product that breaks they're giving the impression that Microsoft's technology is so advanced that their products are always in development. The company responds well to suggestions for fixes offered by heavy and light users alike and people end up almost feeling as though they own the company," he writes.

Some of his ideas are good, but are tainted by the blatant self-promotion on almost every page. If you're interested in a book that explores many of the same themes, but details how to put them into action and measure results, check out FusionBranding: How to Forge Your Brand for the Future by Nick Wreden. The difference between the two books is like exploring the same ground, one from 50,000 feet in the air, and the other with a map, guide and compass.

Zyman's own career is a product of big advertising budgets. His lack of experience building brands any other ways shows. As such, this book lacks specific advice about non-traditional marketing that comes from personal experience.

If you're looking for a books that can help you find a new approach to marketing, this isn't it. Save your money.