Making Marketing Happen: How Great Companies Make Strategic Planning Work (Paperback)

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Review
Taken from the foreword by Professor Malcolm McDonald at Cranfield University School of Management.

"In my view Brian Smith's work on marketing planning sets a new standard for research in business schools because, not only does it tackle head on the most difficult task in the domain of marketing, but it brings to it a refreshingly challenging, original and creative approach.

Now Brian Smith has translated his work into this book in a way which will catch the imagination of all experienced marketers. For everyone touched by the problems and issues associated with strategy-making, this book is a MUST read. Not only is it intellectually challenging, but it is urbane, pragmatic and entertaining in a way which most marketing books fail to achieve. Brian Smith is one of a new breed of marketers who are capable of original thinking.

I have read and enjoyed every word. If you want to improve your knowledge and wisdom and hence your success as a marketing practitioner, I beseech you to read and note carefully what Brian Smith has to say. Your ability to implement all that is best in marketing will be greatly enhanced."

"Brian Smith has developed his insights into the theory and practice of marketing through close associations both with the World of academia and with the hurly burly of industry, and the benefits of that partnership show through clearly in this book. 'Making Marketing Happen' does what few other texts on the subject do and that is combine a thorough analysis of the principles of marketing with the organisational and cultural challenges that beset every organisation and frustrate the delivery of best marketing practice. I found of particular use the assessment exercises in each chapter that help the reader take a fresh look at their own company and identify the areas for improvement as well as anticipating and planning for the potential barriers. The juxtaposition of academic insight with practical steps to realise improvements in an organisation make this one of the books that have relevance and utility to managers as an aide to strategic and marketing management and in-house capability building, rather than one of those publications that sit on the office shelf, placed their with good intent, never to get read again. I strongly recommend this book to practicing marketing professionals and those who aspire to such positions."

Mark Jones, Vice President of Cardiovascular Marketing, AstraZeneca.

Product Description
'Making Marketing Happen' is prompted by needs of practising managers who have found the traditional marketing planning texts to be "fine in theory, but hard to apply to my special market". In short, it holds that marketing planning fails for most companies because it either does not fit their organizational culture, their market conditions or both.

Successful companies do not plan. They use a hybrid strategy making process including vision, incrementalism and planning. The ratio of these three things is critical and the right ratio is unique to every company. The author develops this argument and explains how companies can construct the right hybrid strategy making process for their situation.

The book has been designed for those practising managers who need more than the planning text book. It will tell you:

* Why attempts at planning are foiled by the market, the company culture or both.
* How effective strategists don't plan, but use organizationally tailored strategy making processes
* How to design the right process for your company and your market
* How to know if the strategy you make is strong before you implement it.

"An incredibly practical and hands-on book concerned with the realities of doing strategic marketing planning to enhance customer and shareholder value. It is packed with new ideas and practical tools and should be on every marketing manager's desk."

Professor Nigel F Piercy, Professor of Marketing, Warwick Business School

"This book starts where most others finish - making the theory work in the real world. Having done an MBA and held several Senior Marketing positions, I recommend it both to practising marketers who already have a thorough understanding of marketing theory and also to MBA students who are eager to apply their knowledge within their own organisation's framework."

Mathias Aeberhardt, Director Business Intelligence Europe, Zimmer GmbH

"As a strategic marketing professionals working in the fast-moving and complex world of UK retail banking and personal financial services, inevitable time pressures demand that we must be highly selective in the material we choose to read. Within this context, I would recommend 'Make Marketing Happen' as an invaluable investment of scarce managerial time. The text is full of practical guidance and exciting insights into the world of strategic market planning and is presented in an informative and highly accessible format - well worth the read."

Dr Jansen Ryder, Product Manager, Halifax Bank of Scotland

"Making Marketing Happen is one of those rare marketing books that brings the right information to the table at precisely the right time. As a senior marketer in the highly competitive automotive industry, I have struggled with what the appropriate measures of marketing value are now, and what they should be in the future in order to maintain a competitive edge. Brian Smith has provided a detailed, pragmatic approach to marketing strategy with not only interesting examples but also with clear advise to make marketing really happen. The text is concise and clearly presented.
Most of all, Making Marketing Happen is very readable and enjoyable to read."

Willem Verschuur, GM Product Marketing Management, Mitsubishi Motors Europe B.V.

"In the past writing on Marketing Planning seems to have been dominated by mechanistic planning models. This book brings a welcome insight into other approaches and their application and challenges managers to think about what works for them."

Gerry Johnson, Professor of Strategic Management, University of Strathclyde Graduate School of Business

* Shows how to implement marketing plans rather than simply construct them
* Addresses the real issues facing companies and demonstrates how to tailor plans to individual situations
* Highlights why marketing plans fail and how these difficulties can be overcome

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First Sentence
The movie Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade reaches an exciting climax when the hero, after surmounting three fiendish traps, reaches the cave that houses the Holy Grail. Read the first page Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index

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7 Reviews 5 star:  (7) 4 star:    (0) 3 star:    (0) 2 star:    (0) 1 star:    (0)           Average Customer Review 5.0 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)		Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Most Helpful Customer Reviews   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars An important book on forming marketing strategy, 1 Sep 2005 By  H. Wilson (UK) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)    I teach marketing planning at Cranfield School of Management, and I have known Brian Smith's work for some time. I believe Brian's ideas are really important. Making marketing planning work in practice is really hard (in fact, it was this problem which first propelled me into academia from industry to try to solve it - and my PhD made much less progress on this problem than Brian's did). Brian's crucial contribution is that he has worked out and road-tested a practical approach to adapting the marketing planning text-book to a particular industry and culture. He doesn't just give a few general principles and examples - he actually spells out how to assess your culture, how to assess your environment and how to adapt your planning to both. It also helps that he writes engagingly and clearly. I therefore propose to shamelessly borrow his ideas in this book (fully acknowledged, of course!) in my teaching from now on! I will also be listing this book as one of two key texts on marketing plans to my students (the other being Malcolm McDonald's bestseller). Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   2 of 2 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars This book is written for me!, 13 Jul 2005 By  A Marketing Director (UK) - See all my reviews Just like the blurb says, I'm a qualified and experienced marketing director who has been on more courses than I care to mention. Despite this, I struggle to translate the theory into practice. Other books I've read seem to be oblivious to company culture and the complexity of the market place. This book is just what I've been waiting for. It recognises the real constraints on managers and gives detailed guidance on how to make the theory work. I would recommend it to anyone who works in marketing in the real world. Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)   1 of 1 people found the following review helpful: 5.0 out of 5 stars At last! Help for those of us on planet Real World!, 23 Sep 2005 By A Customer You've done all the qualifications and you know your company would be more successful if they'd just get their marketing strategy right ... but whatever you do, you can't make it happen in your world. If that sounds familiar, read this book. It is a MUST READ for any practicing marketer who is responsible for making or implementing marketing strategy. Reading this book will save you months (or even years) of frustration and failure when you seem to be working with colleagues who just 'don't get' marketing. ... and as business books go, it's readable and enjoyable, too. So you have no excuse! Comment Comment | Permalink | Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this) Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review › See all 7 customer reviews...		Most Recent Customer Reviews 5.0 out of 5 stars Easy to read Having seen Brian present this work shortly before it was published, can testify that he is an accomplished speaker as well as writer on this complex topic. Read more Published on 15 Aug 2006 by Clive L. Bawden 5.0 out of 5 stars For all senior management I loved reading this book. it solved something that has always bugged me: As a business owner / CEO I've often wrestled with my visionary instincts vs use of strategic planning... Read more Published on 7 Aug 2005 by jameslaser 5.0 out of 5 stars A practioner's perspective "This book succeeds in combining high academic content with practical guidance on making marketing theory work. Read more Published on 21 Jul 2005 by baba awopetu 5.0 out of 5 stars Don't do things right - Do the right thing ! "Making Marketing Happen" by Dr Brian D Smith is a terrific practical support tool for real rather than autopilot marketing planning. Read more Published on 19 Jul 2005 by M. Muttalib Search Customer Reviews Only search this product's reviews › See all 7 customer reviews...

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