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The Shift
Book

The Shift

The Transformation of Today’s Marketers into Tomorrow’s Growth Leaders

Scott M. Davis
Jossey-Bass, 2009
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Editorial Rating

7

Qualities

  • Applicable

Recommendation

Marketing certainly needs to be jolted into the 21st century, and this book may be a good first step in that direction. Scott M. Davis, working with Philip Kotler, who wrote the foreword, and with other chapter co-authors, urges tactical marketing executives to become “Visionary Marketers,” a transformation process that requires “five shifts” in practice and focus. To buttress his case for change, Davis includes real-world examples of top corporate marketers who transcended their traditional roles and earned the serious regard of senior management by affecting the bottom line. However, while his case studies have practical applications, he presents little new information and his descriptions of the five transformational shifts sometimes bog down. That said, he makes a compelling point that marketing must change and focus on the larger goals of the company, armed with superior knowledge of customers. As a result, getAbstract recommends Davis’ book to serious marketers who want to update and transform their tactics in a radical way and, by doing so, step into a more influential role in their companies.

Summary

A Golden Moment

Marketing executives stand at a pivotal point within their organizations. Instead of being limited to managing advertising agency relationships and providing sales support, “Visionary Marketers” are becoming corporate leaders. They are earning this role by translating their knowledge of media use and customer behavior into new products and new consumer experiences. They move up in corporate leadership by transforming their marketing departments into engines of innovation and growth.

Today, visionary marketers have moved into top corporate positions at Best Buy, Wal-Mart, Burger King, General Electric and other companies by discovering what factors drive their customers and contribute to organizational growth. This new breed of marketers fulfills corporate demands for more bottom-line accountability. Marketers who focus only on devising creative messages and strategies are avoiding their responsibility to add to overall growth. Visionary marketers provide development ideas at the board level and drive companywide expansion through branding, product innovation and business strategy.

Thinking Strategically

Most traditional chief marketing...

About the Author

Scott M. Davis is a senior partner at Prophet and a former adjunct professor at the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University. He is the author of Brand Asset Management and co-author of Building the Brand-Driven Business.

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