Dirk Bogarde: Rank Outsider
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Wonderful Pictures Highlight This Bogarde Book
  • This was just I was looking for years
Dirk Bogarde: Rank Outsider
Sheridan Morley
Manufacturer: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0747546983

Book Description

From his birth in a taxi to his status as a best-selling author, here is the story of Dirk Bogarde, one of the best-loved and greatest film stars Britain has ever produced. Sheridan Morley's engaging biography—handsomely illustrated with 150 photographs—looks at the early years; his distinguished career in films like Death in Venice, The Night Porter, and A Bridge Too Far; and the acclaim that came to Bogarde later in life as an accomplished novelist and memoirist. Sheridan Morley, who knew Bogarde for more than two decades, draws on their many years of conversations and interviews. The result is an absorbing portrait of a private, supremely talented man "who did, perhaps, always remain something of an outsider."

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Wonderful Pictures Highlight This Bogarde Book.......2000-11-05

A stunning look at one of the great talents of the 20th century. This is the same man of The Servant, Death in Venice, Darling, The Damned, the man, that face, that voice. The photos tell the entire story of this man who had an impact on film and cinema history not soon forgotten. This book is a Bogarde fans dream come true.

5 out of 5 stars This was just I was looking for years.......2000-04-04

It's often hard to find books about real actors, well I have to say also author since Dirk Bogarde was not only an effective and surprising actor, but also author of very steemed books. In this book, I could find very nice pictures taken through his whole life and also a lot of information that matched perfectly with the ones in his autobiography.

A really great masterpiece not only for the Bogarde fans, but also for anyone who is interested to see and reas a multitalented human being.

Highly recommended.

Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Refreshing: But Not Surprising.
  • Idiots Then Idiots Now
  • Freudian Title
  • useful misdirection
  • Think about this
Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First
Mona Charen
Manufacturer: Regnery Publishing, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0895261391

Book Description

This book is a perfect example of how today's liberals have completely rewritten history to cover up their own role on the wrong side of the Cold War.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Refreshing: But Not Surprising........2007-07-16

The author writes crisply without the vitriol of Ann Coulter. The avowed purpose of the book is to serve as an eternal reminder of the malignant gullibility of the American left{as in the blame the USA first crowd}, in dealing with world communism. It is worth the price just for all the verifiable quotes from a huge array of kooks. From Chris Dodd stating that Reagan was going against the tide of history, to the inane Ted Turner fawning over Gorbachev, to William Coffin's claiming that having nuclear weapons is innately sinful. The author also refutes the left's claim that they helped win the "cold war." She shows in detail that they opposed most tactics & strategies used by the free west to win. The only flaws in the book are that it should have come out earlier, & could have been twice as long.

4 out of 5 stars Idiots Then Idiots Now.......2007-06-23

Lenin is generally credited with saying that world communism has been aided by well-meaning but gullible useful idiots, most of whom he saw as western leftists who even back in the 1920s saw a kinship with communism. Not much has changed since then and in USEFUL IDIOTS, Mona Charen takes the entire liberal left to task for its decades long adherence to a philosophy that has brought ruin and genocide to millions but still exists in our universities even when it no longer does so in the Soviet state that spawned it. Despite the book's sales blurbs that suggest that leading Hollywood celebrities like Harry Belafonte and Susan Sarandon and MoveOn.Org politicians like Hillary Clinton and Al Gore are directly responsible for the all-pervasive tsunami of secular progressivism, these and others of a similar ilk get remarkably little ink. They emerge more as symbols of rather than originators of the useful idiots syndrome. Most of Charen's animus is directed toward the full spectrum of a liberalism that emerged from the 60s and the fallout from the Vietnam war that galvanized the left into seeing the United States not only as the source of imperialistic excesses but also of all the world's assorted ills. Her most telling chapters detail how "America's role in Vietnam set the tone for every Cold War debate that would follow for the next thirty-five years." (Page 28) Charen notes that while leftist fascination with America as intrinsically evil had existed even early enough for Lenin to offer his (sorry for the pun) left-handed compliment of useful idiots, "in the mid-1960s, leftist anti-Americanism went mainstream." (Page 29)



The bulk of Charen's book deals with liberalism in the aggregate. She notes how post 60s liberals saw Communism through the lens of a half-hearted sympathetic patina that somehow managed to excuse every Communist bloodbath while failing to excuse what it saw as a genocidal equivalent from the United States, even when it was clear that this equivalent existed more in the minds of the left than in the minds of the victims. The deaths of millions due to Stalin's forced collectivization is not only portrayed by the liberals as either non-existent or grossly exaggerated but even if it did happen, the United States was somehow at fault. This then is the core thesis of the left. Evil exists in this world, but where it has been identified, it originates in the capitalistic excesses of America. Mona Charen in USEFUL IDIOTS tells in compelling detail that idiots go through life with self-imposed blinders, the result of which is destructive to those who even now look to the left for help and guidance.

1 out of 5 stars Freudian Title.......2006-12-25

The title of this book inadvertently refers to the author herself. This book is "useful" to the extent that it serves the persistent neo-con tactic of preventing any honest criticism of US foreign policy by hauling out vacuous phrases like "blame America first" or "conspiracy theory" or "moral equivalence" or like nonsense from the Reagan/Kirkpatrick crowd. Skip this book. Notice the 100 or so used copies on sale starting at 1 cent? It's pap.

2 out of 5 stars useful misdirection.......2006-11-19

Ms.Charen bandies about misdirecting terms like "Statist", "Atheist", and "Believers" to frame the conflict between the United States and the Soviet Union in terms that do not exist.

The United States is no less a State than the Soviet Union was. We owe our victory over the Soviet Union to our performance as a state. We owe it the industrial strength and prosperity we built up under geographic and economic (relative)isolation. We owe it to the high Progressive Income taxes of FDR, Harry Truman, Ike Eisenhower, Kennedy, and even Richard Nixon.

Not even the Reagan Tax cuts for the rich, raising of social security taxes for the poor and lower middle class, embracing of globalism, and general mindlessness could stop the United States from outlasting the Soviet Union in the global endurance race.

Our European allies in the cold war, Canada, and nearly every other developed nation comparable in prosperity is certainly a State that conservatives would consider socialistic.

America under Globalism, unrestricted free trade, and Reaganomic/Greenspanomics can look forward to more of the same: massive deficits, resource wars, debt, and expanding rotting urban cores.

We've outdone every other developed nation in turning most of our cities into expanding rotting urban cores. In exchange we get the addiction to oil. I can't imagine a corporation engaging in the warfare and nationbuilding necessary to keep the oil imports coming. Nope, it requires a massive state undertaking. Especially that thanks to Globalism, India and China technically have far more to trade for that oil than we do. Basically, we can trade wheat for oil. How many farmers do you know make decent incomes?

Useful Idiots is a great book for those who trying to Misdirect, lie, or are just plain stupid.

1 out of 5 stars Think about this.......2006-11-12

Please. Please give liberals all your arrogant "pity" and contempt. We just swept the House and Senate and made your simpering chimp president a lame duck. We don't hate America or blame it first. We blame cynical republican profiteers, who devise simplistic useless policy and foist it onto an electorate without the awareness to know they're being manipulated. And you'll continue to lose as long as your a bunch of hypocritical moralists, who text-message teen boys from the Senate, rip off Indian tribes over casinos, beat thir wives, pay off their mistresses, offer to save your soul while smoking crystal meth, and stuff deerheads into peoples mailboxes etc. Good Luck coming back from the abyss, losers. Screeds like this aren't going to help. America has wised up to your lame tricks.
Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First
Average customer rating: Not rated
    Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First
    Mona Charen
    Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
    ProductGroup: Book
    Binding: Paperback
    ASIN: B000OESG1W
    Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First (Harper Perennial Series)
    Average customer rating: Not rated
      Useful Idiots: How Liberals Got It Wrong in the Cold War and Still Blame America First (Harper Perennial Series)

      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback
      ASIN: 0641652216

      The Secrets of Play Station 2
      Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
      • Nothing remotely helpful in this book
      • ??? what was this???
      • can't get the machine..at least i got the book
      • all the details in one place
      • Don't buy; Ignorant Generalizations, Cash-in on PS2 hype
      The Secrets of Play Station 2
      Michele Davis
      Manufacturer: I Books
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

      GeneralGeneral | Puzzles & Games | Entertainment | Subjects | Books
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      ASIN: 0743413024
      Release Date: 2000-10-03

      Book Description

      THE MOST EAGERLY AWAITED ENTERTAINMENT SYSTEM OF ALL TIME!

      It's been called "the future of entertainment" -- an electronic system that combines the best of gaming with web and DVD-playing capabilities. Released in Japan in March 2000, the Playstation2 has already sold more than two million units, with projected sales of ten million units worldwide by March 2001.

      In The Secrets of the Playstation2, you'll learn from a gaming industry insider about the hottest system ever released -- its capabilities, its software, the types of games being developed to best take advantage of its graphics engine. Plus you'll profit from knowledge of the early experiences of Japanese fans of this machine and learn how to get the most out of the system before you buy it.

      Download Description

      An unauthorized guide to the hottest entertainment machine

      Customer Reviews:

      1 out of 5 stars Nothing remotely helpful in this book.......2000-12-27

      As you may have read in several of the other reviews, this book is nothing more than a rehash of specs that are easily (and freely) obtained from the Sony website. The author spends half of the book gabbing about the wonders this system will do (she thinks-I doubt she has one), instead of attempting to answer valid questions, like how well the DVD functionality performs. I knew I'd made a poor decision when I first saw the cover of the book, with the author's name and her supposed status as a "PSX Guru". Puhlease! Do not buy this book.

      1 out of 5 stars ??? what was this???.......2000-11-25

      ::shakes head:: my god, what was anyone involved in this book thinking . . .

      ::shakes head::

      5 out of 5 stars can't get the machine..at least i got the book.......2000-10-30

      cant find the machine, so the book will have to do..plenty of info and a lot cheaper than the PSX!

      5 out of 5 stars all the details in one place.......2000-10-27

      i like this book because it's a good summary of all the details about the machine; all the new games and all the other features of the machine. Concise and reasonable.

      1 out of 5 stars Don't buy; Ignorant Generalizations, Cash-in on PS2 hype.......2000-10-25

      A friend of mine told me about a radio show that had an interview with this 'gaming insider', in which she made the following statements that make this book a big waste of time, especially with much better free resources.

      1. In the interview, she states that the PS2 is the first system to enable online play. This is wrong, the Genesis was the first console system to enable online play, and after that, is the Dreamcast, recent system with blazing fast online play with best-selling games like NFL2K1, Quake 3 Arena and Unreal Tournament.

      2. She states that best-selling PlayStation title, Driver, is 'boring' because all you do is 'drive around' and that she would rather play Centipede.

      3. She recommends that Age of Empires 2 will be the best-selling PS2 game, because it will "really get the young audience, because it allows you to build your own renaissance town how you want, kill people with swords, and rape and pillage to your heart's content!" She disregards obvious answers like SSX, Metal Gear Solid 2 and Madden 2001.

      4. Finally, she says that the system's price will drop in around two months and in two years, it could cost $99. This is stupid, especially because of the enormous demand for the system. The system will remain at a higher price for around a year, if not longer.

      The book itself is just a collection of generalizations, obvious recommendations and weak stat packing. This is just a cash-in on the PS2 hype.

      The End of Marketing as We Know It
      Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
      • Solid Foundational Book on Marketing
      • Still the Number One guide to brand marketing
      • Persuasive
      • Where's the beef
      • Thumbs Down
      The End of Marketing as We Know It
      Sergio Zyman
      Manufacturer: Collins
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Paperback

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      ASIN: 0887309836
      Release Date: 2000-11-07

      Amazon.com

      Remember the New Coke? A disaster, right? Or how about the commercial where "Mean" Joe Greene meets a little kid holding a bottle of Coke? A masterpiece, right? Wrong, on both counts. Sergio Zyman, who was the chief marketing officer at Coca-Cola, will tell you that while the New Coke nose-dived, it--and the subsequent reintroduction of Coke Classic--helped to reconnect people to the soft drink and revitalize a brand that was losing market share to Pepsi. And as for "Mean" Joe Greene, while people loved the ad, it wasn't doing what good marketing should do: sell product, which is what Zyman's book, The End of Marketing As We Know It, is all about.

      For Zyman, marketing is not an art, it's a business. "Marketing is a strategic activity and discipline focused on the endgame of getting more consumers to buy your product more often so that your company makes more money." He sees too many marketers who don't understand this point, who are too concerned about projecting image when they should really be focused on producing sales. Zyman peppers the book with stories about various campaigns at Coke as well as assessments of companies that get it, such as Starbucks and Southwest Airlines, to companies that don't, for example, Nissan and Levi's. He believes that the old-style marketing of Madison Avenue is dead, that it no longer has the "ability to move the masses," that in today's "consumer democracy" there are simply too many choices. Instead, marketers will have to focus on sales, conversion rates, targeting customers, and creating value for shareholders. The End of Marketing As We Know It is not a primer on how to do better marketing; rather, it's a reordering of priorities so that good marketing will be done in the first place. Recommended. --Harry C. Edwards

      Book Description

      Marketing today doesn't work. Or so says the "Aya Cola," Sergio Zyman, former marketing czar of Coca-Cola and quite possibly the most famous marketing gadfly in the world. Brilliant, irascible, unconventional, Zyman is best known for reinventing the Coca-Cola Company's marketing approach by spearheading the global launches of Diet Coke, New Coke, Classic Coke, Fruitopia, and Sprite. Now, in this brisk and revolutionary book, Zyman shows why old approaches to marketing have lost their fizz--and how to get a jump on the strateies that will work in the twenty-first century.

      Zyman explores such topics as:

      Customer Reviews:

      4 out of 5 stars Solid Foundational Book on Marketing.......2007-03-15

      This is a fairly quick read. I bought it because I was interviewing with the Zyman Group, a marketing consultancy started by Sergio Zyman. I read it in a couple hours on the plane. Nothing earth shattering but a solid foundational look at the practice of marketing. While the book is primarily about consumer marketing, the lessons within are applicable to B2B marketing as well.

      I really like Sergio's core assertion that Marketing is essential to the growth of any company (of course I'm a marketer) and he hits the point early and often throughout the book, starting in the first sentence of the first chapter: "The sole purpose of marketing is to get more people to buy more of your product, more often, for more money." It's a simple but powerful definition of marketing, and I love it because it reminds people that marketing is a critical strategic function and not just a tactical group that does advertising, promotions and PR.

      In summary, there are lots of good takeaways in the book and it is a good read for new and old marketers alike.

      5 out of 5 stars Still the Number One guide to brand marketing.......2006-11-03

      This book is a PRACTICAL guide to building multiple brands in the new world of marketing. It is a great reference to doing things differently and pushing the envelope.

      4 out of 5 stars Persuasive.......2005-11-25

      The author presents a fresh, down-to-earth way of marketing that easily is forgotten, at least in big organizations. This is what it is all about. Perfect for stimulating more short term action oriented thinking among marketers, while still remembering the importance of brand building.
      /J.A.

      1 out of 5 stars Where's the beef.......2004-05-17

      This book by Sergio Zyman is an interesting perspective into the mind of the ex-Coca Cola executive.There are a several nuggets of value in the book, which are based on Sergio's experiences at Coca-Cola. At times he does wax on about things outside his domain of knowledge without throughly researched facts to back up his musings. However, as a perpective of his thought process, and in particular, the impact of some marketing moves at the firm, the book makes an interesting read.

      1 out of 5 stars Thumbs Down.......2003-04-28

      Honestly, I was expecting a lot more out of this book. Zyman does a wonderful job at taking a lot of credit for his accomplishments in the marketing world. Nevertheless, there was not a page in the book that the word "I" wasn't mentioned. I wasn't expecting a personal story on how he conquered the markets with the coke brand. I was looking for new and original ideas that were used to improve my marketing techniques.
      The End of Advertising as We Know It
      Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
      • From the guy who brought you the NEW COKE Remember that?
      • Thought provoking...
      • Not a book that will help you make business decisions.
      • Packed With Knowledge!
      • Good if you're interested in how great Sergio is
      The End of Advertising as We Know It
      Sergio Zyman , and Armin Brott
      Manufacturer: Wiley
      ProductGroup: Book
      Binding: Hardcover

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      ASIN: 0471225819

      Book Description

      The controversial marketing guru discusses the revolution in advertising strategy
      "What can I say about Sergio Zyman? He's a genius; that's all."-Warren Bennis, University Professor and DistinguishedProfessor of BusinessAdministration, USC Marshall School of Business
      In this follow-up to his bestselling book The End of Marketing As We Know It, Sergio Zyman, Coca-Cola's renowned former chief marketing officer, argues that the business of advertising as we know it is dead. He uses real-world examples to illustrate how modern advertising overemphasizes art and entertainment and neglects the most important rule of advertising-sell the product. With a keen eye and a no-holds-barred approach, Zyman discusses how advertising died, what killed it, and how to revive it. He addresses the most critical issues affecting any organization's sales and marketing departments, using his time-tested, unorthodox, and sometimes even counterintuitive principles in order to translate key strategies into positive business results. For marketing managers, advertisers, and CEOs, this book offers groundbreaking advice from one of the legends of modern marketing, as well as the knowledge, insights, tools, and direction to transform advertising strategies from hoping to planning, from art to science, from guessing to knowing, and from random success to planned success.

      Customer Reviews:

      3 out of 5 stars From the guy who brought you the NEW COKE Remember that?.......2006-06-29

      Yep, this is the guy -- Sergio Zyman -- but you know what -- he does get the fact that advertising is CHANGING or HAS CHANGED -- but 4 years (book written in 2002 or maybe even 2001 and published in 2002) is hopelessly dated only 3 (yes, THREE pages) on the Internet and advertising on it-- okay now I counted 4 in the rather skimpy index. This is the followup to his book The End of Marketing as We KNow It. Now I know that Zyman knows his stuff because he's one of the spokespersons for 'branded entertainment' which has taken over the world and TV and The Internet etc etc...BUT some of his comments are still especially relevant like giving your brand a kcik in the [...]....importance of research-based data....the evergreen of animated characters...packaging is a kewl chapter -- what about Altoids -- could have been your grandma's candy but sure ain't....Tiffany's blue box...cup of soup and more...some good quick scanning here would be helpful if you're looking to move beyond the ordinary for your brand or campaign....

      4 out of 5 stars Thought provoking..........2005-03-21

      I have to disagree with the major part of these reviews. Zyman says at the beginning that his ideas go completely against the grain, and that this is not a book to use if you're looking for easy answers.

      That said, once you get past the arrogance (it seems that Zyman has the good luck to be the only person who has never made a mistake in the workplace) and the shameless self promotion (if you don't call his consulting company you're brand is in trouble!)...he has a lot of smart points, many of which should be obvious and therefore the hardest to comprehend!

      This is a book for people who already have a background in advertising and are looking to stay abreast of the market. He won't give you any answers, he will only help you reflect on your current work situation.

      I definitely think it's worth reading...but only if you're not looking for a how-to.

      2 out of 5 stars Not a book that will help you make business decisions........2004-06-23

      As a new marketing manager given the responsibility of spending money on advertising, I felt like the first three chapters helped me understand 1) What advertising really is and 2) The value a manager should expect to derive from spending money on advertising.

      From there the book launches into a description of different forms of advertising. Zyman packs the book full of examples of advertising that (at least in his opinion) work and don't work. He continues on about the necessity of managers to ensure that advertising is positively impacting revenue and profit while lambasting those company's that seem to engage in advertising for advertising's sake.

      I really expected Zyman to go beyond the complaints and accolades and help me learn how to develop metrics and programmatic evaluations of marketing initiatives so that I can make the right decisions before spending the company's money. No such luck, I suppose that knowledge like that is the "secret sauce" reserved for those who plunk down money at his agency.

      If you know nothing about advertising, this is a good history book of do's and don'ts. If you need to make decisions about spending money on advertising you'll be better served finding a more technical book on marketing campaigns and programs...... or giving Zyman's firm a call I suppose..... which may be the real reason the book was written.... it is after all good advertising.

      5 out of 5 stars Packed With Knowledge!.......2004-06-23

      Deeply informed by his marketing experience at Coca-Cola, Sergio Zyman knows advertising theories, but he doesn't like them. He is marketing's angry child, shouting, "Traditional advertising just isn't working." He delights in hurling stones at traditional advertising icons, including "brand awareness," which may get your product considered, but will not guarantee a sale or an increase in sales. For sales heft, he postulates, position your product to be relevant to the consumer. Build this "brand relevance," then start working on media buzz. He compliments his own marketing expertise, but who wants a shy promoter? He says corporations waste ad dollars, so if you work in a traditional glass-house advertising agency, you won't feel too secure when you see angry kid Zyman picking up a rock. His targets, according to us, are people who work in Madison Avenue glass houses, and those who hire them.

      2 out of 5 stars Good if you're interested in how great Sergio is.......2003-11-24

      In his book "Crossing the Chasm," which explored how technology companies move from start-up to success, Geoffrey Moore used a great analogy to explain how market concepts move from the fringe to the center. Moore said the bulk of companies were like cows, always bunched together while contentedly looking down at their tiny patch of grass. Then one cow looks up and thinks, "new grass!" Another cow looks up too, and soon there's a stampede over to a different field.

      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.
      Internet Marketing--The End of Traditional Marketing as We Know It.: An article from: The Practicing CPA
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        Internet Marketing--The End of Traditional Marketing as We Know It.: An article from: The Practicing CPA
        Lynn Wolf
        Manufacturer: American Institute of CPA's
        ProductGroup: Book
        Binding: Digital

        Web MarketingWeb Marketing | Business & Culture | Computers & Internet | Subjects | Books
        ASIN: B0008HX3VS
        Release Date: 2005-07-28

        Book Description

        This digital document is an article from The Practicing CPA, published by American Institute of CPA's on February 1, 2001. The length of the article is 826 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.

        Citation Details
        Title: Internet Marketing--The End of Traditional Marketing as We Know It.
        Author: Lynn Wolf
        Publication: The Practicing CPA (Newsletter)
        Date: February 1, 2001
        Publisher: American Institute of CPA's
        Volume: 25 Issue: 2 Page: 1

        Distributed by Thomson Gale

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