Summary: The Numerati weaves a story that’s as potentially compelling to marketers as it may be chilling to consumers. Every time we subscribe to a magazine, use a credit card, visit a website, or use a supermarket rewards card, data points are created that this new breed of entrepreneurial mathematicians can use to profile us and our habits, building predictive models that make companies smarter about their markets, expose buying habits, and present opportunities for ever more targeted marketing and segmentation efforts. Even more compelling from a societal perspective (though a bit forward-looking) are applications in health care and food delivery, though this will also (you guessed it) make it easier for companies to sell things.

You’ll love this book if: You’re looking for an easy read on the heavy topics of statistics and data, and are interested in how the data trail we all leave has the potential to transform everything from dating, shopping, politics and marketing, to healthcare and the workplace.

You’ll hate this book if: You get freaked out by how much privacy we’re each giving up simply by participating in an interconnected, always- on economy.  If ignorance is bliss for you, don’t touch this book.

Words of Wisdom: With the global information store doubling every 18 months or so, the amount of digital data available to help us better see patterns and understand behavior may actually benefit consumers and corporations. Through better targeting of customer segments and marketing messages, consumers see more of what matters to them.  Corporations reduce costs and increase profits.  But the downside risk – lack of privacy and the potential ethical issues of these insights – is disquieting at best.

Why we think this book is important: While understanding people is hard work, quantifying their actions through numbers and analysis does allow us to draw powerful connections and conclusions. Managed well, the work of the Numerati may actually benefit us all.

Author:

Summary: Spent: Sex, Evolution, and Consumer Behavior revisits the notion of conspicuous consumerism. What is interesting, however, is Miller’s refreshingly academic exploration of the concept of “fitness flaunting” – signaling your own traits and qualities to attract mates, intimidate rivals, etc.  From the perspective of a professor of evolutionary psychology, Miller argues that what you are displaying to others is less of a conscious consumerist decision, and more of an evolutionary outcome to ensure survival of the human species.

You’ll love this book if: You are already skeptical of marketers.

Marketers are often portrayed as evil geniuses, but in reality, they’re typically floundering around like everybody else. They try to keep up with the latest consumer psychology fads by reading the shortest available pop-business books by eccentric writers with extremely large or small quantities of hair.

You’ll hate this book if: You are looking for the “shortest available pop-business book” for getting consumers to buy your products.

You might also hate this book if you happen to drive a Hummer, which Miller mentions several times, and classifies (along with peacock tails) as “conspicuous waste”:

A highly visible expenditure of resources that brings no material benefit, but that simply signals the expender’s ability and willingness to waste those resources.

Words of Wisdom:

Thus, most BMW ads are not really aimed so much as potential BMW buyers as they are at potential BMW coveters, to induce respect for the tiny minority that can afford the cars. This explains why BMW sometimes advertises in mass-circulation magazines: it is an inefficient way to reach their target market of potential BMW buyers but it is a very efficient way to reach the BMW coveters who might respect the BMW buyers.

Why we think this book is important: Although often tongue-in-cheek (and unable to fully disguise his own opinions and preferences), Miller nonetheless convincingly makes the case for eschewing the narcissist temptations of modern consumerism for more enlightened ways of communicating who we are to our fellow humans.

Summary: World Wide Rave: Creating triggers that get millions of people to spread your ideas and share your stories is an exploration of the new methodology for marketing your products and services. Scott urges us to stop hyping our products and services. He suggests that we harness the viral power of the Web as a platform for creating and sharing content and solutions. Each chapter contains a succinct action item entitled “Your Challenge” – so you can start implementing the ideas right away.

You’ll love this book if: You realize that traditional marketing and advertising methods are increasingly ineffective, and you are ready to lose control, share ideas, and connect with your buyers, colleagues – whoever.

You’ll hate this book if: You are sticking with what worked decades ago: Yellow page ads, direct mail, image advertising, trade shows. You think that because you don’t use social media, your company doesn’t need to, either.

Words of Wisdom:

Think about the last few products you purchased. Did you answer a direct-mail ad? Go to a tradeshow to learn more? Turn to the Yellow Pages? As I mentioned earlier, if you’re like most people, you didn’t do any of those things – you went online. So why are we marketing in the same old ways? If we’re really honest, we must realize that buying access with expensive advertising and communicating exclusively through the media and analysts is not an effective online strategy.

Why we think this book is important: It’s a new world out there for marketers. People no longer respond (favorably) to the same old corporate messages: Authenticity and creativity are the new rules of the game. Are you up to the challenge?

Book:

Author: Jeffrey Pfeffer and Robert I. Sutton

Summary: The Knowing-Doing Gap: How Smart Companies Turn Knowledge into Action is not just another strategy book about “what to do.” Pfeffer and Sutton convincingly argue that management already knows what to do. The gap that exists between “knowing” and “doing” actually resides within the unique culture of an organization. Yes, we are talking about execution.

You’ll love this book if: You are willing to take an honest appraisal of your organization’s culture, and the roles that fear vs. collaboration play in execution.

You’ll hate this book if: You are comfortable with building your business using a hierarchical management structure laced with fear.

Words of Wisdom:

Fear starts, or stops, at the top. It is unfortunate, but true, that a formal hierarchy give people at the top power to fire or harm the careers of people at lower levels … Organizations that are successful in turning knowledge into action are frequently characterized by leaders who inspire respect, affection, or admiration, but not fear.

Why we think this book is important: An environment of action, which values employee collaboration and cooperation, is far more likely to result in satisfied, motivated employees. People who feel good about their jobs - the impact of their work-related activities – create positive customer touchpoints along the way.

Author: Jonas Ridderstrale and Kjell A. Nordstrom

Summary: Karaoke Capitalism: Daring to Be Different in a Copycat World offers a compelling argument against traditional business metrics such as “benchmarking” and “best practice.” In a thoughtful and well-supported (there are 510 footnotes) case, we learn just how dangerous it is to sustain sameness – that it leads merely to mediocrity.

You’ll love this book if: You understand (or want to understand) that corporations cannot survive following the “me-too” rules of the business world.

You’ll hate this book if: You are not comfortable cultivating change, creativity or diversity in your organization.

Words of Wisdom:

Companies must, therefore, also learn to forget. They must delete to develop, destroy to build … Quite often doing so is easier said than done… In an organizational setting, getting rid of the past is particularly difficult since many senior executives are at the top because the are experts at what was important yesterday.

Why we think this book is important: This book provides detailed insight on why you must – and how you can – design an exceptional customer experience by transforming your organization from the inside out.

Book: Discover Your Sales Strengths: How the World’s Greatest Salespeople Develop Winning Careers

Author: Benson Smith & Tony Rutigliano

Summary: Discover Your Sales Strengths: How the World’s Greatest Salespeople Develop Winning Careers is a wonderfully counterintuitive exploration of developing star salespeople. The book’s premise is the idea that focusing on a person’s strengths will allow them to perform at an exceptional level, while focusing on weaknesses merely produces average results.

You’ll love this book if: You want to try a new strategy for improving your sales results, and the results of your sales team.

You’ll hate this book if: You are steeped in “old school” sales training, such as “working to improve” people’s weaknesses.

Words of Wisdom:

Focusing energy on weaknesses might improve performance somewhat, but – contrary to conventional wisdom – great performance comes from strengths. Knowing your talents, understanding them thoroughly, building them into strengths, and seeing how you can put your strengths to work every day isa key to greatness and, our research would attest, the surer path to success.

Why we think this book is important: Your salespeople are quite possibly your organization’s most important customer touchpoint.

Author: The Editors of The Huffington Post with an Introduction by Arianna Huffington

Summary: The Huffington Post Complete Guide to Blogging is exactly what it says. In addition to insights and and posts from famous bloggers, the guide provides helpful basics such as a listing and short description of the most popular blogging services and optimizing your blog for search engines. Although the book has a decidedly political and journalistic orientation, it is an excellent place to start for blogging of any kind, and even contains a “Glossary of Blogging Terms” for total newbies.

You’ll love this book if: You are ready to jump in and start writing.

You’ll hate this book if: You allow the guide’s political frame of reference get in the way of its educational content.

Words of Wisdom:

The blogosphere thrives on authenticity. No one really sounds like a law paper, an academic paper, or a PowerPoint presentation. So your blog shouldn’t sound like that either. You want your posts to sound like you at your most witty, entertaining, and relevant. Tape yourself as you critique something you read in the newspaper. If you take out the “ums” and clean up the grammar, a transcription of this tape could be the start of a good blog post. Or don’t clean up the grammar.

Why we think this book is important: Blogging is a touchpoint opportunity that cannot be overlooked. Your organization’s blog is the ideal medium for your organization to have an ongoing authentic conversation with your customers.

Book: Chasing Cool: Standing Out in Today’s Cluttered Marketplace

Author: Noah Kerner, Gene Pressman, Andrew Essex

Summary: Chasing Cool: Standing Out in Today’s Cluttered Marketplace is a book about authenticity. While the book’s examples are from design and culture-related industries, the message is clear for any organization, be it a bank or an automobile manufacturer: Cool is the ultimate point of difference.

You’ll love this book if: You believe you can learn a business lesson from looking outside the traditional boundaries of your current industry.

You’ll hate this book if: You think the word “cool” is only for kids.

Words of Wisdom:

The only way to build a true communion with an audience – to a point where they might deem you or your work “cool” – is to follow a personal vision and stay true to that vision no matter what. And if your completely off-the-wall idea gets old, come up with another one.

Why we think this book is important: Cool = authentic. Customers cannot be fooled: Ensure that your touchpoints are authentic.

Book: Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us

Author: Seth Godin

Summary: Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us explores the idea that humans have always joined tribes, and the Internet now makes tribe assembly easier than ever. The business application here is that by providing opportunities for your customers to engage with your product or service, while giving employees the freedom to accomplish amazing things, you potentially set up a platform for a conversation – even a tribe – to form around your organization.

You’ll love this book if: You are open to encouraging employees and customers to openly and passionately dialogue about your organization – and learning from this experience.

You’ll hate this book if: You are not interested in creating a customer experience worth talking about, and you think it’s OK for your employees to be bored with their jobs.

Words of Wisdom:

The business world has a long history of conservatives tribes, of groups of people who relish the status quo. The big news is that this has changes. People yearn for change, they relish being part of a movement, and they talk about things that are remarkable, not boring.

Why we think this book is important: Engaged employees translate into engaged (and profitable) customers.

Book: Tribes: We Need You To Lead Us

Author: Seth Godin

Summary: Tribes: We Need You to Lead Us explores the idea that humans have always joined tribes, and the Internet now makes tribe assembly easier than ever. The business application here is that by providing opportunities for your customers to engage with your product or service, while giving employees the freedom to accomplish amazing things, you potentially set up a platform for a conversation – even a tribe – to form around your organization.

You’ll love this book if: You are open to encouraging employees and customers to openly and passionately dialogue about your organization – and learning from this experience.

You’ll hate this book if: You are not interested in creating a customer experience worth talking about, and you think it’s OK for your employees to be bored with their jobs.

Words of Wisdom:

The business world has a long history of conservatives tribes, of groups of people who relish the status quo. The big news is that this has changes. People yearn for change, they relish being part of a movement, and they talk about things that are remarkable, not boring.

Why we think this book is important: Engaged employees translate into engaged (and profitable) customers.