Rating: 
Summary: Finally, someone is asking advertisers to sell something
Review: An open letter to my clients and those who should be.I'm guilty and I'll bet you are too. As a matter of fact, almost every business is guilty of not demanding results from advertising. We've been lulled into believing that marginal results are not only expected-they're acceptable. It's time to change all that. I've been producing advertising for a little over 25 years now, and I've come to the conclusion that we've gotten soft. I constantly get requests from clients for advertising, knowing that it's not going to do much to sell anything. And until now, I've frequently been guilty of going along with their request and collecting the checks. (To be perfectly honest, it's pretty easy.)
It's time to change all that. Sergio Zyman said it best: Advertising and marketing should "sell more stuff to more people more often for higher prices." I've read all the "big books" on marketing, branding and postioning and while they all have something to say, few of them grab you by the collar and tell you that advertising and marketing have to sell something. Zyman nails it. While you won't find a lot of fuzzy theory here and it may not lead you to your next consulting gig, this book will cut through the stuff with which we've all grown far too comfortable. After reading "The End of Marketing as We Know It" I took a major step by refusing to produce advertising that doesn't specifically and intentionally lead to a sale. If you'll be honest with yourself, you'll probably see that you're guilty of getting soft. Thanks to Zyman, I'm looking for a few clients that will challenge me and allow me to challenge them. Our goal is to produce outstanding advertising that returns measurable results. It's going to be very hard work and require a dogged commitment on each of our parts. Our goal won't be to produce clever, creative, moving, flashy or cute for the sake of "the art." (Although we'll employ any combination of those things to make sure we're attracting the right response from the right people.) We'll focus on results. In the end, we're all going to wonder why we hadn't done it sooner. Can we do it? I know we can. I've done it over and over on those occasions when businesses and organizations were in trouble and had an urgent need to increase sales, contributions or support. If you're looking for a flashy agency and someone that will always agree with you, we're not interested. If you're looking for some people that will sweat with you and challenge you as you challenge us-we just might be able to get some things done.
Rating:
Summary: An Excellent Primer!
Review: This book is a must read for any business person engaged in selling a product or service. Some of the reading may seem like it is stating the obvious, but it has to be said! All too often the same mistakes in business occur repeatedly. "The End Of Marketing As We Know It" is a real-world example of business. Buy this for your son or daughter in business school, or simply for yourself as solid bedtime reading.
Rating: 
Summary: Do you have to be a marketing pro?
Review: Zyman's book is great for the layman but for the professional marketer, it has missed the mark. I was so disappointed when I read the book, that I had to read it again. How could Coke's marketer rely on his intuition when creating marketing programs? Anyone with a 100 million dollar budget and a trial and error system of marketing will succeed once. What happened to the days of marketing for the sake of sales? Do yourself and Zyman a favor, buy anything from Al Ries and the team of Clancy/Krieg. Systematic researched meathods and tried and true positioning techniques are the only things that will help you.
Rating:
Summary: A "Must Read" for marketing lovers and professionals.
Review: Sergio really provides a new perspective of how marketing should be....perceived by the organisation ...and managed by pro's.... The reader will discover that his perspective is so logical and honest that sometimes hurts!... His virtue is to depict, in very easy and also practical terms, the reasons behind his succesful experience in The Coca-Cola Co. The book is a good compilation of what he did to develop and lead a first class marketing team, that lifted Coke as a premier marketing company. Sergio's recipe in Coke can be applied intelligently elsewhere.
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Summary: Principles of New Marketing by Marketing Czar of Coca-Cola
Review: Marketing is about getting consumers to love your products. The problem is, it is not working. Traditional marketing is dead, concludes Sergio Zyman and give a checklist of strategic principles of new marketing you need remember. Sergio Zyman, the author of "The End of Marketing As We Know It", was formerly the Chief Marketing Officer at The Coca-Cola Company. He also worked with such companies as Microsoft, 7-Eleven, Miller Brewing Company and Campbells. No matter what is your industry, you will benefit from "The End of Marketing As We Know It" and Sergio Zyman's out-of-the-box thinking and concepts. Marketing is not mystery. Marketing is not art. Marketing is just a science.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointingly devoid of new insights
Review: I have great respect for the Coca-Cola marketing machine, but this book does not demonstrate that organization's genius. The book's title is a dishonest overstatement. The main thesis, "marketing is about selling things, not about being cool," is hardly "the end of marketing as we know it" -- it's basic stuff any kid with a lemonade stand could tell you. Zyman tells some amusing war stories, but ultimately, he is not bringing anything new to the table. (Perhaps he's guarding the Coca Cola "state secrets"?) If you need to be convinced that marketing is about selling things, or if you'd like to read Sergio Zyman's marketing memoirs, then buy this book. Otherwise, it's of little value.
Rating: 
Summary: Wanting More
Review: THE END OF MARKETING AS WE KNOW IT is filled with great stories of how Sergio Zyman was able to lead the marketing of Coca-Cola to remarkable heights. I would have been pleased to get more information on the "mechanics" of how to measure the success of marketing. Mr.Zyman tells me to continually measure and quantify and be prepared to make changes. This is what I already knew. What I need help with - knowing how to measure and quantify, I didn't find. What I did find was several engaging "war stories" of how great Sergio Zyman is. Albeit interesting to hear these stories, I was disappointed to find no answers to the questions most of us in marketing have. I recommend the audio version. The book lacks the zeal found in hearing the author's passion for the hunt of customers and his great accent. By no means a waste.
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Summary: Hope the next book is as good...
Review: Coca-Cola does miss him... I still have his goodbye message, which is the best written e-mail I have ever read. Significantly superior to the Ries 22 laws of marketing, too many of which I did not agree with.
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Summary: It had some good points, but borrow it from the library.
Review: I thought this book had some good points, but they were not really new. While I have included it to my library of books, I probably should have borrowed it first.
Rating:
Summary: Coke Overdose
Review: Lame, empty, boring book. The author is smug, full of himself and the kind of client an advertiser (or anyone else for that matter) hates. New Coke a coup? Hardly.
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