War in the Boardroom-Book Review
Many people consider Al Ries’ “22 Immutable Laws of Marketing” to be the Bible to marketing success. It has long been considered to be a fantastic reference guide for marketing minds and is easily digestible. So when Al and Laura Ries came out with “War in the Boardroom,” we just had to pick up a copy. And we were not disappointed.
Some people expect us to promote books that teach sales or printing techniques. And although we appreciate some of the printing and sales literature available, we believe it is critical for us to deeply understand what makes marketers tick. Therefore, diving into a book like “War in the Boardroom” has catapulted our perspectives to another level.
Al and Laura perfectly explain the difference between management and marketing through the use of well known brands like Coke, Starbucks, and GM. They eloquently point out that marketing and management are at war in today’s boardrooms. The reason for the war is that marketing and management don’t understand each other. The reason they don’t understand each other is that their brains are different. Management people tend to be left-brain thinkers; they are verbal, logical and analytical. Marketing people tend to be right-brain thinker; they are visual intuitive and holistic.
This father and daughter combination explores the conflict between marketing and management and documents how it is bad for companies. The purpose of this book is to get marketing and management to better understand and appreciate each other’s roles in helping brands to succeed. However, it also provides a fantastic template for anyone working with or within a corporation. In other words, it allows us to consider the thought process of others and explains how we may need to adapt our thinking to make progress.
Selling a marketing program to top management can be extremely difficult. Left-brain management is not on the same wavelength as right-brain marketing. You will have a better understanding of marketing objectives when you realize that most right-brain marketers answer to management. Therefore, to gain the support that marketing deserves, you need to learn how to help them deal with left-brain thinkers who are highly verbal, logical, and analytical. Read “War in the Boardroom.” You won’t be disappointed!