描述
开 本: 32开纸 张: 胶版纸包 装: 平装是否套装: 否国际标准书号ISBN: 9780609810019
From Library Journal
Crawford and Mathews, marketing consultants with Cap Gemini Ernst
& Young (CGEY) and FirstMatter, respectively, break down
marketing into five attributes: access, experience, price, product,
and service. They argue that successful businesses are those that
excel in one of these areas, are good in another, and are at least
average in the rest. Wal-Mart, they say, is dominant on price and
maintains a good selection of products, while Target excels at
product selection and makes price its secondary attribute. The
authors conclude that it is both uneconomical and probably
impossible to be excellent in all areas. After describing the
importance of the five key attributes, the authors explain how a
company might evaluate itself to see how well it is doing. The
authors’ clear writing style and copious use of examples and case
studies make their ideas understandable to a wide readership. The
book is essential for all academic marketing collections, and it
would also be useful in all but the smallest public libraries.
Lawrence R. Maxted, Gannon Univ., Erie, PA
Copyright 2001 Reed Business Information, Inc. –This text refers
to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From Booklist
Crawford is the managing director of the consumer products,
retail, and distribution practice at the Cap Gemini Ernst &
Young consultancy. Mathews is a futurist specializing in
demographics and lifestyle analysis at FirstMatter, another
consulting firm. To research purchasing behavior, they surveyed
5,000 consumers, but the responses they got surprised them and
prompted their title’s contrary proposition. Crawford and Mathews
found that values (respect, honesty, trust, dignity) were more
important to consumers than value. This discovery led the pair to
develop a new model of “consumer relevancy.” They explain in detail
the importance of price, service, quality, access, and experience
for the consumer. They then suggest that for companies to be
successful they need to dominate on only one of these five factors.
On a second of the five they should stand out or differentiate
themselves from their competitors; and on the remaining three they
need only to be at par with others in their industry. With dozens
of examples, Crawford and Mathews demonstrate the validity of their
premise. David Rouse
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights
reserved –This text refers to an out of print or unavailable
edition of this title.
Review
” Fred Crawford and Ryan Mathews are exceptional strategic
thinkers who have given anyone concerned about customers a
practical, innovative, and unique approach to competitive
differentiation.” — Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and
CEO, Federal Express
” At Procter & Gamble, we believe the consumer is boss. The
Consumer Relevancy model described in The Myth of Excellence is the
best tool I’ve seen for incorporating consumer wants and needs into
your business.” — A. G. Lafley, President and CEO, The Procter
& Gamble Company
” Tired of business drivel? If you are ready to step beyond
platitudinous mission statements and strategies cooked up in
distant boardrooms that have no connection to the trenches where
business battles are actually being fought, this is the book for
you. It is grounded, readable, and honest — just like your
business should be.”
– Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy: The Science of
Shopping
” The Myth of Excellence stands apart from the deluge of business
books on the market with its candor and readability. For the
brand-marketing executive, the book provides some especially
revealing insights into underlying consumer values. Even more
refreshing is the authors’ approach to imparting business lessons
through real research and first-hand case studies.”
– C. Manly Molpus, president and chief executive officer, The
Grocery Manufacturers of America
” Everyone in business thinks they really know their customers
and what they want. But, in The Myth of Excellence, Fred Crawford
and Ryan Mathews have given me new and useful insights into the
startling changes taking placebefore our very eyes. When they tell
us, for example, that ‘human values are the contemporary currency
of commerce, ‘ they are not just offering another new business
platitude but rather a new lens through which to view the consumer
— a lens very few people understand. The Myth of Excellence is
both a big idea and a blueprint for action. A true
must-read.”
– Michael Burandt, president, North American Consumer Products,
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
” Today’s customers are leading a revolution against business as
usual: They are demanding that companies recognize them as
individuals and conduct business on their terms. In The Myth of
Excellence, Crawford and Mathews provide proven strategies for
meeting the demands of today’s empowered customers, who are crying
out to be treated with respect, dignity, and courtesy.”
– Thomas M. Siebel, chairman and chief executive officer, Siebel
Systems, Inc.
Review
“Fred Crawford and Ryan Mathews are exceptional strategic
thinkers who have given anyone concerned about customers a
practical, innovative, and unique approach to competitive
differentiation.”—Frederick W. Smith, Chairman, President, and CEO,
Federal Express
“At Procter & Gamble, we believe the consumer is boss. The
Consumer Relevancy model described in The Myth of Excellence is the
best tool I’ve seen for incorporating consumer wants and needs into
your business.”—A. G. Lafley, President and CEO, The Procter &
Gamble Company
”Tired of business drivel? If you are ready to step beyond
platitudinous mission statements and strategies cooked up in
distant boardrooms that have no connection to the trenches where
business battles are actually being fought, this is the book for
you. It is grounded, readable, and honest — just like your
business should be.”
– Paco Underhill, author of Why We Buy: The Science of
Shopping
”The Myth of Excellence stands apart from the deluge of business
books on the market with its candor and readability. For the
brand-marketing executive, the book provides some especially
revealing insights into underlying consumer values. Even more
refreshing is the authors’ approach to imparting business lessons
through real research and first-hand case studies.”
– C. Manly Molpus, president and chief executive officer, The
Grocery Manufacturers of America
”Everyone in business thinks they really know their customers and
what they want. But, in The Myth of Excellence, Fred Crawford and
Ryan Mathews have given me new and useful insights into the
startling changes taking place before our very eyes. When they tell
us, for example, that ‘human values are the contemporary currency
of commerce,’ they are not just offering another new business
platitude but rather a new lens through which to view the consumer
— a lens very few people understand. The Myth of Excellence is
both a big idea and a blueprint for action. A true
must-read.”
– Michael Burandt, president, North American Consumer Products,
Georgia-Pacific Corporation
”Today’s customers are leading a revolution against business as
usual: They are demanding that companies recognize them as
individuals and conduct business on their terms. In The Myth of
Excellence, Crawford and Mathews provide proven strategies for
meeting the demands of today’s empowered customers, who are crying
out to be treated with respect, dignity, and courtesy.”
– Thomas M. Siebel, chairman and chief executive officer, Siebel
Systems, Inc.
Ex?cel?lence (n.) 1. The clearly false and destructive theory
that a company ought to be great at everything it does. 2. A
mistaken goal in which the predictable outcome is that the company
ends up world-class at nothing—not well-differentiated and
therefore not thought of by consumers at the moment of need.
Based on exhaustive research, The Myth of Excellence provides
conclusive evidence of the futility of trying to be excellent in
all aspects of a commercial transaction—price, product, access,
experience, and service. Instead, the strategy for your products
and services should be to dominate on one element, differentiate on
a second, and be at industry par (i.e., average) on the rest. Yes,
it is okay to be average as long as your customers know
specifically where and how you are superior and world-class.
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