Praise for Steve Cuno’s Prove It Before You Promote It
A new book well worth reading in today's economic climate. Prove it Before You Promote It by Steve Cuno is the closest thing to a truly scientific approach to advertising that I've read yet.—Alan Rosenspan, president, Alan Rosenspan & Associates; past President and Creative Director, O&M Direct
It's about time someone told it like it is and Steve Cuno does in this book. While "smart people" talk about focus groups and surveys, Cuno talks about testing and tracking actual consumer behavior to determine what they DO, not what they say they might do. As a direct response marketer who lives and dies by the numbers, I believe in the case for smart, proven marketing that Cuno lays out in this book.
The book is well written, entertaining, provocative, and well researched. If you have anything to do with the marketing, advertising and sales processes of your company, product or service, I strongly suggest you get this book and read it more than once. Get your boss a copy, too.—Jim Ackerman, President, Ascend Marketing
The message of the book is that marketing should there are proven tools and techniques available to the marketing professional (or small business owner) that will generate sales and not be a waste of time and money. And there are also ways to strategize, test, and implement unproven marketing tools and techniques so that waste of time and money is minimized.
The author points out that too many use old methods that no longer produce good sales results. And when these old timers are asked if there is any proof that such tools and techniques actually work their response is: "It has worked in the past, so it must still work now." What the author proposes is that marketing professionals start applying the scientific method of research to their marketing efforts. And I think this advice is right on point. Don't just do as the Romans do.
I loved Chapter 8. I just wish it had been a little longer and gone into a little more depth as to how so much marketing research is such a joke and a waste of time and money. 4 stars!—Jeff Lippincott, Score.org counselor, entrepreneur
It's about time someone told it like it is and Steve Cuno does in this book. While "smart people" talk about focus groups and surveys, Cuno talks about testing and tracking actual consumer behavior to determine what they DO, not what they say they might do. As a direct response marketer who lives and dies by the numbers, I believe in the case for smart, proven marketing that Cuno lays out in this book.
The book is well written, entertaining, provocative, and well researched. If you have anything to do with the marketing, advertising and sales processes of your company, product or service, I strongly suggest you get this book and read it more than once. Get your boss a copy, too.—Jim Ackerman, President, Ascend Marketing
The message of the book is that marketing should there are proven tools and techniques available to the marketing professional (or small business owner) that will generate sales and not be a waste of time and money. And there are also ways to strategize, test, and implement unproven marketing tools and techniques so that waste of time and money is minimized.
The author points out that too many use old methods that no longer produce good sales results. And when these old timers are asked if there is any proof that such tools and techniques actually work their response is: "It has worked in the past, so it must still work now." What the author proposes is that marketing professionals start applying the scientific method of research to their marketing efforts. And I think this advice is right on point. Don't just do as the Romans do.
I loved Chapter 8. I just wish it had been a little longer and gone into a little more depth as to how so much marketing research is such a joke and a waste of time and money. 4 stars!—Jeff Lippincott, Score.org counselor, entrepreneur
The Foreword is written by Michael Shermer, author of The Mind of the Market, which I thoroughly enjoyed. Cuno is a member of Shermer's Skeptics Society, which should not be confused with cynics as skeptics look for evidence.
I appreciate greatly that this approach permeates Cuno's book and his philosophy. Relying on the scientific method to "test" (another word for "prove") and critical thinking, Cuno's book mirrors my own ruminations on this topic in Measure What Matters to Customers.
I love how Cuno debunks the "creativity" argument used among ad agencies, as if high awareness and creative ads make for effective marketing. He cites many examples of failure where brand awareness was high but didn't lead to increased sales: The Yugo, Taco Bell's chihuahua ads, New Coke, Ford's Edsel, Alka Seltzer's "I can't believe I ate the whole thing" campaign, the milk mustache, and MasterCard's Priceless campaign.
Cuno offers an entertaining, informative and well-written road map on how to be skeptical and use your critical thinking faculties when it comes to taking the guess work out of marketing. If you are in the advertising business, you need to read this book.--Ron Baker, author, The Firm of the Future
Always looking at marketing books--what works and what does not. This book brings back a common sense approach to marketing - forgetting all the hype of branding and wonderful ad campaigns that work. Instead all about getting results and measuring.--Dale Callahan, PhD, President and Founder, AskDrCallahan
Great, quick read on the science behind marketing (more specifically creativity in marketing). This is a must read for those marketers that are doing the high wire balancing act of deploying advertising programs and trying to to show the ROI to justify them. It challenges some long held conventions about marketing and adds new perspectives on strategy and approach. One of the more interesting sections is that on testing - the author provides a simple, straightforward approach on testing (some might say too simplistic). What I found most interesting about this book is that the author doesn't mind challenging the marketing establishment: agencies, the 'rules', popular authors, etc. Blasphemy you say? The author is an agency-side guy and here he is writing a book, so go figure. All in all, a great read and I found this to be a fresh perspective on marketing that will influence what I do!—Fred Hernandez, Marketing Manager, Modern Postcard
Prove It Before You Promote It shows how to spot and avoid thinking traps, take a critical look at the evidence, and apply scientific criteria to the charting of an intelligent course. The more marketers—or, for that matter, people in general—learn to do that, the better off we’ll all be. Your challenge awaits. Read this book if you dare.--Dr. Michael Shermer, Executive Director, Skeptics Society; Contributing Editor and monthly columnist, Scientific American; bestselling author of The Mind of the Market, The Science of Good and Evil, and Science Friction
Prove It Before You Promote It will inform you, entertain you, challenge your assumptions, even infuriate you. Read this book and I guarantee you will never approach research and marketing in quite the same way ever again.—Brian Rasmussen, Managing Director, R&R Partners (creators of the famous Las Vegas campaign, ‘‘What happens here stays here’’)
At last—a practical way to know, once and for all, what your advertising dollar buys. It’s about time someone wrote this book. Ignore it at your peril.—Adrian Gostick, author of the New York Times bestseller The Carrot Principle
Steve Cuno challenges the conventions of the advertising agency business with every turn of the page. In fact, this book passes the same test as a great ad: you either like it or dislike it, but you certainly won’t feel neutral about it.—Tim Williams, President, Ignition Consulting Group; author, Take A Stand for Your Brand
A stunningly candid expose on marketing decision-making. Prove It Before You Promote It re-enthrones the measurable objective, and rescues marketers from inadvertently derailing themselves due to reliance on a self-indulgent gut. Steve Cuno lays a solid foundation for the successful execution of a variety of campaigns, from acquisition to loyalty marketing. No more focus groups of one! Steve has convinced me that a regime of objective setting, disciplined testing, and continual measurement are the keys to marketing success and profitability in the modern business.—Bill Hanifin, Managing Director, Customer Growth LLC
Indispensable for my business clients who are contemplating spending scarce resources on a serious marketing effort.—J. Steven Newton, Managing Attorney, Business Law Associates, L.C.
Prove It Before You Promote It will inform you, entertain you, challenge your assumptions, even infuriate you. Read this book and I guarantee you will never approach research and marketing in quite the same way ever again.—Brian Rasmussen, Managing Director, R&R Partners (creators of the famous Las Vegas campaign, ‘‘What happens here stays here’’)
At last—a practical way to know, once and for all, what your advertising dollar buys. It’s about time someone wrote this book. Ignore it at your peril.—Adrian Gostick, author of the New York Times bestseller The Carrot Principle
Steve Cuno challenges the conventions of the advertising agency business with every turn of the page. In fact, this book passes the same test as a great ad: you either like it or dislike it, but you certainly won’t feel neutral about it.—Tim Williams, President, Ignition Consulting Group; author, Take A Stand for Your Brand
A stunningly candid expose on marketing decision-making. Prove It Before You Promote It re-enthrones the measurable objective, and rescues marketers from inadvertently derailing themselves due to reliance on a self-indulgent gut. Steve Cuno lays a solid foundation for the successful execution of a variety of campaigns, from acquisition to loyalty marketing. No more focus groups of one! Steve has convinced me that a regime of objective setting, disciplined testing, and continual measurement are the keys to marketing success and profitability in the modern business.—Bill Hanifin, Managing Director, Customer Growth LLC
Indispensable for my business clients who are contemplating spending scarce resources on a serious marketing effort.—J. Steven Newton, Managing Attorney, Business Law Associates, L.C.
