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6 Books To Change How You See Strategy And Marketing
At RedSky, we like to think of ourselves as lifelong learners. As International Literacy Day rolled around Wednesday, we thought of what books have changed how we’ve understood marketing and maybe even the world around us. As book lovers, literacy is an issue we care about deeply. Though most may not think of literacy as a problem in America, It’s estimated that 130 million U.S. adults struggle with literacy, reading at less than a 6th grade level and COVID could have only made this worse. Low literacy rates have powerful implications for those affected by it — personal income, employment levels, health, but they also have consequences for society and the economy as a whole.
Thinking about how many Americans struggle with literacy reminds us how much we have to gain from reading. As marketers, some of the most illuminating strategies and resources have come from books. Our team has no shortage of book recommendations. In the spirit of International Literacy Day, we are sharing a selection of our favorites on marketing and strategy. Our curated selection offers something for everyone — whether you are an entry level quant hopeful or a CMO looking to answer big questions on diversity.
Our first pick, In The Culture Map: Breaking Through the Invisible Boundaries of Global Business, breaks down how to move through cultural differences in the workplace. Author Erin Meyer, an international business expert, shares stories and a model to navigate collaborating and communicating with a multinational team.
To get a deeper look at the personal relationships people form with companies and brands, The Human Brand dives into the research behind what motivates and impacts these interactions. Written by consultant Chris Malone and Princeton psychology professor Susan Fiske, The Human Brand explores what lies behind our decision making as consumers as well as analyzing how brands have created and maintained sustainable relationships with their customers.
Bernard Jaworski and Robert Lurie use years of client work to showcase their idea that growth depends on leveraging just a few high-yield behaviors in The Organic Growth Playbook: Activate High-Yield Behaviors To Achieve Extraordinary Results. The book is included in the American Marketing Association’s leadership series, “7 Big Problems of Marketing”, as Jaworski and Lurie provide readers with strategies for accelerating growth that depart from conventional wisdom.
If you are curious as to how diversity, equity and inclusion efforts are changing the workforce, Pamela Newkirk’s Diversity Inc., explores the efficacy and pace of these initiatives. Newkirk approaches the topic from the standpoint that these have largely failed, digging into why most DEI practices are ineffective and how the rare success story is different. Diversity Inc. is required reading for anyone who wants to implement real change and avoid the fate of most companies.
Executives pay $250,000 for Marshall Goldsmith’s insight into how they can change their behavior to obtain more success, but he’s laid it out for anyone to read in What Got You Here Won’t Get You There: How Successful People Become Even More Successful. Goldsmith highlights 20 behaviors and takes a different approach than most executive coaches, such as suggesting that you impose fines on yourself to stop bad behavior in its tracks.
At RedSky, we take data seriously — it’s no surprise that Ben’s pick is The Complete Guide to Writing Questionnaires: How to Get Better Information for Better Decisions. A favorite of both professors and marketers, this easy and enjoyable to read guide is essential for anyone writing a questionnaire and covers everything from conceptualizing, developing, and testing a survey.
Interested in working with RedSky Strategy to shift your perspective and marketing strategies? Our team looks forward to meeting with you, and uncovering how we can use HumanSight to illuminate the best pathway to growth for your company.