Soft approach to the hard sell

Purpose – To provide a concise briefing on the most topical issues and relevant implications from the top 400 management publications in the world. Design/methodology/approach – This briefing is prepared by an independent writer who adds their own impartial comments and places the argument in context. Findings – Stephen Brown reports on how marketers are constantly thinking of new ways to keep one step ahead of customers who have become wise to, and increasingly wary and cynical of, the advertiser's message. His entertaining article pokes fun at the marketing business to underline a serious and well‐constructed message that new approaches have to be adopted to attract marketing‐literate consumers. Typical quote: “The ultimate aim is to get marketing‐savvy consumers talking about the savvy marketing campaign and the marketing‐savvy talking about being talked about by marketing‐savvy media”. Andy Cohen describes how the senior vice‐president of strategic marketing and new media for Samsung Electronics America oversees more than 150 product launches every year and more than 40 new online marketing campaigns each month – and how he uses the internet to “superaccelerate” the company's marketing plans. A perceptive insight into a workaholic boss's vision for delivering a constant stream of information about what the company has on offer. Andrew and Jack Kaikati take a similar theme to Stephen Brown, chronicling the sometimes‐bizarre methods marketers are using to replace more traditional forms of advertising that are losing their effectiveness among consumers. Methods such as paying actors to go into trendy bars, music stores or tourist hot‐spots and convince total strangers that their cell phone CD or video game is a “must have” product. This enjoyable essay considers the pros and cons of such “advertising by stealth” and touches on the ethical, and possibly legal, pitfalls such an increasingly popular phenomenon might hold in store for the future. Originality/value – Provides implementable strategies and practical thinking that has influenced some of the world's leading organizations.