The one-sentence summary
When considering creative ideas, concentrate on the size of the idea, not the size of the budget.
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WHAT THE BOOK SAYS
- You don’t need a big budget to build a brand
- The principles of judo, where brains matter more than brawn, can help (Ju means flexible and Do means way)
- The authors rejuvenated the Harry Ramsden’s brand and now run their own company called Marketing Judo
- The seven stages they propose are:
- Getting the basics right (Don’t spend on marketing till the basics are working)
- Picking the right partner (staff, advisors, celebrities, other brands)
- Choosing the right opponent (sloths, not Geesinks*)
- Getting the crowd on your side (creating your own fan club)
- Using your size to your advantage (keeping fit, moving fast, staying focused)
- Doing the unexpected (the competitive advantage of unpredictability)
- Keeping your balance (the benefits of planning for the unexpected)
WHAT’S GOOD ABOUT IT
- The point about choosing your competition is well made:
- Spotting corporate sloths is a good way to identify competition you can beat
- Don’t choose Geesinks (Anton Geesink was a 6’ 6’’ judo player who beat everyone in the 1964 Olympics and forced the introduction of weight classification for the first time)
- There are examples of those who get it right: Pret a Manger, Kettle Foods, Cobra Beer, Eddie Stobart (and Walkers as a Geesink)
- Having a Brains Day not a Budget Day is a good way of leading a brainstorm
- The book is short and pithy
- The method can be followed simply and used with clients
WHAT YOU HAVE TO WATCH
- The orientation is all about what to do when you have no budget. This could be counter-productive with clients if handled insensitively
- The majority of the examples are retail-based
- The judo analogy is pushed a bit far in certain places