Comments on Roger Blackwell's Books

 

"Out of the scores of recent books on brand building, this (Brands That Rock) is the most unique and inspired one that I have read.  ....Blackwell and Stephan draw masterful lessons for even the most staid of package goods brands."

--Philip Kotler, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

 

 

"A provocative book (Brands That Rock) that could change the way some brand marketers think about their products..."

--Lewis Lazare, Chicago Sun-Times, July 30, 2003

 

"In Customers Rule!, Roger D. Blackwell and Kristina Stephan show us the way out of the excesses and errors of the e-commerce boom.  Their book is a primer on technology-driven retail strategy and the future of shopping."

--Fast Company, July 2001 issue, page 50

 

"During the past few years, hundreds of start-ups appeared on the Internet and hundreds went public, becoming instant blue chips.  Nonetheless, hardly any have delivered the soaring sales, astronomical returns, and transformational retail revolution they promised.  In fact, many ended up on the critical list, and quite a few have gone belly up.  Emphasizing that traditional business fundamentals remain the key to success, Customers Rule! examines the lessons learned from the victories and failures of dot-coms, traditional retailers, and industrial firms to offer a "blended strategy," based on the realization that customers decide which innovations, business models, sales techniques, and marketing strategies will survive and thrive."

--Business Book Review, August 20, 2001, Volume 18, Issue 26

 

"Roger Blackwell is the preeminent expert on how and why people buy, and his new book arms businesses with much needed cutting-edge strategies to succeed far into the future."

--Geoffrey A. Moore, author of Crossing the Chasm and Living on the Fault Line

 

"Roger Blackwell is one of the most formidable thought leaders working on the Net today.  He's right:  the impact of the Net is just beginning."

--Seth Godin, author of Permission Marketing and Unleashing the Ideavirus

 

"This is a must-read for anyone who wants to be successful in twenty-first-century business."

--Tami Longaberger, President and CEO, The Longaberger Company

 

"Dr. Blackwell gets it right once again.  Customers Rule! cuts through all the clutter regarding e-commerce with a straightforward plan to win."

--Christopher M. Connor, Chairman and CEO, Sherwin-Williams

 

"Roger and Kristina use experience from both the academic and the business worlds to understand what the future holds for successful firms.  Customers Rule! will be an instant classic."

--Walden O'Dell, Chairman and CEO, Diebold, Inc.

 

"Roger Blackwell stands out as the voice of common sense and reason as he sees through all the e-commerce glitz and focuses squarely on the fundamentals that a company needs to survive in today's business climate."

--Oswaldo Contreras, President and CEO, CITGO

 

"Whether in the board room or from the stage, Roger preaches the necessity of understanding not just what customers want but why they want it."

--David Pugh, Chairman and CEO, Applied Industrial Technologies

 

"Roger Blackwell has always taught that the customer is king, and his teaching has always been proven true in the marketplace.  Customers Rule! will reintroduce readers to the time-tested principles of service and how they apply to today's marketing environment."

--Jim Oates, President, Leo Burnett Company

 

"Roger Blackwell offers real-world insights that are invaluable to our people as he steadfastly preaches focus on the customer as the sustaining key to business success."

--Tom Moser, Vice Chairman, KPMG

 

"Roger saw through the hype of the 'new economy' advocates early on and asked the hard, time-honored questions. Now, he shares the answers to those questions in Customers Rule! and they prove he was dead right--it doesn't matter whether it's old economy, new economy or new, new economy--absence of a valid business plan that is supported by consumer behavior and value simply won't work."

--Robert G. Tobin, Chairman, Ahold USA, Inc. 

 

"Roger Blackwell is in a class by himself when it comes to understanding consumer behavior.  Customers Rule!  takes his tremendous knowledge base of consumers, adds the e-commerce equation, and gives you a formula for success in the new century."

--Jack Kahl, Chairman, Henkel-Manco

 

"Dr. Blackwell has captured the essence of the dynamics that define the new winning ways of business.  When 'customers rule,' business leaders will understand that it's not just their companies that compete -- it's their supply chains that are battling."

--Steve Sasser, CEO, Frontstep

 

"Once again Roger Blackwell has successfully surveyed the e-commerce/traditional business landscape and emerged with a pragmatic, insightful, and prescient guide for those who treasure the customer."

--Robert J. Danzig, author of The Leader Within You

 

"Roger Blackwell and Kristina Stephan demonstrate the importance of the customer revolution and how winning businesses can build profitable approaches based on the best of in-store and on-line strategies.  Rich with examples, the authors show why many early approaches failed because they ignored the key commerce functions of logistics, product analysis and sourcing, and how to build a marriage that lasts -- blending "e" and "commerce" together to delight the foundation of all strategies, the customer."

--Patricia B. Seybold, author of Customers.com and The Customer Revolution

 

"Roger and Kristina hit the center of the target with Customers Rule!  Success in retail is about detail and that detail must both start and end with taking care of the customer with a proposition that generates value for the customer, but also value for the provider. Customers Rule! serves up the lessons learned from e-tailing’s successes and failures with the insight for effectively—and profitably—applying those lessons in the future."

--Leslie H. Wexner, Chairman, Limited Brands, Inc.

 

"As a member of the Intimate Brands, Inc. board, Roger has always focused on customer-based initiatives and what they bring to the bottom line.  Customer Rule! underscores their importance in the new future for retailing and branding. "

--Grace Nichols, President and CEO, Victoria’s Secret Stores

 

"Once again, Roger Blackwell has cut through the clutter to the bottom line: customers have the power to direct how companies do business. Give customers what they want -- great products and great service -- and they'll come back again and again. It's that simple, and Roger tells it like it is."

--Dave Thomas, Founder and Senior Chairman, Wendy's International, Inc.

 

When I began my career, Blackwell's "Strategic Marketing" book was my business bible. As I deal with the new economy, e-commerce, and "digital discontinuity", Customers Rule!  will become its successor. Free of jargon and acronyms, long on sensible analysis and full of ideas that can be executed, this book is a must for all who want to harness the power of the internet in producing ultimate customer satisfaction along with revenue, profits and enduring brands.

--Carl Gustin, Chief Marketing Officer, Kodak

 

"Roger Blackwell’s thoughts and strategies really represent the most clear-thinking approach to the Internet that I have seen. As the history of the Internet commerce landscape is being created, he sheds new perspectives on the fundamental business strategies for success. He takes E-commerce out of Wall Street and places it back on Main Street where the business purpose centers on marketing to consumers."

--Don Hall, Jr. Executive Vice President Strategy and Development, Hallmark Cards

 

"Every distributor CEO ought to read this book.  While others are focusing on direct to consumer models, Roger and Kristina analyze the evolving role of the distributor in the customer economy."

--Dirk Van Dongen, President, National Association of Wholesalers

 

"With their usual skill and aplomb Roger and Tina cut to the quick of the issue...the validity of the consumer proposition drives the validity of the business model.  Customers Rule! is an entertaining and practical read."

--Emil Brolick, President and Chief Concept Officer, Taco Bell Corporation

 

"Once again, Roger helps us understand that the customer truly is in charge of which companies win. In this most recent book, he points out that only those supply chains who adopt the tried and true commerce principles of the past, coupled with great technology and creative brand management, can best satisfy customer wants and needs."

--Dimon McFerson, Chairman, Nationwide Insurance

 

"In the wake of recent dot.bombs, Blackwell and Stephan rise to the challenge with much needed marriage counseling for the rocky, post-honeymoon relationship between business and the Internet. Let Customers Rule! show you how to deliver better shopping experiences and provide more value to your most valuable assets -- your customers."

--Don Peppers and Martha Rogers, Ph.D. Partners, Peppers and Rogers Group and co-authors of The One to One Future and One to One B2B

 

"Roger Blackwell is one of the truly great minds in the field of consumer behavior. I studied under him over 25 years ago at Ohio State and to this day after having been involved in the development and introduction of over 60 new products generating billions of dollars during my career, I can honestly say that Roger's theories and guiding principles remain at the forefront of the field of marketing. His ability to take the nuances of various retail trends and combine them into a cogent, executable strategy for executives is something I have always admired. You will always come away from the time you spend with Roger Blackwell, in person or in print, with a better way to look at your business."

--Mark Goldston, Chairman and CEO, NetZero, Inc.

 

"Once again, Roger Blackwell has used his marketing genius to show entrepreneurs the way in an increasingly competitive and, at times, confusing business world. The technology revolution of the 21st Century demands creative, innovative and bold application of the Internet. His incisive and informative commentary can show you the way to success. Ignore it at your own peril."

--John Kasich, Managing Director Lehman Brothers, Former Chairman, US House Budget Committee, and Fox News Channel Contributor