Any marketer worth his response rate is up on the latest trends and books on promotion marketing and related topics.

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Simply Better
PATRICK BARWISE AND SEAN MEEHAN (Harvard Business School Publishing Corp. 2004) The authors argue that successful differentiation lies not in unique selling propositions, but in generic category benefits, such as good service, on-time delivery and quality products that any company can provide. The key is to deliver these consistently better than competitors. ($24.95)

Clued In: How to Keep Customers coming Back Again and Again
LEWIS P. CARBONE (Financial Times Prentice Hall 2004) Good, bad, or indifferent, every customer has an experience with your company and the products or services you provide. But few businesses really manage that customer experience…so they lost the chance to transform customers into lifetime customers. ($25.95)
This book shows exactly how to engineer world-class customer experiences, one clue at a time.

Brand Portfolio Strategy
DAVID A AAKER (Free Press 2004) This book shows managers how to construct a brand portfolio strategy that will support a company’s business strategy and create relevance, differentiation, energy, leverage and clarity. Building on case studies of world-class brands such as Dell, Disney, Microsoft, Sony, Dove, Intel, CitiGroup and PowerBar, the author demonstrates how powerful, cohesive brand strategies have enabled managers to revitalize brands, support business growth and create discipline. ($28.00)

Scoring Points
CLIVE HUMBY & TERRY HUNT with TIM PHILLIPS (Kogan Page Limited, 2003) This is the untold story of how Tesco Clubcard, the UK retailers loyalty program, was conceived, launched and developed.

All About Sampling & Demonstrations
ART AVERBOOK, RUSS BOWMAN AND JOHN KAROLEFSKI (The Promotion Marketing Association, 2003) This book explains how to use sampling and demonstrations to generate sales for both new products and established brands.

There's No Business That's Not Show Business: Marketing in an Experience Culture
BREND H. SCHMITT, DAVID L. ROGERS and KAREN VROTSOS (Prentice Hall Financial Times, August 2003) This book demonstrates how to use "show biz" techniques to cut through the clutter, engage your customers personally, differentiate your product or brand—and create real, long-term value.

Buzz: Harness the Power of Influence and Create Demand
MARIAN SALTZMAN, IRA MATATHIA and ANN O'REILLY (John Wiley & Sons, April 2003) Buzz has been around for as long as people have shared ideas. It is the word-of-mouth effect, the transfer of information through social networks. Today, Buzz is also an increasingly important and powerful promotional tool.

How Customers Think: Essential Insights into the Mind of the Market
GERALD ZALTMAN(Harvard Business School Press, February 2003) Building on research from disciplines as diverse as neurology, sociology, lietrary analysis and cognitive science, Zaltman offers rich insights into what happens within the complex system of mind, brain, body and society as consumers contemplate their needs and evaluate products.

Priceless
DIANA LASALLE and TERRY A. BRITTON (Harvard Business School Press, 2003) Turning ordinary products into extraordinary experiences. The authors offer a tactical guide to creating value-adding experiences around any product or service—whether the offering is candles or computers, catering services or consulting services.

United We Brand
MIKE MOSER (HSB Press, April 2003) How to create a cohesive brand that's seen, heard and remembered. Moser shows readers how to map out the four key components of brand strategy: identifying core values, creating a focused brand message, developing a distinctive brand personality and choosing a consistent set of brand icons.