I requested this as I have an MSc. in marketing and I’m always interested in learning new methods to drive even better marketing as part of my job.

I feel like something was wrong with the formatting of this book. There were no real paragraphs, and I think that was an editing mistake, and it did make it harder to read. It was also impossible to see what the figures were supposed to be. Also, why is it written in 3rd person when the people discussed are the authors? Is it to create an illusion that this book isn’t supposed to be a humble-brag?

This book introduces a new marketing concept R.E.D: Relevance, ease, distinctiveness. It’s written by former leaders of Taco Bell and Yum, and explains how they had to change their thinking and marketing as a company in order to grow. The book uses a lot of metaphors. Also quite a lot of adjectives, to the point where it could be a Jane Austen novel.

In general, it does feel braggy. In a “ look at our amazing marketing idea, how revolutionary it is and how wonderful we are at marketing” way. I don’t need to know the background to your office building decision to understand why you wanted to have an office in a multicultural environment. I’m here to learn what marketing strategy you actually have and how I can apply that to my marketing. 10% into the book and the only marketing thing I have been told is what RED stands for. I still have not learned anything concrete about the strategy. It feels like everything is an introduction until you get to chapter 4 where things start to become more relevant,

I also struggle with some of the logic of the authors. How is having a WhatsApp group for discussion different than a focus group? It’s just a mobile focus group as far as I can tell, which demands more effort from the people involved. Interviewing influencers is still qualitative research. It’s just flipping the script on who you’re interviewing. Talking to the people who are marketing the products, rather than the buyers.

So far the strategy is “come up with a new market” based on their 4th meal - late night snack idea. It’s a great idea, but doesn’t really make a strategy. I absolutely love clever marketing ideas and executions, but they seem to all be easier to come up with for B2C rather than B2B, and I get the distinct feeling that this book is just tailored to B2C companies. Companies that deal with the safety of people can rarely pull of a marketing campaign that’s humorous without offending someone or seeming insensitive.

I do find it funny that they discuss organic and plant based products in relation to cultural relevance, while at the same time committing animal cruelty, as if that’s not culturally important in this day and age? Also adding that half their staff seem to be on a plane, rather than the office at any one time… Is climate change not a culturally relevant phenomenon?

They authors do come up with some relevant examples, but there are too many of them compared to any explanation of how/why that strategy actually worked and how to adapt it to something useful for others. I honestly skimmed the book to get to the relevant marketing theories.

"R.E.D. Marketing" by Greg Creed and Ken Muench is a game-changing guide for marketers at all levels.
Drawing from their success at Yum! Brands, the authors present a simple yet powerful framework focusing on Relevance, Ease, and Distinctiveness.
This book breaks down complex marketing concepts into practical, actionable strategies, illustrated with engaging real-world examples.
The R.E.D. approach has proven effective across various industries and company sizes, offering a fresh perspective on brand building and customer engagement.
Whether you're a marketer, business leader, or simply interested in understanding effective marketing, this book is an essential read for navigating today's competitive marketplace.

Wow! So I’m a new student of marketing. I’ve taken courses, read other books, but I’m still new to the field. I need foundational material, so I checked out this book, and I wasn’t disappointed. It’s simple, straightforward, and leads with practical advice.

Do I feel like a master marketer after this? No, it’s a book, not a master course, BUT, I do feel like it has incredible relevance to the field, and it shares its points with examples that actually help instead of confusing things (I’m looking at you, other popular marketing books).

Definitely check this one out!

R.E.D. Marketing is a must-read for anyone looking to excel in the modern marketing landscape. Some of it may be redundant for more seasoned marketing professionals, but I found it useful and especially appreciated all the illustrations.

With their experience in the industry, the authors provide practical and actionable advice to help businesses thrive. The book's clear and concise writing style makes it accessible to marketers of all levels, while its emphasis on relevance, engagement, and data-driven strategies sets it apart.

R.E.D. Marketing is a valuable resource that will empower marketers to adapt, innovate, and achieve success in today's competitive market.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing an ARC to review.

Despite the obvious lack of a good editor (or an editor at all?), R.E.D. Marketing makes a compelling case for using a three-pronged strategy to market commodities. The three parts are Relevance (is it relevant to culture and the marketplace?), Ease (is it easy to recall and access?), and Distinctiveness (does it stand out from the competition in an ownable way?).

As the authors dissect these concepts and illustrate them with entertaining real-life examples, they also knock down a lot of sacred cows. Forget marketer-favorite principles like emotional connection, purpose, segmentation, etc. They go as far as writing, “Don’t worry too much about understanding a consumer deeply, and don’t fret endlessly about what every nuance of their motivation for buying your product might be. It’s a red herring. After all, none of us know what we want. Humans are a mess of conflicting desires and shameful longings.”

Even if the examples they use are far from the work you do (they are from mine!), the essential concepts transfer, and the book offers a lot to think about. Just brace yourself for a lot of redundancies (like reading about their company’s origin story four times in close succession)—the ideas you’ll find in these pages will make the meandering journey worthwhile.

This is a typical business books in so many ways: written by a successful business person or two, traditional business topic (marketing), use of an acronym—but while typical, that doesn’t means it’s bad or without merit. Both authors write with authority, which is evident and explicit (they spend quite a bit of time detailing their resumes and explaining the Collider Lab as well as YUMs marketing history). Overall, the text espouses a useful strategy of creating effective marketing, in an easy to read and logical way.

I was given the chance to review the digital copy of this book, but around chapter 3, I ordered a hardcover copy for highlighting and taking handwritten notes - it was that good. This is the book every marketer needs to get out of the mindset that constant segmenting and optimization is the key to marketing return. First and foremost, you have to have a strong message that communicates your product’s value to your audience in an effective manner that is also consistent with current ideals and communication styles. Relying on outdated marketing tactics is going to eventually fail every time. Most marketing courses lean toward this approach, but once we’re applying our knowledge to the real world in the context of an organization that expects immediate and lucrative return, we tend to get lost in the minutiae of optimization. This book is the perfect reminder to steer marketers back on course.

Sidestep the other marketing books, courses, articles, and even TED talks that offer hypothetical explanations that sound sensible. Embrace the proven, systematic approach of RED Marketing, which the recent CEO and current CMO of Yum! Brands applied to lead Taco Bell and KFC to double digit growth—no PhD required! In 2011, Greg Creed had just been elevated from President to CEO of Taco Bell, a brand in deep distress at the time. It was on his shoulders to turn things around quickly along with co-author and CMO, Ken Muench. Together they developed the R.E.D (Relevance, Ease, Distinctiveness) method. It’s simple methodology does not require complicated terms and a PhD to understand, it’s actually quite simple—marketing works in three very different ways: Relevance—Is it relevant to the marketplace?Ease—Is it easy to access and use?Distinction—Does it stand out from competition?
Combining actual examples from Yum! and other recognizable brands of every size around the world; the latest findings in marketing, neuroscience, and behavioral economics; and the author’s own experience marketing three different brands across 120 countries—your brand can set and achieve a truly breakthrough marketing campaign utilizing R.E.D Marketing.

I learn a lot and enjoy it while also reading this book! Highly recommended!
Thanks to Netgalley and publisher for giving me the ARC!

This book is ok. It’s not the worst book I’ve ever read on marketing, but it also kind of reads like a sales pitch, which is not really what I want from a book that claims to be educational. A lot of the examples are specifically Taco Bell (since that’s the brand the author worked on) so if you’re in a similar market, this would give you some good insights.

The book claims to throw out old marketing practices and replace them with the new R.E.D. method, but a lot of this method is just renaming and adapting the old methods to a more modern market. This is fine, but it’s not really bringing anything new to the table. For example, instead of focusing on a product’s purpose, we’re going to focus on how a customer uses it. However in the next section, we explore the how serving different purposes (called Category Use Ocassions) expands the markets we can target. It’s a nuanced change but not the overhaul the book claims. I also get a little hesitant when books use Nike, Apple, and Tesla as their main examples of cultural relevance. That’s the low-hanging fruit that anyone could talk about, I’m expecting something a little less mainstream from a CMOs and marketing experts.

The qualitative research section was interesting and gave some concrete ideas for how to get the right information out of focus groups. The section about choosing multiple Category Use Occasions was also interesting but depended a lot on instinct, which the authors concede can easily be wrong.

Overall, the book doesn’t really bring anything new to the table but it is nicely written and could be a good intro to someone who hasn’t worked in the marketing field for very long.

Interesting book on marketing strategy in FMCG sector. The good part of any marketing is the strategy of how you will implement and actions that will lead to the execution to the mail goal of growth of the business and increased brand awareness.