Micromarketing: Get Big Results by Thinking and Acting Small

In his first book, industry veteran Verdino argues that the gold standard in advertising is no longer the Superbowl spot, but rather DIY viral efforts aimed at generation-Y. Urging companies to "market smarter," Verdino describes how Proctor and Gamble spent millions in a failed attempt to launch an online brand of personalized cosmetics while an unknown make-up artist turned how-to videos on YouTube into a successful partnership with Sephora. Authenticity is key, and large companies are jumping on the brand wagon, developing ingenious methods of connecting with this coveted consumer group. Ford Motors, for instance, hoping to make the Fiesta cool to this generation, loaned the cars to 100 young social media mavens as a means of "building evangelism, generating buzz, and sparking a movement" (drivers were required to compete in themed challenges, like poetry slams and star sightings). It's an interesting glimpse into the persuasive forces of constant contact, and an up-to-the-microsecond guide to new media marketing, but in Verdino's world, every relationship has commercial potential; the idea that there might be a pure human interaction seems never to have occurred to him. (Sept.)