We’re impressed! During this Forbes Books interview, broadcast on 200 radio stations nationwide, CEO Lonny Kocina did a great job describing how Media Relations Agency is different from other PR agencies, and why his best-selling book, “The CEO’s Guide to Marketing” is a money maker for those who read it.
We just use PR to help our clients sell stuff
Kocina explained why he pioneered the performance-based Pay Per Interview pricing model. “I’m a dyed-in-the-wool capitalist. I love helping businesses sell stuff, and that’s what we do with media coverage,” he said. Most businesses have a downward pressure on how much they spend. “But if you’re helping them sell, it’s like putting one quarter in a machine and two come out. How many quarters do you want to put in next year?”
But he cautioned that all marketing dollars don’t provide the same return. It’s very much dependent on how that marketing budget is leveraged, which is what “The CEO’s Guide to Marketing” is all about. (A clever segue that impressed the interviewer.)
“I’m spilling the beans”
Kocina explained why he wrote this subtitle: “The Book Every Marketer Should Read Before Their Boss Does.” “Most marketers don’t know basic marketing terms and concepts, and don’t follow a good process … It’s unimaginable how much money is lost and wasted by marketers not knowing this stuff … I’m warning people that I’m going to have your CEO come down and ask you a couple questions. You might want to know the answers before he gets there.”
Why “The CEO’s Guide to Marketing” is a money maker for those who read it
“It exposes a problem the scope of which is unimaginable, and gives solutions,” Kocina explained. “I wrote this book because I think it can really help people.” Media Relations now offers trainers to help companies integrate the book’s Strategically Aimed Marketing (SAM 6) system into their businesses.
He also acknowledged that this best-selling book, priced at $29.95 for hardcover and $9.99 for Kindle, won’t make him a lot of money. Instead he believes, “If you help everybody, some will become clients … that’s what I’m trying to do. Some people will say, ‘This guy wrote the book. It seems pretty practical. It makes a lot of sense. Obviously, the people in his company are practicing this. Maybe we should use them.’”
The creative tail has been wagging the dog for way too long
The SAM 6 process starts with understanding the terms, then building the process that will bring structure to your marketing program. Kocina likened the creative team, which is brought in as the last step of the SAM 6 process, to thoroughbred racehorses who love to run. “Most companies just put them out in a pasture and tell them to go nuts. They need clear direction. If you give them that, they will produce amazing results.”
