What You Will Learn in this Book
In this book, you will learn that the growth of customer power is pervasive and that it requires us to develop a new theory for market strategy—Theory A (for Advocacy). Based on this theory, you will learn how to determine whether an advocacy-based strategy is right for your firm and how to build the trust necessary for this strategy. I provide you with new tools for advocacy building that you can apply to your business, and I identify the leadership skills and cross-functional requirements that you will need to make a successful response in this rapidly changing era of consumer power. You will learn what you need to do to change your firm’s culture, create incentives, develop measure of success, and redefine your organization. Finally, I discuss the future of advocacy and argue that advocacy will become an imperative and not a choice. Those who lead in advocacy will gain profits, and customers will be reluctant to switch from these pioneers. Those who do not lead will have to respond to be competitive and will suffer a disadvantage because of their late adoption of customer advocacy. Relationship will not be enough and customer advocacy will become the key to profits in this age of customer power.