How to use pricing as a strategic tool to increase revenues and win the war for profit

One of the greatest pitfalls in the war for profits is corporate strategists' lack of a practical understanding of the link between overall revenues and overall costs. In Winning the Profit Game, the thought leaders at A. T. Kearney unveil a revolutionary new approach to establishing clear, strategic links between the top and bottom lines. No dry academic treatise, Winning the Profit Game is a guide to growing profits, in boom times and bust, using smart top-line strategies that optimize price, costs, customer behavior, and volumes. The authors clearly lay out the basic principles involved and also include:

• Proven strategies for transforming added value into revenues and winning the war for profits
• Prescriptive frameworks for putting the principles and strategies into action, immediately
• Numerous success stories based on experiences of A. T. Kearney clients worldwide

"[The Authors] have produced something analogous to an eagle in the realm of business books... Like an eagle, Winning the Profit Game is distinguished by its farsightedness. Its clear, precise prose soars above that of most business books."

"The opus opens with a musical metaphor, reminding readers that every era has its own music and its own signature instruments: the driving drums and multiple guitar riffs of rock n'roll, the thundering brass of the Swing Era's big bands and the virtuoso string sections of classical music. 'If we make the analogy with business, what skills is emerging even now as the lead instrument of the 2000s? What will be the key to success in an environment that's tougher, more competitive than ever before?' the authors write. Their answer is pricing-- not by itself but integrated with brand, cost management and product development."

The authors cover the waterfront on pricing comprehensively and lucidly [including]Quick Hits for management."

Readers might also wish to know that this book has been mentioned on yahoo.com's Finance website (2/20/04), and on Consultant News's consultant-news.com (2/24/04). Their comments were (respectively):

"... executives reading this book will learn tools to help them... develop an effective, integrated price and brand strategy, use price as a language which speaks to customers [and] optimize price to increase revenue."

"... by putting brand at the center of their framework, the authors challenge the conception of branding as a mysterious function separate from price. Rather, the two are inextricably connected and a superior price strategy cannot exist without a solid brand strategy."

Incidentally, I would not say we put brand at the center of our book. We do give it a lot more attention than any other book on pricing, however.

Hope this is helpful.

Rob Docters
(Co-author)


Maybe the best book yet on pricing and branding   January 20, 2004
Don King (NY, NY)
17 out of 18 found this review helpful

In fact I was surprised at how good it really was. Most business books are nothing more a string of anecodotes and platitudes, whereas here the reader gets a combination of pragmatic detail and genuine insight into what pricing can accomplish if unleashed. A great book to bring to the meeting room since the emphasis is on upper managament getting involved. From a technical perspective, it would appear the authors have spent time in the trenches, not just on their fannies in academia somewhere, as the stategy and tactics they recommend are fresher than anything to be found in Nagle or Dolan. As an example of this check out the chapter on "price as a language" for starters, then go from there.