Title: Guerrilla marketing research
Author: Robert J Kaden
Published by: Kogan Page
Reviewed by: Chris Sykes, MD, Volume
You can never do enough marketing research but it’s a little bit like peeling potatoes – one of those necessary but tedious chores you’ll do anything to get out of. So can Robert J Kaden change my perception? The book is very much about marketing research techniques not guerrilla marketing to be clear.
It’s easy to read and there’s sound content interspersed with some real-world examples. Bob clearly knows his stuff, and so he should, he’s been in marketing research’ all of his career and has spent his entire life in Chicago.
That however, might explain why this book is so American’. If you are a college grad in the US, then this book may be of some value. It explains in detail how to conduct bespoke research in a professional manner and how to practically use marketing research to improve a business and generate new opportunities.

The most value I got from reading this was how to set up and structure focus groups and gaining the most from participants. I can see how a business could waste a significant amount of time and budget by not factoring in some of Bob’s recommendations – and for that it’s worth its cover price. From a B2B marketing perspective, there are a few nuggets in here but you’ve got to peel a lot of potatoes to get them.
19-05-08