The review:

McCracken (Flock and Flow), a research affiliate at Convergence Culture Consortium at MIT, argues that every company needs a chief cultural officer to anticipate cultural trends rather than passively waiting and reacting. CCOs should have the ability to process massive amounts of data and spot crucial developments among an array of possibilities; they will be able to see the future coming, no matter which industry they serve, and create value for shareholders, move product, create profit and increase the bottom line. McCracken provides an impressive list of individuals deeply connected and in tune with the zeitgeist including Steve Jobs, A.G. Lafley, Mary Minnick, Joss Whedon and Johnny Depp—who fought Disney in order to create a campy male lead in the Pirates of the Caribbean movie—as well as such corporations as Starbucks and Nike that have “refashioned culture.” McCracken’s case is persuasive, and his book, peppered with pop culture references and enlivened by his restlessly inquisitive nature (and ability to strike up conversation with just about anyone), makes for enlightening and entertaining reading. (Dec.)

For PW review, click here.pdf

Hill Holliday, Boston
University of Arizona School of Business
AIGA lecture, Memphis
Berkeley School of Information
Stanford Business School
meetup meeting in San Francisco
Planningness Meeting, San Francisco
Global Hue conference, New York City
November 3, Chief Marketing Officers summit, NYC
November 6, Marketing Science Institute Trustees meeting, Chicago
November 6, ad hoc group of planners, Chicago
November 7, Global Hue conference, Detroit
November 8, ad hoc group of planners, Detroit
November 21, Futures of Entertainment conference, MIT
November 23, Yi-Tan Tech Community Call 257 interview
November 24, AdAge excerpt of CCO appears here
November 24, Harvard Business Review "conversation starter" post appears here.
November 24, Chief Culture Officer hits 2910 rank on Amazon
November 25, interviewed by Tom Anderson on his blog here.
December 1: Grant posts on legal blog Concurring Opinions here
December 2, Gareth Kay mentions CCO on his blog here
December 6, Mark Dawson reviews CCO for Ethnography.com here
December 7, Cooper Union public talk, NYC
December 7, Henry Jenkins blog post and interview here
December 8, Sterling Rice USB brainstorm, NYC here
December 9, Faris Yakob post here
December 9, 1800CEOread publishes my ChangeThis Manifesto here
December 9, PSFK coverage for CCO here
December 10, CCO wins "Jack Covert Selects" honor here
December 11, MIT Enterprise Forum Link Interview released here
December 11, Toronto Star essay here
December 11, praise from Adrian Ho of Zeus Jones here
December 13, Interview on Nora Young's CBC radio show here
December 15, interview with Jeff Schechtman KVON California
December 15, CCO named “best of the rest” in 800-CEO-READS Best Business Book of the Year in the “Big Ideas” category here
December 17, CCO named one of BusinessWeek's "best design and innovation books of 2009." here
December 18, CCO is reviewed and "Recommended" by Katherine Bell in Harvard Business Review January 2010 here
December 19, Audio Version appears from Audible.com here
December 21, praise for CCO in a post by Bud Caddell here
December 21, Small talk about the book at Pip Coburn's dinner
December 26, praise for CCO: Jory Des Jardins, founder of BlogHer here
December 28, Des Jardins post via Lisa Haneberg picked up by HRM Today, first Human Relations coverage here
December 30, BusinessWeek review here
January 3, 2010, Gregg Fraley's review here
January 4, 2010, review from Ben Casnocha here
January 7, Grant posts on Bud Caddell's Fiesta Movement campaign on the Harvard Business Review Blog here
January 11, Sean Moffitt's League of Marketers presentation, Toronto
January 12, Indigo on-stage intervw w Heather Riesman, Toronto here
January 13, Steve Paikin interview on TV Ontario, Toronto
January 19, CCO presentation, Microsoft, Seattle
January 19, CCO reading, University Booksore, Seattle
January 20, Moria Gunn interview, KQED, NPR San Francisco
January 25, Harvard Business Review post here
January 25, Interview on Sean Moffitt's League of Kickass Marketers here
January 28, interview on Steve Boese's HR Happy Hour, here
January 29, the review from Charlie Quirk here
February 1, praise from Christine Huang and Ozioma Egwuonwu in their Ad Age column here
February 1, praise from the Irish Times here
February 23, CCO presentation, Harvard Club, NYC

For CCO chapter headings, click here.png

This group is for readers of Chief Culture Officer, a book that appears December 1 from Basic Books.

We are designing the cover at the moment. Please go here to record your vote. So far Cover 2 seems to be winning.

May 28th we got our first review. The economist Tyler Cowen was sent a copy of the manuscript by the publisher, Basic Books. We hoped he might write a blurb for the cover. Here's what he proposed:

"Grant McCracken is a leading guru of ideas who combines a mastery of marketing, culture, anthropology, and modern business practice. I love his work and this will prove one of the most stimulating books of the year."

Thrilled? I'm delirious.

More blurbs solicited for the cover of the book:

“For those who are open to its thrall, Chief Culture Officer will change the trajectory of their lives.”—John Deighton, Brierley Professor of Business Administration, Harvard Business School

“In Chief Culture Officer, Grant McCracken highlights the increasing importance of cultural understanding for brands that wish to remain relevant—and profitable—in the protean flux of the modern marketplace, as he carves out a new role for the 21st century corporation. The best marketers can hope for is to create something that resonates so strongly it becomes part of our cultural fabric. This book is an indispensable tool for achieving that goal.”—Faris Yakob, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Strategist, McCann Erickson New York

“Marketing gets failing grades when it comes to understanding and using culture. In Chief Culture Officer—a delectable cultural soup that is sure to stir your taste buds—Grant McCracken makes a compelling case that culture will be marketing’s next silver bullet. I whole-heartedly endorse his call for bringing culture-thinking into the company.”—Philip Kotler, author of Chaotics: The Business of Managing and Marketing in the Age of Turbulence and Professor of Marketing, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University

“This is a marvel of a business book: highly entertaining, original, and provocative. Entrepreneurs who want to understand their customers, target market, and the cultural dynamics that shape the business world—which is to say all entrepreneurs—need to read it.”—Ben Casnocha, author of My Start-Up Life: What a (Very) Young CEO Learned on His Journey through Silicon Valley

“Grant McCracken, once again, sees clearly the patterns in which innovation, enterprise, and smart people can influence change, create value, and respond to popular culture, where real people experience choice. The book is terrific and spot on.”—Richard Grefé, CEO, AIGA | the professional association for design

“Grant McCracken has cracked the holy grail of what’s next to blend talent management, corporate strategy, and trendspotting, and his storytelling style captivates and educates. I am blown away.”—Marian Salzman, partner and chief marketing officer, Porter Novelli

“Building on decades of eye-opening research into the culture of consumption, Grant McCracken demonstrates why many companies get blindsided by cultural factors that were hidden in plain view, and offers a compelling argument for why they need to bring cultural expertise into their executive suite. Here's hoping more corporate executives hear his call.”—Henry Jenkins, author of Convergence Culture: Where Old and New Media Collide and Professor, University of Southern California

Grant McCracken is the compass of culture for business. Read Chief Culture Officer? No, I savored it across multiple continents before publication and found it just like having a conversation with Grant. An inspiration. After years of authorship, he’s in full stride with this expression. What a privilege to know him and recommend this book to you.

Kevin Clark, President and Founder, Content Evolution LLC and formerly Program Director, Brand Values Experience, IBM

Books are always better when you find unexpectedly find yourself in the acknowledgments. That being said, Chief Culture Officer is very good. Grant McCracken is one of a handful of business writers and bloggers who a) has a deep understanding and love for the topics he covers, b) writes about them in an inspiring and unexpected way, and c) isn't a tool. I take a special joy in obscure allusions or connections and I get the feeling that Grant does, too. I really think someone who had previously been completely ignorant about current business thinking could pick up this book and, if they diligently followed every thread and read every book Grant mentioned, leave with a complete understanding. I felt like Grant cited half the books I've read in the last few years. My only criticism is that he regularly got distracted inside of his own book and never finished the stories he started - what happened to the hidden sneaker shop? Someone tell me.

Ryan Holiday, Los Angeles

The next three reviews were posted on the CCO page on Amazon.

Mining the culture: This is a wonderful book that delivers principles and examples of the processes that are used to create and manage strong brands. If, as Dr. McCracken argues, the prevailing culture is the locus of the values that shape consumer attitudes, then this is the book that offers insights into how to mine the culture to get to those values. It presents a strong case why corporations should have a senior manager dedicated to mining the culture. An enjoyable read filled with great stories.

Bill O'Connor, Chicago, IL

Brilliant. Grant's new book is brilliant. It is a tour de force from one of today's greatest thought leaders and a necessary read for anyone looking to make a real difference in today's corporation...or the world. READ THIS BOOK

Debbie Millman, President, Sterling Brands, Host, Design Matters, Author, Look Both Ways

If the difference between good and great is all about the culture... and I believe it is. No one better understands all the aspects of culture - how to create it, why it matters , what the key elements consist of than Grant McCracken. Luckily he shares his wisdom with all those who care in this most prescient and insightful volume .
Don't miss it.

Sunny B., New York, New York