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, 80 people
University of Arizona School of Business, 16 people
AIGA lecture, Memphis, 100 people
Berkeley School of Information, 12 people
Stanford Business School, 80 people
meetup meeting in San Francisco, 16 people
Planningness Meeting, San Francisco, 100 people
Global Hue conference, New York City, 120 people
November 3, Chief Marketing Officers summit, NYC, 120 people
November 6, Marketing Science Institute's Trustees meeting, Chicago, 120 people
November 6, ad hoc group of planners, Chicago (~20)
November 7, Global Hue conference, Detroit
November 8, ad hoc group of planners, Detroit
November 20, Futures of Entertainment conference, MIT, Cambridge (several hundred)

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