Book review: Watertight Marketing

The world of marketing is full of shiny objects and latest fads to chase, but at its core are some unwavering constants – to understand the needs of your customer, to show value in their terms and to align your activities in the right places at the right times.

That’s why I love ‘Watertight Marketing’. It gives you an easy-to-understand framework to assess the issues or challenges with your marketing, as well as the pragmatic advice to address them. I can imagine for a small business struggling to see what marketing can do for them, this would be indispensable. It’s all about defining a strategic plan and executing. But for someone like me, having worked in mid-to-large size tech businesses, it’s still a guide a turn to for a well needed dose of practicality.

Bryony dissects the buyer journey and debunks the classic funnel – be patient, it’s a refreshing take on the topic. She extends to the concept of a leaky funnel, identifying the leaks and plugging the leaks. This may stretch the metaphor for some readers, but bear with it, as the outcome is eminently useful and also a great tool to connect marketing to the rest of the business.

The style is definitely aimed at the SME level, with lots of cartoons (and buckets). But don’t be fooled, this is a serious textbook crammed full of practical tips and case examples that an entrepreneurial division would find particularly useful. You’ll come out of it with a defined customer journey supported by messaging, touchpoints and content map. Plus, a high level marketing plan, budget and ROI-guided channels plan.

So, all in all, an easy to access guide for the emerging marketing department containing everything they need to build a plan, but also an excellent reference guide for even the most experienced marketer to dip into time and again.