Case Studies

CASE STUDY #2, SHORT

AUTHOR: Roy H. Williams (aka The Wizard of Ads)

BOOK: Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads

SITUATION: Roy H. Williams already had a successful book launch before Michael Drew, as Director of Marketing at Bard Press, took on the follow-up to Williams’s first book, The Wizard of Ads. That book sold well, and established Roy H. Williams as a name, but he wanted more.

GOAL: Roy’s agency, Williams Marketing, was the 8^th largest buyer of radio advertising in North America; Roy wanted to increase that status to 6^th largest buyer. Roy wanted to double his fee for keynote presentations, which had been an average of $5,000 for 50 presentations.

OUR BESTSELLER CAMPAIGN:

• Before the book was published, Michael and Roy's staff mailed an advance copy of it to the general managers at more than 10,000 radio stations in North America.
• The proposal asked that the general managers at these radio stations buy 20 books (at retail price) and run 200 radio ads promoting the book.
• As a bonus, Williams would give them a 12-course Video Training series that the radio station managers could use to train their sales teams.
• Once the sales reps had completed their training, they would utilize their newly acquired skills and leave behind with a potential client on a sales call one copy of Secret formulas of the Wizard of Ads (out of the 20 that station had purchased).
• More than 850 radio stations participated in the promotion.

RESULTS:

• Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads sold more than 17,000 books in its first week of publication, promoted with more than 170,000 radio ads.
• Secret formulas of the Wizard of Ads hit #1 on the Wall Street Journal Business Bestsellers List and #3 on the New York Times Business Bestsellers List.
• Within a year, Williams Marketing became the 4^th largest buyer of radio advertising (previously, 8^th largest),
• Roy’s speaking fees jumped to $20,000 per keynote (previously, $5,000), giving 67 keynote speeches in 1999-2000, earning more than $1 million.
• To date, Secret Formulas of the Wizard of Ads has sold more than 250,000 copies.

Subsequently, Williams launched Wizard Academy, a highly touted nonprofit Business and Communication school, with student housing, in the west-suburban community just outside

CASE STUDY #4, SHORT

AUTHOR: Garrett Gunderson & Stephen Palmer

BOOK: Killing Sacred Cows

SITUATION: Initially released in January 2007, "Killing Sacred Cows" struggled to reach a broad audience despite its valuable financial insights. The book lacked a clear "Big Idea," engaging storytelling, and an inspiring message.

STRATEGIC INTERVENTION: In May 2007, Michael Drew, founder of Book Retreat, was enlisted to revamp the book’s marketing strategy. Drew identified the need to embed the "4 Pillars of Effective Communication" to transform the book.

IMPLEMENTATION:

• Big Idea: Refined the book's concept to present a groundbreaking perspective.
• Story: Added relatable storytelling to illustrate the Big Idea.
• Nuts & Bolts: Enhanced actionable advice for financial empowerment.
• Hope: Interwove optimism to motivate readers.

RESULTS: The re-launch was a triumph, with the book soaring onto bestseller lists of the Wall Street Journal, USA Today, and the New York Times. Gunderson's career was revolutionized, branding him as a thought leader and marking the rebrand as the most significant business-building event of his career.

CONCLUSION: The success of "Killing Sacred Cows" underscores the importance of strategic messaging. Michael Drew’s application of the 4 pillars elevated the book, securing its legacy as a transformative work in personal finance.