In the marketing world, communication ideas are revered for their magical ability to affect how consumers behave towards brands. Despite this, they are poorly understood. How many types are there? What are their characteristics? How should you use them? And what makes a good one? Most marketers simply cannot answer these questions. Rigorous Magic answers these questions, bringing science to the art of ideas. Jim Taylor and Steve Hatch dispel the myths around communication ideas and create a practical ‘road map’ for marketers to select which types are best for their brand to compete. Only through a rigorous process of cataloguing and evaluation can ideas truly be understood - and the right ones selected to change consumer behaviour in today’s global, multi-channel marketing world. From the Inside Flap

In the marketing and communication world, ideas used to have a simple, passive function: they informed or entertained. They placed either information or entertainment in front of consumers, in the hope of eliciting a purchase reaction. There was no sense of engagement. But advertisers have begun to think globally and their brands have diversified dramatically. So have agencies. Alongside the traditional advertising agencies, there are PR, brand, media, below-the-line and dozens of other niche specialist agencies. The media world has seen a similar explosion of channels, as consumers take control of the way they access information. Today’s advertisers are looking for something more. They’re looking for ideas that will actively change consumer behaviour – a far more complex challenge. Within this changing landscape, a more sophisticated portfolio of ideas has evolved: ideas that can enhance and develop consumer relationships, work in any media environment and, crucially, deliver precise results. Communication ideas are here. "Communication ideas are as important to brands as love is to people. Both are fundamental requirements for growth. In Rigorous Magic Jim and Steve provide original thinking about what these strange things are. Most importantly they tell you how to get your hands on them and how to judge them - before you blow a fortune on an unrequited love."

—Charles Courtier, Chairman & Global CEO, Mediaedge:cia