In Reverse Psychology Marketing, Sinha and Foscht attempt to connect with the reader with anti-marketing strategies. Much of the writing is based on the wellfounded concepts of reverse psychology used in the literature for decades. However, the authors shed light on what companies today are doing and how an approach different from traditional marketing using the "pull" strategy could be adopted. According to the authors, the effectiveness of the traditional 4Ps is waning and the time is ripe for a new taxonomy. They call it the 3Bs, which they contend will be more effective in the future for organizations. This 3Bs game involves brand, buyer network, and buying (supply) chain. The buyer network consists of the potential customer base, and the buyer (supply) chain is the supplier base of industrial marketing. Chapter 2 of the book goes into detail on this new conceptual development while substantiating as to why the 4Ps should ultimately be shelved. Numerous examples using companies like Walmart, Southwest Airlines, Nike, Mercedes-Benz, and Google are put into the new context, focusing on the product and costs rather than the customer.
The authors' premise is that major brands are over-marketed and therefore they advocate "less is more." Most of the chapters use company examples to show how effectiveness or efficiency of an organization can be enhanced with less of the traditional expansion of brands and push advertising. Managing buyer expectations appears to be the crux of their advocated approach. The goal is always to keep expectations low and then try to do somewhat better so people feel a "pleasant surprise." For example, low price is the principal motivator when frequenting Walmart, so if the experience outperforms the buyers' expectations at time of purchase, they are left with greater happiness with it.
According to the authors, people currently are more intrigued with companies that do not fall into the usual pattern of overreaching, over-publicity, and overexposure. The idea is not just to convey scarcity but also to imply a certain value, mystique, and attraction to the market. The true purpose of using reversepsychology marketing is to make a company and its product line look more honest and authentic with the customers. The final point is that in today's markets, seeding, building, and sustaining a network of customers is of vital importance for business success. The book attempts to point out ways to regain "lost magic" and renew the marketing orientation in the mind-sets of its publics.