A New Brand World: Eight Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the Twenty-First Century
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Very Entertaining Indeed!
  • Pretty much everything you need to know about branding
  • In Branding, Everything Matters
  • Bedbury's experience at Nike & Starbucks proves valuable
  • BRANDING, FOR EXECUTIVES. READ IT FOR THE CASE STUDIES.
A New Brand World: Eight Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the Twenty-First Century
Scott Bedbury , and Stephen Fenichell
Manufacturer: Penguin (Non-Classics)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0142001902
Release Date: 2003-02-25

Book Description

What does it really take to succeed in business today? In A New Brand World, Scott Bedbury, who helped make Nike and Starbucks two of the most successful brands of recent years, explains this often mysterious process by setting out the principles that helped these companies become leaders in their respective industries. With illuminating anecdotes from his own in-the-trenches experiences and dozens of case studies of other winning-and failed-branding efforts (including Harley-Davidson, Guinness, The Gap, and Disney), Bedbury offers practical, battle-tested advice for keeping any business at the top of its game.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Very Entertaining Indeed!.......2007-03-08

As someone who's new to the Branding craze I bought this book and I was very pleased with the purchase. This is a very easy read and quite entertaining - I enjoyed it immensely. I would definitely recommend this book to grasp the Branding concepts and practical examples.

4 out of 5 stars Pretty much everything you need to know about branding.......2006-01-19


This is an intelligent, well-written book from a guy who has obviously had a great deal of experience marketing high-profile companies (Nike, Starbucks).

Bedbury lays out pretty much everything you need to know about branding in 190 pages. It's obvious he's a good writer and he's got great examples to back up his assertions in the book.

He is hard on Microsoft but, in my opinion, not hard enough. The reviewer who panned this book based on his treatment of Microsoft is short-sighted. This book is about much more than that. Microsoft is a very small part of the book and they are used appropriately as an example of what NOT to do in marketing.

My biggest problem with the book is Bedbury's assertion that companies are becoming more vertical. It simply isn't true. Companies are not vertically-integrating; they're outsourcing many of the tasks associated with building their products. Witness the Apple iPod. No Apple employee has ever assembled an iPod or built the circuit board. It's simply too expensive. If Apple was vertically-integrated and built the iPod, they would probably cost around $5,000.

My second biggest problem with the book is the final chapter "Brand Future." Bedbury comes out of "left" field and uses almost the entire final chapter as a kind of platform for some liberal agenda. I won't spoil it for those of you who subscribe to those ideals (I'm an independent); but, suffice it to say, the chapter felt out of place. Bedbury talks intelligently about branding for 190 pages, and then the book turns into a political white paper for the final 20 pages.

Don't let that distract you from buying the book, however. This is what business books are supposed to be: erudite, thought-provoking and entertaining. Having read hundreds of business books (I teach Business and Marketing), I can tell you that those three traits are in short supply.

5 out of 5 stars In Branding, Everything Matters.......2005-10-08

A quick, but impactful read worth its weight in coffee beans and sneakers, Author Bedbury manages to take branding principles and techniques that work in the ether of mega-branders Starbucks and Nike (and other corporate examples) and port them down to language we can all benefit from. Packed with interesting anecdotes and behind-the-scenes stories, a New Brand World offers helpful take-aways in the areas of commodity branding, the brand mantra, and proven ways to live the brand. My favorite line: When it comes to branding, "Everything matters." Bedbury goes on to say, "For every grand and finely worded statement by the CEO, the brand is also defined by derisory consumer comments overheard in a hallway, or in a chat room on the Internet. Brands are sponges for content, for images, for fleeting feelings. They become psychological concepts held in the minds of the public, where they may stay forever. As such you can't entirely control a brand. At best you can only guide and influence it."

5 out of 5 stars Bedbury's experience at Nike & Starbucks proves valuable.......2004-08-02

The many things we should do for our brands (and the ones we have to avoid at all costs) are clearly presented in Bedbury's eight brand principles. Instead of using financial models and correlations, Bedbury tells stories of how each one of these things makes the difference on the company's bottom line. His experience at Nike and Starbucks thoughout the entire positioning process before and after these companies became power brands gives him the credibility and the parenthood needed to teach decision-makers about branding.

3 out of 5 stars BRANDING, FOR EXECUTIVES. READ IT FOR THE CASE STUDIES........2004-04-14

It is difficult to review a book that one has enjoyed reading and then say that it was not up to the mark (in terms, of course, of only my expectations.)

No doubt that Scott Bedbury's work is a fast paced read, his writing is lucid and quite frequently quotably light-hearted. There is a lot of material here for people in larger corporations or even general marketing folks. And where Bedbury truly shines is in the case studies he presents in the 8 chapters.

But if, like me, you set off on this book looking for some newfangled insights into the world of branding, then this is not the book for you. The title claims to proffer "8 principles". Let's face it, at the end of the day, principles are not that hard to create and this becomes quite painfully clear when you reach the end of this book and wonder if you have learnt anything new.

But I am being unfairly critical. From his style, it seems an approachable business book was precisely what Bedbury's intended?

As a comprehensive introduction to the field of branding, I'd still recommend "Strategic Brand Asset Management" by Keller. For a discussion of some innovative yet reasonable forms of brand creation, especially on a shoestring, I'd usually point to a PR related book, or perhaps the rapier wit "60-minutes Brand Strategist."

But as a gentle introduction for executives in to the nebulous world of branding, or as a non-technical business book for business folk in general who place less emphasis on a structured analytical framework and are more interested in a soft springboard into the field, then "Emotional Branding" and this book from Bedbury are pretty near the top of my list of recommendations.

Very accessible and insightful stuff, if you aren't expecting a summary of last decade's JCR.
Brand New : How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers' Trust from Wedgwood to Dell
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Learning from Branding History
  • a very useful and interesting business history book
  • Overview of successful entrepreneurial approaches to brands
  • Brands Old: Inspiration for Brands Yet to Be
  • everything you wanted to know about branding . . . and more
Brand New : How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers' Trust from Wedgwood to Dell
Nancy F. Koehn
Manufacturer: Harvard Business School Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1578512212

Amazon.com

In Brand New, Harvard Business School professor Nancy Koehn looks at six entrepreneurs and the extraordinary brands they built. The entrepreneurs include Josiah Wedgwood, Henry Heinz, Marshall Field, Estee Lauder, and Michael Dell. What interests Koehn is not so much the success that these brands enjoyed as much as the trust these household names were able to inspire in consumers. Koehn makes her study especially relevant to today's marketers in that each of the entrepreneurs she looks at developed their brand during a period of tumultuous change. For example, Wedgewood's tableware became popular during the Industrial Revolution and the emergence of the middle class; Schultz's coffee empire blossomed in the 1990s and the present-day information revolution. Part business history, part marketing manual, Brand New is a valuable study of brand development that belongs on every thoughtful marketer's bookshelf. --Harry C. Edwards

Book Description

Until Josiah Wedgwood, Britons ate from wood and pewter plates. Until Henry Heinz, women toiled over pickled foods. Until Michael Dell, few people owned a personal computer, let alone dreamed of buying one "built to order." According to business historian Nancy F. Koehn, these pathbreaking entrepreneurs shared a powerful gift: the ability to discern how economic and social change would affect consumer needs and wants.

In Brand New, Koehn introduces us to six extraordinary leaders of brand creation who lived and worked during periods of widespread change: Josiah Wedgwood in the Industrial Revolution; Henry Heinz and Marshall Field in the Transportation and Communication Revolution; and Estée Lauder, Howard Schultz of Starbucks, and Michael Dell in the Information Revolution. Through compelling and engaging profiles of these entrepreneurial visionaries, she reveals a provocative relationship between economic turbulence, household priorities, and company strategy that holds important lessons for today's brand builders.

According to Koehn, these forward-thinking individuals understood the profound effects that socioeconomic change has on what customers want, have, and can afford as much as on what companies make-and were masters at exploiting the enormous business opportunities these demand-side shifts created. Indeed, the brands and companies created by these individuals have become such a part of everyday life that we've made them part of common speech: we pass the Heinz; eat off Wedgwood; order a Starbucks.

Koehn draws from their diaries, correspondence, and official business records to demonstrate that these entrepreneurs were more than savvy marketers; they were institution builders. She shows how each used brand not as a logo, but as a vital strategic tool for creating best-of-class companies-and for building powerful organizational capabilities that supported their connections with customers and helped make new markets for their offerings.

Distilling critical lessons for businesses operating in both the traditional and on-line worlds, Brand New will convince every entrepreneur of the remarkable power of brands to transform start-ups, gain competitive advantage, and change lives.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Learning from Branding History.......2005-04-02

It's probably a result of less-than-fully applying myself during my college years, but I tend to pre-judge any book by an academic as boring. I'm glad that didn't stop me from reading Nancy Koehn's book, "Brand New: How Entrepreneurs Earned Consumers Trust From Wedgwood to Dell."

Koehn is a professor at no less than the Harvard Business School. She is also an excellent writer, and she understands that the essence of getting good information across is stories. Brand New is a book of stories about branding. It is anything but boring.

Koehn divides the book into two giant sections, The Past and The Present.

In The Past, she includes the stories of Josiah Wedgwood, H. J. Heinz and Marshall Field. All the stories are told in detail enriched by facts, insights, and quotes. All of them contain lessons for today's businessperson. Most of the lessons are about branding, but there's a lot more.

Read this book and you will find out all about how Josiah Wedgwood changed the common practice by impressing his own name in the unfired clay of his works. That's impressive. But you will also learn how his partnership with Thomas Bentley took Wedgwood's strengths and his insight about branding and turned them into a highly profitable business.

You'll learn about why H. J. Heinz packed his product in glass jars and how he kept control of his distribution. You'll hear about the 1902 giant opening at Marshall Field's and you'll learn about Field's varying relationships with his partners.

In the section on The Present, you will get the story of Estee Lauder and how she changed not only her name and image but also the face of cosmetic marketing through magnetism and incredible persistence. You'll hear how Howard Schultz wound up at Starbucks Coffee and why it bears his imprint, and you'll hear about Michael Dell without overmuch mention of the legendary dorm room.

The stories themselves make delightful reading, but the learning is probably even more important than the enjoyment. These stories illustrate how specific, successful entrepreneurs took a look around at things that were happening in society and developed products and brands and marketing and distribution systems to take advantage of them. These insightful and inspiring stories will help you understand your own business and find ways to make it more profitable.

4 out of 5 stars a very useful and interesting business history book.......2003-04-06

Did you know that in 1859 Americans consumed about eight pounds of coffee per year, per capita? Or that by 1939 it was fourteen pounds? If this is your cup of tea, then I think you will like this book. This is not a criticism, I liked the book because it looks at the growth in demand which was supplied by the entrepreneurs who formed the brands described in the book. Indeed this demand-side view is part of the book that made the biggest impact on me.
Some of this is obvious, but somewhat in the backround of our knowledge - "between 1860 and 1920 the population of the US grew from 31.5 to 107 million" - and some of this is well extracted in this book - e.g. "in 1844 (when Henry J. Heinz was born)less than 10% of American's lived in towns of greater than 2,500 population, 75 years later (when he died) 50% were urban dwellers and 20% lived in cities of greater than 250,000 people". Koehn builds up this demand side very well in each of the six cases she uses to illustrate who entrepreneurs build up branded business - Wedgwood , Heinz, Marshall-Fields, Estee Lauder, Starbucks and Dell.
Koehn, a Harvard business historian, is also quite good at showing how developing technology is put to use to serve this demand (or does it create it?) - "In 1830 it took three weeks to get calico from New York to Chicago, in 1860 it took three days, by 1880 ... less than 24 hours"
Again we all knew the importance of the railroad, but here its phrased in a way that makes sense of the dynamic growth and gentrification of the Mid West. She illustrates well the need that urbanisation created for prepared food that could be trusted and describes very well the increasing sophistication of industrial level food preparation - " by the 1860;s the introduction of calcium chloride to boiling water cut sterilization times from five hours to 25 minutes". She can even make innovations in canning technology sound exciting.

So much for the good stuff, I did find the tone of the descriptions of each entrepreneurs a bit fawning. Each had the feel of a business case, with the usual tone of awe and deference to the wit and wisdom of the main characters. With the exception of the Starbucks case - where Howard Shultz openly tells of his mistakes and wrong turnings - each case seems to highlight the wisdom of the main character, whereas it seems to me its their determination that marks them out, more than anything else. Henry Heinz went bankrupt three times in food products, before he became successful, Michael Dell was still seen as a cloner into the late 1980's.
Koehn makes no judgements about the more unpleasant side of this determination - Estee Lauder staged a meeting with the Duke of Windsor, which she had photographed and publicised, in order to make it appear she had high-society connections, Josiah Wedgwood supplied free gifts to royalty in the certain knowledge that the aspirations of the middle classes to emulate royalty would drive demand for this his products.
There are good insights into how these individuals drove modern marketing techniques - Wedgwood emphasized showrooms, Estee Lauder the free gift. And all had tremendous energy for customer service and production detail. However in each of the early cases we are told that 20th Century techniques were unknown to the industry " Brand marketing was virtually unheard of in the 18th Century" [ Wedgwood]; " Between 1869 and 1899, real per capita income increased at an annual compound rate of 2.1%. Henry Heinz had no access to these statistics. These numbers are based on economic concepts developed in the 20th Century". This kind of clumsiness crops up in each case, ok we get the point that these pioneers instinctively did something which is now solidified into great theory, but surely this point could be illustrated with more deftness.

This apart, a very useful and interesting book, a book for anyone interested in the general history of business. Some excellent details, too much fawning and praise too little criticism of the central characters who built the brands. A fascinating story.
If you liked this book, check out books by Arthur Chandler and John Drewer.

One final fact, Charles Darwin had the time and money to devote to his famous voyage on the Beagle - which laid the basis for the theory of Evolution - because his wife's grandfather was Joshua Wedgwood. Was this financial evolution at work?

5 out of 5 stars Overview of successful entrepreneurial approaches to brands.......2003-02-13

Koehn has produced a weighty and informative look at the way successful entrepreneurs have used brands to achieve a number of goals. These goals include long-term differentiation from competitors, internal quality control, profit margin protection, and facilitation of additional product introduciton.

To make her case, she chose three cases from the past (Wedgwood, Heinz, and Marshall Field) and three cases from the present (Estee Lauder, Starbucks, and Dell Computers). Finally, she concludes the book with a chapter which addresses the issue of historical forces and entrepreneurial agency.

I particularly found the cases from the past persuasive in their argumentation for a long-term differentiating factor in brand. The newer cases are obviously harder to make in that (particularly with Starbucks and Dell) how long-term the success will be remains to be seen. One of the best features of the book is the depth with which she treats each case-- she provides enough information to build her thesis (and often entertain with the anecdotes) but not so much that the book becomes bogged down. The excellent footnotes provide whatever's necessary to someone looking for further information.

One minor quarrel is that I would have liked to see the further reading pulled out into a better organized bibliography. There were obviously quite a few good sources scattered amongst the footnotes and if you were interested in a particular subject matter it required some patience to pull all of the citations out.

5 out of 5 stars Brands Old: Inspiration for Brands Yet to Be.......2002-11-26

As she completed her research and then began to write this book, Nancy Koehn made several important decisions. First, she placed her primary objective in clear focus: to explain "how entrepreneurs earned customers' trust." Next, she limited her attention to only six. Finally, she then examined them within an historical context from the late-18th century until the present time. As Koehn observes, "Before 1750,...most Britons ate off wood or pewter plates. Then came Josiah Wedgwood. In antebellum America, the majority of women made their own pickles. Then came Henry Heinz. Until the Civil War, urban retailing was a specialized activity with a wide variety of small shops offering particular kinds of goods. Then came department store entrepreneurs such as Marshall Field." It is important to stress that Koehn is a biographer and cultural historian only to the extent that the material she provides helps to advance the narrative of her core themes: how six individual entrepreneurs dealt with the "imperatives" to quality goods at reasonable prices, communicate the virtues of her or his products to potential buyers in effective ways and thereby maintain and grow a viable customer base, and, how to develop organizational capabilities to learn about their respective customers and then earn their trust.

Before 1945, Koehn observes, "few American women wore premium lipstick or facial creams, and those who did [when they could] bought them in beauty shops along with elaborate treatments administered by trained cosmeticians. Then came Estee Lauder. Prior to the late 1970s, Americans bought ground coffee mostly in one-pound cans sold in supermarkets and supplied by large food processors. Then came [Howard Schultz and] Starbucks. Before 1980, most businesses used only typewriters and copy machines for paperwork. Large companies relied on mainframe and midsize computers to handle extensive calculations and data processing. Only a small number of households owned a personal computer or printer. Few if any of these users expected to be able to specify a particular computer's configuration. Then came Apple, IBM, Compaq, and Michael Dell." It is also important to stress that each of the six entrepreneurs whom Koehn discusses fully understood what rapid social and economic change in their respective era meant for consumers' needs and desires. Moreover, as she carefully explains, all six used their knowledge of both the supply and demand sides of the prevailing economy to create high-quality goods,, meaningful brands, and other connections with customers..." and they built elite organizations that worked to [in italics] satisfy and then [in italics] anticipate buyers' changing preferences."

In Chapter 1, Koehn provides a brilliant overview on "Entrepreneurs and Consumers," then devotes an entire chapter to each of the six entrepreneurs. In her final chapter, she shifts her attention to "Historical Forces and Entrepreneurial Agency," followed by 104 pages of notes. In that final chapter, Koehn points out that the six entrepreneurs "lived and worked in different contexts. Yet they all shared a powerful gift: the ability to discern how economic and social change affected consumer needs and wants. They also understood that these demand-side shifts presented critical business opportunities -- opportunities that each exploited by creating new, best-of-class goods and strong brands." She goes on to suggest that they were "institution builders who were not interested in riding the wave of a short-lived trend or forcing their young brands on buyers. They wanted to [in italics] earn consumers' trust and keep it."

It remains to seen which entrepreneurs emerge during the next few years but it seems certain that they will also encounter "economic and social change affected consumer needs and wants" and in a global marketplace yet to be developed. There is much that they -- and we -- can learn from Josiah Wedgwood, H.J. Heinz, Marshall Field, Estee Lauder, Howard Schultz, and Michael Dell. Thanks to Nancy Koehn, those "lessons" are provided in a single volume, one which will continue to be of interest and value for decades to come.

Those who share my high regard for this book are urged to read Wolf's The Entertainment Economy, Schmitt's Experiential Marketing, Gobe's Emotional Branding, Gilmore and Pine's The Experience Economy, and Brands: The New Wealth Creators co-edited by Hart and Murphy.

5 out of 5 stars everything you wanted to know about branding . . . and more.......2001-11-25

professor koehn presents the subject of branding in a fascinating historical perspective; a interesting, insightful and sometimes surprising read. a very useful book for anyone who is managing a brand, trying to understand the value of brands, or wants to understand how branding fits into the lore of business.

an excellent reference and clearly meticulously researched
The Personal Branding Phenomenon
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Do You Know Where Your Brand Is or What It is?
  • Branding rebranded
  • Advance oneself and one's career
  • a handbook for success
  • Marketing Genius
The Personal Branding Phenomenon
Peter Montoya , Tim Vandehey , and Paul Viti
Manufacturer: Peter Montoya
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0967450616

Book Description

It's the new reality no one wants to concede - and it's the cold, hard reality behind success in the new millennium. From the schoolroom to the boardroom, everyone succeeds - or fails - by the rules of Personal Branding.

Personal Branding isn't the product of ad agencies or corporations; it's a continuous process that's as old as society. A Personal Brand - the values, abilities, and personality traits people associate with each of us - affects our careers, our relationships... our lives. You have two choices: surrender to the process, or seize control of it.

The Personal Branding Phenomenon is about taking control, whether you're an ambitious professional or entrepreneur. Instead of focusing on the right suit or business card, you'll take a high-level, clinical look at how and why Personal Branding works - and how to leverage it to your advantage.

Along the way, you'll discover the Eight Unbreakable Laws, the core principles behind every great Personal Brand. By analyzing some of the world's greatest brands, from Madonna to Tiger Woods, you'll learn what makes them irresistible.

In the end, The Personal Branding Phenomenon walks you through the development of your own new Personal Brand - to help you convert human perception into your lifelong competitive edge. It's the authoritative guide to the art and science of managing personal identity.

Discover the Power of Personal Branding:

* Not being paid what you're worth? Improve your brand and supercharge your income potential.

* Ready for advancement? Ensure that your boss sees the promise of your brand, and reap your rewards.

* Learn to build a brand that's so influential that when you speak, people act.

* Why branding affects everyone - from parents to politicians, entrepreneurs to entertainers.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Do You Know Where Your Brand Is or What It is?.......2006-03-01

"The Personal Branding Phenomenon" by Peter Montoya is another winner as a business reference book. I read this immediately after reading "The Brand Called You." For anyone who cannot answer the question of do you know where or what your brand is? - then this is a book for you. If you want an insightful look at the power of personal branding, then read this book.
Reviewed by: J. Glenn Ebersole, Jr., Founder & Chief Executive, J. G. EBERSOLE ASSOCIATES and THE RENAISSANCE GROUP (tm), Lancaster, PA. and Author of "Glenn's Guiding Lines - Thoughts From Your Strategic Thinking Coach" newsletter www.renaissanceman4u.com

3 out of 5 stars Branding rebranded.......2005-09-23

The book had some interesting points and useful exercises, but do not be over-sold based on the hype ("double your income in under a year" seems like a stretch). There is a lot more to personal branding than what appears in this book and I doubt that most people will see a 100% increase in their personal earnings in under a year based on the advice in this book alone.

All in all, a useful, interesting read and some sound exercises and advice.

5 out of 5 stars Advance oneself and one's career.......2002-11-05

The Personal Branding Phenomenon by advertising professional and trainer Peter Montoya is a solid guide to using the process of "Personal Branding" to advance oneself and one's career by enhancing a personal ability to influence others. Personal Branding involves taking control of how an individual is perceived, including the perception of the personal values, abilities, and personality traits that other people associate with the individual in question. The Personal Branding Phenomenon presents Eight Unbreakable Laws behind great Personal Brands, such as The Law of Specialization - that a great Personal Brand focuses on one area of achievement, and trying to be a jack of all trades makes other people think that you are a master of none. The Personal Branding phenomenon is very highly recommended reading for anyone seeking to improve their skills and abilities to affect others and to enhance the emotional, financial, and social qualities of their personal and professional life.

5 out of 5 stars a handbook for success.......2002-08-02

Having been a broker and worked in the securities industry for more than a decade, I have a fairly sound perspective on selling intangibles. In so many cases, the first sale is yourself.

Montoya provides a practical and motivating roadmap to establishing a credible and attrractive brand that can provide the basis for a secondary sale of virtually anything - from stocks to services to widgets. Anyone who knocks on doors, cold calls or represents a product will find value in reading and heeding the Personal Branding Phenomenom -- from the entry level salesman to the executive looking to jumpstart a career.

5 out of 5 stars Marketing Genius.......2002-07-26

This book is great! Montoya is so insightful. After reading this book I will never look at my life the same. I think this book is a must read for anyone who wants to take their business or life to a different place. The information is so powerful I bought several copies to give to my employees.
U R a Brand!: How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Worth your money and time
  • Build your own brand
  • Easy instructions for branding yourself
  • Marketing yourself
  • Excellent Book
U R a Brand!: How Smart People Brand Themselves for Business Success
Catherine Kaputa
Manufacturer: Davies-Black Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0891062130

Book Description

Today's hottest business concept meets the realities of the modern workplace. U R a Brand! delivers 10 key personal brand strategies that aren't taught in business school--or anywhere else. Like a personal branding coach right by your side, Catherine Kaputa reveals the inside secrets of Madison Avenue product branding and applies these tried-and-true principles and techniques to a dynamic new strategic branding process for individuals. U R a Brand! highlights the self branding odysseys of savvy professionals who have repositioned their experience and talents in pursuit of the corner office and budding entrepreneurs launching their own business ventures--all from the personal brand strategist and executive coach who helped them achieve their success.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Worth your money and time.......2007-09-30

If you are looking for a book to enhance your career, this book should be in your list. It says, flatly, that being good and skilled in your job is insufficient in getting head. It is actually more important to be perceived and noticed as a person of excellence.

It should be noted that the author already assumes you have some marketable skills. Without it, you don't have anything to build a brand around. "If you don't stand for something relevant to the marketplace, you have no value", states the author.

Influencing how others perceive you and your ideas starts with a building a brand. One must brainstorm one's strengths and how one's strengths align with the market (or employer) values. Then one should focus on one's strengths and highlight its relevance in the marketplace in a emotionally connecting way.

Branding is executed primarily through visual (good attire, personal appearance, body language) and verbal (communication through effective rhetoric and tone). The book also highlights the paramount importance of gettting noticed by the right people. If you are not invited to the right meetings, author notes, you are dead in the water (of real career progression).

Overall, I felt this book contained as much good career advice as any I have read. I highly recommend it.

3 out of 5 stars Build your own brand.......2007-08-01

In the world of globalization, outsourcing, job competition, it is very important for any professional to build his or her own brand. Talent is not enough, working hard is not enough, and while emotional intelligence and likeability helps it is a must to differentiate oneself from the crowd. Author recommends building your own brand. Basically build the image or a sort of distinction that will stand out from the rest of the competition. Brand itself will not help, but with polished full package, it surely helps set the tone - and eventually a success.

4 out of 5 stars Easy instructions for branding yourself.......2007-07-27

Marketing professionals use the "soft" science of branding to forge an emotional bond between a product or service, and its target market. Branding expert Catherine Kaputa advocates applying the same principles to creating your personal brand. Abundant evidence says that this strategy works. Celebrities, such as Oprah Winfrey and Michael Jordan, have been doing it for years. Now, branding has become important for business professionals. Look no further than Donald Trump or Martha Stewart. You, too, can use branding techniques and principles to evolve from a successful businessperson to a brand. Become just "a little bit famous" to create a circle of influence within your target market. Once Kaputa explains her original concept, the rest of her information easily falls into place - so easily, in fact, that some of her explanations seem self-evident. Even so, if you're seeking new ways to get ahead in a very competitive business world, we say that this book can tell you how to get yourself branded.

5 out of 5 stars Marketing yourself.......2007-05-12

This book provided some obvious (it reinforced what I had already thought about), and some new perspectives on how to present and represent yourself in the business world. It was also a very interesting read.

5 out of 5 stars Excellent Book.......2007-03-24

This books is excellent. It points out what we should all know but don't pay attention to -- that people are making decisions about us and we need to control our branding. It's easy to read and provides real life examples.
Riding for the Brand: The Power of Purposeful Leadership
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • Purposeful leadership
Riding for the Brand: The Power of Purposeful Leadership
Jim F. Whitt
Manufacturer: Whitt Enterprises
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

LeadershipLeadership | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0977000400

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Purposeful leadership .......2006-07-30

Great book!

Most people long to have their work be of value to others. This yearning is neither unrealistic nor naive. It is a sign of an awake and committed human being.

Many organizations have created an elaborate mission statement that posted on the wall at head quarters, but is completely lost to the employee swinging the hammer. The solution is to clearly identify the organization's purpose in a short, concise and meaningful way that all can identify with.

Whitt's has created a short novel that addresses leadership, human motivation and change. "Without purpose the only tool you have is reward and punishment."

Some may find the story a little "Oklahoma-centric", but you may also find Moby Dick to be a little "fishy".
Be Your Own Brand: A Breakthrough Formula for Standing Out from the Crowd
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Self help for marketers- one useful idea
  • Daves review
  • Be Your Own Brand
  • This Is A Must Read For Everyone In Business!
  • Everyone should read this book
Be Your Own Brand: A Breakthrough Formula for Standing Out from the Crowd
David McNally , and Karl Speak
Manufacturer: Berrett-Koehler Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Business Life | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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  3. The Brand You 50 : Or : Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an 'Employee' into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion! The Brand You 50 : Or : Fifty Ways to Transform Yourself from an 'Employee' into a Brand That Shouts Distinction, Commitment, and Passion!
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ASIN: 1576751414

Book Description

Be Your Own Brand offers readers a compelling personal development tool to help them succeed by building and using unique “branded” relationships throughout their lives. A brand is a relationship, not a statement. It's a special type of relationship fueled by a strong belief system and tied to an emotional connection. Companies and products with strong brands are always the most successful in their industry. Strong, enduring personal relationships have many of the same qualities of a business-related brand. This book uses the proven business axiom of brand equity as a basis to demonstrate the importance of relationships to drive personal success. Success is defined by each individual's belief system. In an accessible and personal style, Be Your Own Brand presents this compelling, novel approach to personal relationships, which is based on proven business practices of building loyal relationships with consumers.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Self help for marketers- one useful idea.......2006-05-06

This book re-casts in marketing speak Adam Smith's old injunction for businessmen, that they ought to be honorable, because dishonorable behavior will damage their reputation, and thereby damage their business. Of course, those who have not noticed that other people judge them by their behavior, are probably so far gone that this book wouldn't help them anyway.

That said, thinking of oneself as a commodity, like toothpaste or hamburgers, can be a useful heuristic device for understanding the perceptions other people make about you, and where their understanding might not align with your own. It is, as the authors point out, not enough to simply be a good person. If other people do not "perceive" you as a good person, then you're unlikely to get many of the benefits of being a good person. The authors' most interesting peice of advice is to use metrics to measure how well your behavior matches your "brand" (the kind of person you want to be) and to also actively measure how well your "brand" accords with others' perceptions of you.

This is a rather starkly utilitarian perspective on self-development. This book contains several ideas in the details that are useful thought-experiments for understanding where there may be a disconnect between what you think you are, and what other people think you are.

5 out of 5 stars Daves review.......2002-08-27

"I approached this book with great skepticism. Seeing myself as a brand was not appealing but the truth is we are all 'branded' in the eyes of others. What struck me immediately was the observation that people cannot see inside of me, they judge me by my actions. In the end I found the ideas in this book to be intriguing and compelling"

4 out of 5 stars Be Your Own Brand.......2002-06-04

This is one of the most valuable books I've read. It's very insightful concepts and ideas inspired me to go after some long-held career goals just by using my natural abilities. Thanks to the author, it's working!
Newt Shoup
Lansing, Michigan

5 out of 5 stars This Is A Must Read For Everyone In Business!.......2002-05-30

"BE YOUR OWN BRAND" is a great book with a powerful premise. Instead of regurgitating all the old marketing themes about branding, David McNally and Karl Speak, uncover the fundamental truths. Creating a unique stand-alone identity requires a commitment to build special relationships - with yourself, your co-workers, your customers and the public. The authors make it easy to read and understand. In addition, there are lots of practical strategies that will inspire you to take action. This is a must read for everyone in business!

5 out of 5 stars Everyone should read this book.......2002-05-30

Be Your Own Brand is a great book that is a must read for anyone. This book illustrates the importance of determining and sticking to your personal values. It truly makes a dfference in all the relationships in your life.
Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Tactically sound, despite the hype
  • Too simplistic to rest business success primarily on uniqueness
  • Great book on positioning
  • One of the best business books
  • Line Extension and questionable concepts.
Differentiate or Die: Survival in Our Era of Killer Competition
Jack Trout
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & CompetitionStrategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0471357642

Amazon.com

There are no two ways about it with Jack Trout. Either you've got a product or service that you can say is different, or you don't have much at all. In today's global marketplace and at its lightning-fast rate of change, there's no point in inventing and presenting a product only to sit back and hope that consumers everywhere will discover its greatness. It's not simply about what you or your product can do, it's about what you do differently from everyone else. Coauthors Trout and Steve Rivkin say it all in their no-holds-barred title, Differentiate or Die.

A disciple of the marketing guru Rosser Reeves, who introduced the concept of the "unique selling proposition," Trout relays his vision of what can help you differentiate in blunt, tell-it-like-it-is prose. First he breaks the bad news that product quality, advertising creativity, price advantage, and breadth of product line are rarely successful ways to differentiate your business. Consumers expect the best quality, he says; they don't think it's a bonus. In the same vein, your competitor can slash prices just as quickly as you. After dismissing these common marketing techniques as futile, Trout concentrates on which differentiating ideas will set you apart from the pack: Being first (and staying there), owning a discernible attribute, having a heritage, becoming the preference of a particular consumer group, or even being the most recent arrival in a product arena are just some of these useful differentiates. Though the book's fast and quippy narrative style may leave some readers looking for more substance behind his adamant assertions, Trout's recommendations act as inspirational spurts of energy. A slim manual packed with punchy points, Differentiate or Die won't take you long to read but could make a lasting--you guessed it--difference to the success of your business. --S. Ketchum

Book Description

"Any damn fool can put on a deal, but it takes genius, faith, and perseverance to create a brand."-David Ogilvy
In today's ultra-competitive world, the average supermarket has 40,000 brand items on its shelves. Car shoppers can wander through the showrooms of over twenty automobile makers. For marketers, differentiating products today is more challenging than at any time in history yet it remains at the heart of successful marketing. More importantly, it remains the key to a company's survival.
In Differentiate or Die, bestselling author Jack Trout doesn't beat around the bush. He takes marketers to task for taking the easy route too often, employing high-tech razzle-dazzle and sleight of hand when they should be working to discover and market their product's uniquely valuable qualities. He examines successful differentiation initiatives from giants like Dell Computer, Southwest Airlines, and Wal-Mart to smaller success stories like Streit's Matzoh and Connecticut's tiny Trinity College to determine why some marketers succeed at differentiating themselves while others struggle and fail.
More than just a collection of marketing success stories, however, Differentiate or Die is an in-depth exploration of today's most successful differentiation strategies. It explains what these strategies are, where and when they should be applied, and how they can help you carve out your own image in a crowded marketplace. Marketing executives in all types of organizations, regardless of size, can learn how to achieve product differentiation through strategies including:
* Revisiting the U.S.P.
Rosser Reeves's classic unique selling proposition approach, updated for today's marketplace
* Positioning
Understanding how the mind works in the differentiating process
* Owning an Idea
Techniques to seize a differentiating idea, dramatize it, and make it your own
* Competition
How to use differentiating ideas against your competitors in the marketplace
Consumers today are faced with an explosion of choices. In this environment, distinctive product attributes are quickly copied by competitors, perceived by consumers to be minimal, or both. Still, those who fail to differentiate their product or service in the mind of the consumer won't stand a chance.
Differentiate or Die outlines the many ways you can achieve differentiation. It also warns how difficult it is to achieve differentiation by being creative, cheap, customer oriented, or quality driven things that your competitors can do as well.
Praise for Differentiate or Die
"Another great book by the king of positioning!"-John Schnatter, CEO, Papa John's International
"Differentiate or Die differentiates itself on the groaning marketing bookshelf with its lucid prose, its clear vision of the future marketplace . . . and its sensible solutions for surviving the frenzied competition we're sure to find there."-Dan Rather, CBS News
"What I like about Differentiate or Die is the book's emphasis on the power of logic, simplicity, and clarity-getting to the essence of a problem. In Silicon Valley, attributes like that can make the difference between having lunch and being lunch."-Scott McNealy, CEO, Sun Microsystems, Inc.
"Trout and Rivkin marvelously illustrate that differentiation is the cornerstone of successful marketing." -Philip Kotler, S.C. Johnson Distinguished Professor of International Marketing,
Kellogg Graduate School of Management, Northwestern University
"We've built our business by being first-and executing best. Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin are doing the same, delivering the timely, powerful insights that will drive tomorrow's marketing strategies. A must read for anyone looking to win in an unforgiving competitive marketplace."-Mike Ruettgers, CEO, EMC Corporation
"Dotcom executives must learn the lessons of Differentiate or Die. If they don't, I pity their investors."-Aaron Cohen, CEO, Concrete Media; Co-Founder, Bolt.com

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars Tactically sound, despite the hype.......2006-03-04

Today markets are driven by customer choice, and there are more possible product choices than ever before for the customer. Companies that fail to address the whims of the marketplace will not survive. It is more important that ever before to differentiate your product from its competition. According to the authors, companies must address differentiation in three ways:
1. If you ignore your uniqueness and try to be everything to everybody, you will undermine what differentiates you from the competition.
2. If you ignore changes in the market, your differentiation can become less important.
3. If you stay in the shadow of your competitors, without establishing your "uniqueness" you will always be weak.

The authors then outline four steps to successfully differentiate yourself from competitors:
· Step 1: Make sense in context. Your message must make sense within the context of your market category. Start first with a "snapshot" of customer perceptions about yourself and your competitors.
· Step 2: Find the differentiating idea. There are many ways to set your company apart from the competition. However you differentiate yourself, set the difference up as a benefit to the customer.
· Step 3: Have credentials. Your claims to the customer must be real and believable. You should be able to demonstrate the difference to the customer. That demonstration becomes your credentials.
· Step 4: Communicate your difference. You need to build a strong perception of your product in the market. Every aspect of your public communication should emphasize your difference.

3 out of 5 stars Too simplistic to rest business success primarily on uniqueness .......2006-02-28

I work for a book summary company. One of the books selected for summary is this.

In today's proliferation of products, what sets a product or idea apart is its distinctness or uniqueness. And authors Jack Trout and Steve Rivkin focus on the idea that unless companies strive to make their product or concept interestingly different and evolve a unique identity, their business is bound to bite the dust. The book reiterates the need for companies to promote the `unique selling proposition' or the USP in their product in order to stand out from the `also-rans'. Indeed Jack Trout, who had pioneered the concept of `positioning' which has become the fad word in the ad world today, makes blunt assertions on the common practices adopted by most companies to gain that competitive edge over others. He dismisses the well-entrenched marketing ploys such as stress on product quality, use of creative advertising, competitive pricing, and unveiling range of product line as futile exercises that could prove unsuccessful in the long term. To him, being a pioneer, having a distinct attribute and peerless heritage, cultivating particular consumer group (s) or being the first or new arrival are the features that single out a product from the cluttering crowd. The author provides success stories alongside some others that failed. It seems rather too simplistic to build the entire logic of success on a single attribute of uniqueness or distinctness. Indeed while there is no gainsaying that exclusivity undoubtedly lifts a product, there are other concomitant factors, which are too real and important to be ignored, for ensuring the long term success of a product. Nonetheless, this slim book could be an interesting read for gaining additional inputs to ensure success in business.

4 out of 5 stars Great book on positioning.......2005-10-28

This is a wonderfully written book with one of the best book titles ever. I loved how Jack gets to the point and makes you think about establishing your product. No punches pulled in this book...he points out "Being first with a stupid idea is just, well stupid, it won't get you anywhere." One of his best books.

5 out of 5 stars One of the best business books.......2005-08-05

I have read several books of Jack Trout's books before, but when I first listened to the MP3-CD audiobook (...), I was amazed as how true Jack Trout's research about companies trying to be everything in the name of Market Share and tainting their "brand" in the process. Every business has to clearly distinguish themselves as what kind of business they are in or they are lost in the shuffle of consumer minds. Jack's book gives a straight forward data about companies trying to be everything. I sometimes wonder why companies like Amazon keep selling "Pet Supplies" and "Gourmet Foods" when a consumer thinks of Amazon as book company. In this digital world when a consumer is bombarded with hundreds of advertisements a day, it is clearly very important that a company has to distingush what business they are in and how to leverage that strength.

A must read for every business professional and a good read to take plenty of notes.

1 out of 5 stars Line Extension and questionable concepts........2005-04-03

I liked very much Trout and Ries, Positioning and Marketing Warfare. Reading this book, I had an impression that most of the professional knowledge the author has, was distilled in his previous books.

Mr Trout is doing something he said was not a good practice in Advertising (see Positioning): Line Extension. The good parts of this book you will find in his previous books, maybe with different phrases and examples.

The other thing that is hurting is that he is trying to give advice in areas where he has limited knowledge and experience.

Looking at some titles of the chapters in this book you will find:

Chapter 4 - Quality and Customer Orientation are rarely differentiating Ideas.

Toyota and Honda achieved a position in the mind of customers worldwide that they make high quality products for a good price. Well, it will be difficult for the other automakers, who are actually working to catch up in quality, to differentiate themselves on quality, for they are also runs. I would say that is a hell of a strategy, maybe is not for everyone, but them differentiation is by definition for a few, and not for everybody.

How many companies have positioned themselves as high quality products? Does it pay? Go ask Nikon, Zeiss, Leica, Volvo, Patek Philippe...

Chapter 5 has as title: "Creativity is not a differentiating Idea"

I guess I cannot believe that Mr. Trout has read his own phrase. Does he mean that lack of creativity is a differentiating Idea? Does not make sense. I think quite the opposite, when you are not able to create something unique, is when you go out trying to do something else to differentiate yourself.

I have seen creativity applied to Advertising, the results were fantastic. In Brazil, sometime ago, Brastemp, (a Home Appliances company with financial links with Whirlpool) run an ad campaign that stressed the Quality of Brastemp products using the phrase: " it is not a Brastemp !". Each ad told a story about something (not related to appliances) and the concluding remarks would be " it is not a Brastemp !". The phrase got so popular, that became incorporated as an expression of our language. The end result was that Brastemp established itself in the market so strongly that still today people in Brazil position Brastemp as the top quality producer of home appliances. In the mind of the Brazilian consumer Brastemp is top quality, better than GE, Electrolux, ex-Westinghouse, etc...

I have seen creativity applied to Product Design with similar results.

This book should be read with a critical eye, for it has some impressive phrases but when you think a second time and compare with some practical experience you find problems.

I am not an advertising professional, I just enjoy reading books that come with good new ideas.




Enduring Passion: The Story of the Mercedes-Benz Brand
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • For the Mercedes Lover in you
  • Enduring Passion
  • finally
Enduring Passion: The Story of the Mercedes-Benz Brand
Leslie Butterfield
Manufacturer: Wiley
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Strategy & CompetitionStrategy & Competition | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 047001802X

Book Description

The three-pointed star. Magic. Mystique. Mercedes-Benz.

With its legendary performance and quality, Mercedes-Benz is one of the most recognizable brands in existence. The first book to examine Mercedes-Benz as a brand phenomenon, Enduring Passion provides a fascinating look at how the brand developed and the myths and realities surrounding it as it faced the global convulsions of war, mergers, and economic uncertainty. Handsomely produced in a large format and richly illustrated with previously unpublished photographs, Enduring Passion is the life story of the Mercedes-Benz brand and how its iconic symbol became a synonym for power and elegance.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars For the Mercedes Lover in you.......2007-09-13

I think this is a book any Mercedes owner or enthusiast should have a copy of.

4 out of 5 stars Enduring Passion.......2006-03-24

This book gave in great detail the beginnings of both Benz and Daimler up to merger in 1926 and then to 2005. It takes you through the thinking of both men and their values. You can see how and why things were done and not done through the years. The author explains the goods and the bads over the years. The pictures are great! Anyone interested in MB's or own one should read.





















5 out of 5 stars finally.......2006-01-08

Leslie Butterfield's „Enduring Passion" is astonishingly the first book about the history of Mercedes Benz brand. It provides a really broad and tensing look at how the Mercedes Benz brand developed from the foundation of the company in the 19th century untill today. Richly illustrated and with numerous anecdotes it gives a - sometimes critical - account of how the brand got where it is today. Readable!

http://www.mercedes-benz.com/content/mbcom/international/international_website/de/com/international_home/home/passion/entertainment/Enduring_Passion.html
A New Brand World: Eight Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the 21st Century
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • A really delightful read
  • Halifax Chamber of Commerce Book Club
  • Packed With Knowledge!
  • This may be the best book on branding ever written
  • BRANDING, FOR EXECUTIVES. READ IT FOR THE CASE STUDIES.
A New Brand World: Eight Principles for Achieving Brand Leadership in the 21st Century
Scott Bedbury , and Stephen Fenichell
Manufacturer: Viking Adult
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

GeneralGeneral | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
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  4. Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People Emotional Branding: The New Paradigm for Connecting Brands to People
  5. Managing Brand Equity Managing Brand Equity

ASIN: 0670030767
Release Date: 2002-02-28

Book Description

No company can succeed without a great product or service, but in today's competitive market it also needs a brand. Transcending the tangible aspects of a commodity and nurturing a brand to build a deeper and more enduring emotional connection with customers has become one of the most critical and complex challenges facing businesses today, whether they are multinational corporations or small, local enterprises.

How did a company like Nike use "Just Do It" to launch its way to success and become part of global culture? How did Starbucks reinvent a familiar 900-year-old product and change the way people drink coffee around the world? In A New Brand World Scott Bedbury, who was at the heart of both companies as they became two of the greatest branding success stories of our time, explains how to apply the principles that grew these companies more than fivefold and established their trademarks as leaders in their categories.

With fascinating anecdotes from his own in-the-trenches experience and dozens of case studies (including companies like Harley-Davidson, Guinness, the Gap, and Disney), Bedbury offers practical, battle-tested advice and an analysis of why some brands succeed where others fail. A New Brand World will show any business-whether a Fortune 500 corporation or a neighborhood store-how it can begin to realize its full brand potential and build lasting value.

Inspiring, visionary, and witty, A New Brand World will become the key book for building brands in the twenty-first-century economy.

Customer Reviews:

3 out of 5 stars A really delightful read.......2006-11-11

A New Brand world is mildly entertaining and provoking. It overdelivers in simple plain language and is easy to read. I finished reading this book within a few hours during my flight. I would highly recommend this book to any advertising, marketing or branding expert. It's really good and easy to comprehend and there are lots of real life situations thrown in as well. Plus I got this book at less than USD 10 ! A real bargain !

4 out of 5 stars Halifax Chamber of Commerce Book Club.......2005-03-18

What's It About
The book takes the importance of branding to a new depth as it raises awareness of how a matured brand and its genetic makeup create an ever lasting experience between a business and it customers. It places much emphasis on the author's experience in the world of big business, so we caution readers that it has no mention of small business. It is a set of principles that can help improve a company's brand beyond a logo and letterhead. The author explains how a brand lends itself to everything from the day to day operations of a business right down to the smallest detail. A brand cannot be defined by any one thing. Whether a brand is built unwittingly or purposely, it can be subject to criticism, dilution, or it may achieve greatness. This book gives many examples of the principles he presents, giving a lasting experience and emphasizing the gravity of each principle.

Overall
The author is at the top of his vocation. He shares an insider's view of a decade spent developing both the "just do it" brand with Nike and helping Starbucks become an internationally known coffee experience. It was disappointing in the lack of examples of building brands in SME's and largely represents only one viewpoint. The members felt that it was a worth while read and they recommend it to others with the warning that this does not place any emphasis on SME. It gives valuable principles and important examples for building a brand that can evolve over time with a business's beliefs and values. The book was creative, sustaining, and it maintained the interest of our readers.

Style
The book was very well written and the principles flowed in an intuitive manner. It is not a handbook or guide to building and implementing a brand, but an overview of the principles involved in developing and nurturing a brand that delivers the essence of a company. The book clarified what a brand is for those members with limited knowledge in the area and included many stories on household names and their pursuit to stay on top.

Applicability to the Workplace
Even though this book focused on larger corporations, the information is valuable for organizations of all sizes and everyone felt that they will remember the book for years to come. The book explained the thought process behind building a great brand and stressed the importance of having a brand no matter the size. Everyone and everything has a brand, figuring out what the brand is and how it is to be executed successfully is another story. The book helps to raise and answer some of these questions, and its principles provide a foundation for building and maintaining a solid brand.

Rating
The opinion of the book and its rating did not vary much. Everyone gave it a credible value and the team felt it was one of the top books on branding. The club gave an overall rating of 7.9.

5 out of 5 stars Packed With Knowledge!.......2004-06-03

This pretty good book about brands and brand management is not as neat and orderly as the subtitle suggests - the so-called "8 principles" are rather vague meandering digressions. But the digressions are immensely entertaining and even educational. Learning how Nike and Starbucks handle marketing is quite worthwhile. Of course, the author oversimplifies, over-promises and over-promotes himself. But what do you expect of a marketing maven? The book's big virtue is that it repeatedly reinforces the fact that brand building boils down to having the common sense to think first about what you are trying to accomplish, and then set about doing it without getting distracted. How simple to say, how hard to do. If you want to try, we say this is just the book for you to read over your morning cup of coffee from guess who.

5 out of 5 stars This may be the best book on branding ever written.......2003-11-27

I have read dozens and dozens of books on branding. They are largely worthless drivel. I have taught marketing, pr and advertising for 20 years in addition to owning and running an agency for eleven years. This is the best book on branding I have ever read by far. A New Brand World is well written, insightful and filled with brilliant examples of how it is actually done by a master.

If you care about branding you must read this book. I gave a copy to every employee in my agency.

I'd give it six stars but they won't let me.

3 out of 5 stars BRANDING, FOR EXECUTIVES. READ IT FOR THE CASE STUDIES........2003-10-14

It is difficult to review a book that one has enjoyed reading and then say that it was not up to the mark (in terms, of course, of only my expectations.)

No doubt that Scott Bedbury's work is a fast paced read, his writing is lucid and quite frequently quotably light-hearted. There is a lot of material here for people in larger corporations or even general marketing folks. And where Bedbury truly shines is in the case studies he presents in the 8 chapters.

But if, like me, you set off on this book looking for some newfangled insights into the world of branding, this is not the book for you. The title claims to proffer "8 principles". Let's face it -- at the end of the day, principles are not that hard to create, and this becomes quite clear when you reach the end of the book and wonder if you have learnt something new.

But I am being unfairly critical. From his style, it seems an approachable business book was precisely what Bedbury's intended?

As a comprehensive introduction to the field of branding, I'd recommend "Strategic Brand Asset Management" by Keller. For a discussion of some innovative yet reasonable forms of brand creation, especially on a shoestring, I'd usually point to a PR related book or "60-minutes Brand Strategist."

But as a business book, to be read by executives on a plane and have ample to talk about, or as a non-technical introduction for neophytes to the branding industry who place less emphasis on a structured analytical framework and are more interested in a soft springboard into the field, "Emotional Branding" and this book from Bedbury are pretty near the top of my list of recommendations.

Good stuff, if you aren't expecting a summary of last decade's JCR.
Brand Driven: The Route to Integrated Branding Through Great Leadership
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Brand Driven
  • Great Book
  • Very Good!
  • A Unique, Substantive Approach - Not Smoke and Mirrors
  • Finally a "how-to" application for branding
Brand Driven: The Route to Integrated Branding Through Great Leadership
Susan V Davis , and F Joseph Lepla
Manufacturer: Kogan Page
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0749437979

Book Description

A sequel to the authors' highly acclaimed book" Integrated Branding," "Brand Driven" gives leaders at all levels the tools for integrating their entire organization with their brand. It shows how leaders, from the mailroom to the boardroom, can play an important role in the organization's ability to build and communicate a strong brand.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Brand Driven.......2004-06-05

As director of a nonprofit association that is beginning a strategic planning process, I found Brand Driven a great resource. Its step by step description of the internal process necessary to ensure that organizations integrate the branding process at all organizational levels and the necessary role of leadership in overseeing the process was especially valuable. The chapter specific to nonprofits was an unexpected bonus. I highly recommend this book to organizations seeking to focus their mission and services through the branding process.

5 out of 5 stars Great Book.......2004-06-05

I have always been a skeptic on spending a lot of money on branding in my industry (wholesale distribution). After reading Brand Driven not only was I convinced that I was wrong but we now have our biggest budget to date specifically for branding. This book opened my eyes on how important branding is and how it differentiates our company from the others. I read a lot of business books and this one has allowed me to put its priciples in action immediately and we are already seeing positive results.

5 out of 5 stars Very Good!.......2004-06-03

Leadership and branding are both extremely important to our fast growing organization. Brand Driven has helped provide me with a framework for focusing our efforts around our promise to customers and how every employee can keep that promise, ultimately differentiating us in a competitive marketplace.

5 out of 5 stars A Unique, Substantive Approach - Not Smoke and Mirrors.......2004-06-02

I totally disagree with a recent review about Brand Driven that says, "it has all been said before."

As a marketing professional of 20 years, I've read a lot of books on marketing. In this one I found a new, substantive approach to a subject other books approach with only smoke and mirrors. Rather than just expounding upon interesting philosophies, this book gave me actionable processes any company can use.

Many people talk about aligning a brand promise with employee actions, company culture, and leadership activities. But these guys have clearly figured out how to actually make that happen. And provide something of unique value - a starting place to help companies achieve those goals.

I particularly liked the authors' emphasis on tools that can be used to keep a company focused on a long-term strategy - and employees focused on achieving that strategy.

Also, I've never run across their concepts of strategic role or brand principle anywhere else - concepts they back up with specific case studies from the authors' own experience.

I recommend this book to anyone who wants to go beyond the idea of "living the brand," and to learn how to actually put it into practice.

5 out of 5 stars Finally a "how-to" application for branding.......2004-05-29

Reading Brand Driven filled in a big question mark I've always had about improving quality organization-wide. The question of how branding relates to programs such as Six Sigma and ISO.

While improving quality using these processes helps the customer experience, how can it be done in a way that differentiates us from competitors? If a competitor puts the same investment into quality that we do, won't we just be creating a very expensive (albeit high quality) commodity?

Brand Driven shows how a company can have a unique approach to its products or services that customers will recognize and value. Moreover, it provides a roadmap for how to accomplish this and align company practices to it based on the authors' own experiences.

Brand Driven is vsery usefull as a management resource.

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