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Perhaps the most effective way to communicate complicated thoughts, ideas, or emotions is through metaphor. And metaphors are part of that complicated soup of memories, fears, and sanctuaries known as the subconscious—that abyss of the brain coveted by branders, marketers, and advertisers across the globe. In Marketing Metaphoria authors Gerald and Lindsay Zaltman delve into the "deep metaphors" that influence human, and consumer, behavior. By tracing the roots of the unconscious mind to the seeds of the "seven giants" of deep metaphors—balance, transformation, journey, container, connection, resource, and control—the authors provide a psychological map for industry experts who truly wish to explore insightful and innovative ways to reach consumers. |
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With a sluggish economy, businesses are looking for new and cheaper ways to promote themselves and market their products. Given that scenario, The Complete Idiot's Guide to Guerrilla Marketing could not have arrived at a better time. Authors Susan Drake and Colleen Wells deftly explore the basics from defining and appealing to target audiences to exploiting the many assets of viral marketing and the Internet—all while avoiding the pitfalls of misdirected resources and bad buzz. The "It Worked for Them" sections provide real-life examples of companies and people that have effectively utilized the low-to-no costs marketing strategies, as the chapters logically introduce and build upon the concepts and knowledge points needed to successfully guerrilla market in a cluttered and competitive business battlefield. |
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As the title indicates, this book is for business owners who wish to develop their brand. Branding Your Business provides a comprehensive analysis of branding from its very basics to the industry's more complex, psychoanalytical nuances. By building on the fundamentals, author James Hammond creates a coherent argument regarding the components and benefits of branding for independently owned businesses that don't necessarily have the financial resources to hire outside experts. From simple advice on telephone etiquette to branding strategies that cater to the five human senses, this book demonstrates—with the help of questionnaires, quotes, images, and real-life case studies—how and why branding can work for everyone who is honest with themselves, their employees, and their customers. |
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In the foreword to Graphic Design: The New Basics, the authors clearly designate their intended audience: "This is a book for students and emerging designers, and it is illustrated primarily with student work, produced within graduate and undergraduate design studios." Yet the scope of the book is expansive, and takes a compelling look at the evolution of modern day graphic design, beginning with Germany's Bauhaus school in the 1920s to works from contemporary young and gifted design students from rural America to China, India, Japan, and the Caribbean. The material focuses on building ideas and connections around two-dimensional design by offering chapters that explore point, line, plane, scale, texture, framing, layers, grid, and several other important concepts essential to intriguing and communicative design. |
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Brands often perish because they lose sight of who they are and how others perceive them. In Taking Brand Initiative: How Companies Can Align Strategy, Culture, and Identity Through Corporate Branding, authors Mary Jo Hatch and Majken Schultz provide an analysis of why corporate brands have trouble adjusting to change, and what they can do to capitalize on the opportunities that inherently arise in times of adversity. A brand identity complex can lead strong corporations into a lethal spiral of internal self-doubt and external mixed messaging. This book, however, addresses the steps corporate brands can take—from establishing brand equity to Vision-Culture-Image (VCI) alignment—to ensure that their brands remain robust, competitive, and firmly invested in the futures of their customers, employees, and stakeholders. |
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Risk is unpredictable by nature, but without it success wouldn't be possible—or even interesting, for that matter. In Brand Risk: Adding Risk Literacy to Brand Management, David Abrahams delves into the murky realm of the unknown as it applies to branding and business. He explains how effective brands do not avoid risk, but find ways of determining acceptable levels of risk and navigating them to leverage their branding power, influence, exposure, and value. This book not only details the strategies behind risk literacy, but the attitude as well—an attitude that must be embraced not only by CEOs and managers, but the entire brand architecture. |
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Many branding professionals share the experience of attending a social event and hearing, "So, you work in branding. That's like advertising, right?" Well, now there is a book to hand those people—What Is Branding?, by Matthew Healey. Despite its simplistic title, this book comprehensively explains what branding is and why it's essential to businesses. Healey delves into the five general components of branding: positioning, storytelling, design, price, and customer relationship. In addition to the well-written content, the book is filled with sturdy pages offering quality images and portfolios that visually reinforce the author's detailed explanations. (Feb-08, JT) |
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As technology advances and—in theory—makes everything easier in our lives, it has become increasingly difficult for branding professionals to differentiate their brands from the crowds of competition. Today, more than ever, connecting with consumers saturated by an incessant flood of media competing for their attention is a significant challenge. Thankfully, authors Brian Reich and Dan Solomon are here to help. In Media Rules!: Mastering Today's Technology To Connect With And Keep Your Audience, they address every level of communication, from blogs and Google searches to face-to-face customer service and broad scale social leadership techniques. Goodbye public speaking class, it's a brave new world. |
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From Iceland to Egypt, countries across the globe are capitalizing on the power of branding to promote the values indigenous to their respective heritages, cultures, economies, environments, ethnicities, and histories. Determining a candid national identity, however, is not a simple process. But, in Nation Branding: Concepts, Issues, Practice, author Keith Dinnie explains the complexities of nation branding in straightforward prose, supplementing each of the ten chapters with poignant and revealing case studies. Industry experts will learn how traditional strategies and concepts such as brand equity, competitive identity, and internal branding relate to the growing and compelling business of nation branding. |
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In Leadership Brand: Developing Customer-Focused Leaders to Drive Performance and Build Lasting Value, authors Dave Ulrich and Norm Smallwood explain the differences between leaders and leadership, and how not recognizing these differences can result in a breakdown of understanding among corporate leaders, employees, and the customers they value. An effective leadership brand is not about individual personalities or management styles, but performance and lifestyle—attributes that, by the force of example, establish brand identity and promulgate shared awareness throughout the corporate and consumer realms based on a communal sense of purpose and trust. After all, if the customers believe that the leadership is buying into the brand, they’ll be more likely to purchase it for themselves. |
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Though employees are often encouraged to “think outside of the box,” they commonly find themselves surrounded by corporate Styrofoam peanuts. Unfortunately—and dismayingly—we, the human race, still know very little about our own creativity. But authors Herb Meyers and Richard Gerstman have decided to change that. In Creativity: Unconventional Wisdom from 20 Accomplished Minds, the founders of Interbrand interviewed 20 highly creative and successful individuals from compellingly diverse backgrounds, such as author Erica Jong, designer Milton Glaser, film director Spike Lee, and co-founder of Apple Computer Steve Wozniak. |
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In Hand Job: A Catalog of Type, the author explains the meaningful yet flawed nature of hand-drawn type: “It reveals the hand of the maker, and its viewer finds comfort in that: the artist illustrated by lines made crooked from too many cups of coffee.” This colorful book is alive with submissions from artists who feature compelling talents, perspectives, and backgrounds. In a world where technology is paradoxically making everything more real and less human, it’s uplifting to experience this compilation of hand-drawn typography. This is the book for anyone who appreciates graphic design and values uniqueness. |
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The Art of Digital Branding provides readers with in-depth, informed, and insightful advice for utilizing the Web to enhance branding. Written by brandchannel contributor Ian Cocoran, this book meticulously researches and explains how and why digital branding succeeds or fails. The scope of the content is comprehensive and describes both the human aspects of digital branding and practical online business paradigms. The book also breaks down the concepts of branding into manageable discussions that offer conclusions based on real-life examples. It also examines luxury branding, corporate philanthropy, and teaches how emotional intelligence is an important part digital culture. |
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Fittingly, this introduction to branding is colorful, lively, and compelling. The pages are full of photographs, meaningful interviews, practical theories, and plenty of illustrations, logos, and examples of successful—and unsuccessful—branding campaigns. More Than A Name addresses the psychology behind branding and explains that branding is a complex endeavor fraught with challenges. Success is never guaranteed and, if achieved, never static. Culture is constantly changing, which means perceptions are constantly changing, which means branding must constantly change, too. This book is for visual arts students or professionals interested branding fundamentals such as differentiation, changing trends, reputation, and capturing “brand spirit.” |
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The key for any brand—whether it's a new one entering a crowded market or an established one fending off upstarts—is differentiation (and then communicating that differentiation to its customers).
The book's 40-question brand quotient (BQ) quiz covers strategy, alignment, communication, and execution to determine whether your brand has a sustainable competitive advantage.
Low BQ? Don't worry. The majority of the book is a rundown of strategies behind the success of nearly three dozen brands, from familiar ones like Netflix (change consumer buying habits in your favor) to offbeat ones like the Church of Tom Jones (be strange). And the concluding section on planning a brand strategy rounds out an education on developing the "ability to get into the minds and often the hears of your prospects—and stay there."
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Naming may be the most fascinating aspect of branding (sorry, marketing folks). A little brainstorming, a list of irresistible names, a delighted client. Simple, right?
Neil Taylor, a former namer, counters: "Naming is in fact one of the hardest…jobs you'll ever do." But his book makes the job a little clearer, if not easier—simultaneously championing and demystifying the naming process.
Written in chatty British English (sometimes a little too chatty for this American), Taylor offers tangible tips and step-by-step instructions for conceiving, filtering, and vetting a suitable name, taking into consideration language, design, and legalities—plus the subjective whims of the client when you finally present that shortlist of sweated-over contenders.
Taylor also names "names"—those he's worked on, along with other successes and failures—and notes the things a name can and can't do for a brand. Most important, he warns, "Never look for the perfect name. Even the good ones only become perfect with 20/20 hindsight."
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How did Sony, with its 20-year Walkman history, cede dominance in the portable media player industry to Apple, which (until the iPod) was known as just a computer company? According to the author, a brand can "obsess over serving customers or winning the product innovation game"—yet miss "what matters to people altogether." These consumer habits and needs are "hidden in plain sight."
The book introduces the "demand-first innovation and growth (DIG) model" to understand consumer behavior and create not competitive advantage but customer advantage. Brands should view opportunities "not simply from a brand or product perspective but from this more complex vantage point of the ecosystem of consumer demand." In short, successful brands don't try to guess consumers' "needs," but know their customers well enough to fit seamlessly into their lives. (May-07, AZ)
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What jazz is to music, "brandjamming" is to branding. The author argues that design should be a collaborative process involving not just a design team, but also the client and consumers—as well as the support of top management.
Intuitive and participative, brandjamming taps into the subconscious to make an emotional connection. Any brand can be jazzed up, even the most iconic. Though it sounds touchy-feely, brandjamming is a refreshing concept that leads to tangible results, for it takes into consideration that while brands develop ideas, it's people who attach meaning to them. It's just a shame that for a book with many examples of enviable design, none of the illustrations appear in color. Also by the same author: Emotional Branding and Citizen Brand. (Apr-07, AZ)
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Read enough about brand successes and you'll see the same batch of winners: Nike, Starbucks, Apple, Google, Target. The authors (one of whom is a brandchannel contributor) call these "breakaway brands"—brands that stand out not only in their own product categories, but also among nearly all other brands.
What makes a brand break away? It's not as simple as spending a mint of money on a smothering ad campaign. Brands must be willing to develop a distinctive voice, take risks, have internal champions (like Steve Jobs, who led Apple to "think different"), and deliver on its promises to customers.
Case studies of some 50 brands in myriad categories highlight the elements of breakaway brands—from packaging to promotion—plus challenges, from launching the right brand extensions to fending off catching-up competitors.
The authors' straightforward manner distills how any kind of brand can flourish in an oversaturated marketplace. And don't worry if your brand isn't a Nike or an Apple—the authors declare that "almost any brand, in any category, and on any budget, can become a breakaway brand." (Mar-07, AZ)
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Carl Jung, brand strategist? Author Michel Jansen argues that the Swiss psychiatrist's theory of archetypes—that human behavior can be traced to instinctive urges—can be applied to brand identity.
Jansen introduces a dozen Jungian archetypes—such as sage, creator, jester, and lover—along with examples of brands from each. A brand's archetype relates to (and provides a way to maintain and further develop) the customer's relationship with the brand—without confusing or alienating that customer.
A brand's archetype is not a set-in-stone characterization. The author cites Apple, IKEA, and Starbucks as brands that innovate and adapt while staying true to their core identities. Jansen also details the successful evolution of Rabobank—a "caregiver"—over a 20-year period as it reacted to changes to the meaning of the archetype itself.
At fewer than 100 pages, the book succinctly shows how a brand can deeply connect with customers—and without probing, "Tell me about your mother." (AZ, Mar-07)
Read an excerpt.
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In this "Dummies" take on our favorite subject, the authors—a business strategist and a branding-firm founder—deliver a branding overview and step-by-step instructions on building, launching, maintaining, and protecting your brand.
Those who know the basics can skip to the section listing branding truths ("experiences trump messages"), mistakes ("asking your brand to stretch too far"), and traits of the world's most valuable brands ("allegiance from the top down"). The book concludes with an appendix of resources that includes the website you happen to be surfing.
Although the Dummies books are branded as "A Reference for the Rest of Us"—i.e., non-experts—even seasoned branding pros would find this volume useful. (And it's OK to hide it from view when a client drops by.) (AZ, Feb-07)
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Dread that upcoming brainstorming session? Altman's book details productive techniques—the "Brandmaker Express" process—that promise results, not appointments for future brainstorming.
While plenty of branding books are long on puffy proclamations but short on specifics, Altman uses real-word examples—and names actual brands. In showing the evolution of a campaign for BriteSmile, a tooth-whitening company, she recounts behind-the-scenes strategies and reproduces ten different display ads that emerged along the way. (AZ, Dec-06)
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In advising brands to "let go of the fallacy that your brand belongs to you. It belongs to the market," the author endorses embracing consumers who shape the meaning of a brand beyond its origins—that is, hijack the brand. The strength of a brand such as Dr. Martens shoes, for example, comes from loyal consumers outside its original market.
The author also discusses "overnight success" brands, such as Red Bull, that were actually the result of cautious, under-the-radar planning that took place well in advance. In each case, the brand was flexible, patient, and respectful of its audience—as if the consumer were a co-creator of the brand.
But lest you consider firing your marketing department and throwing your brand completely to the whims of the market, he cautions, "let consumers fine-tune products, not create them." (AZ, Dec-06)
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Even the title proves Godin's point: as early as page 15, he declares, "Marketers aren't really liars," but who would pick up a book called "All Marketers Are Storytellers Appealing to Customers Looking for a Story to Believe"? Godin defines "lies" as shorthand in an information-overloaded world. The best "lies" aren't meant to deceive but are reality-grounded stories appealing to consumers' wants rather than their needs.
Using examples from global corporations to former US presidents, Godin illustrates why the successful brand is one that frames a story into a message that embraces the customer's worldview. But at a mere 173 pages (including a chapter suggesting "further reading from Seth Godin"), the book may feel a little padded if you're not willing to wade through all the anecdotes and cheeky humor (such as the "I like books Seth Godin writes" section). (AZ, Oct-06) |
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More than an A-to-Z list of branding concepts, this glossary attempts to establish a consistent language in the realm of branding nomenclature. The Glossary is enhanced by illustrations, quotes and "brand facts," plus an extensive bibliography containing a list of related reference works including, yes, other glossaries. (AZ, Sep-06) |
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The average sports fan could easily overdose on events, media coverage, product and clothing purchasing, online banter and idle speculation just for one sport alone. Add typical distractions including family structure, time pressure, technology, evolving behaviors, and greater access (leading to greater competition and fragmentation) and you can imagine that capturing the attention of this over-committed, over-stimulated and potentially over-sated fan is a major challenge for any team, product, or event. The authors start with a brief history on how we got to this state of play, before diving into the possibilities for engaging a fan. One single experience can cover everything from a stadium visit, a concession booth purchase, the design of the tickets, some blog commentary, a clothing purchase and the videogame tie-in—all of which means, for sports marketers, a lot of balls to have in the air. |
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The author’s description of a window display as a “randomly organized tableaux of disparate things” would serve as a better title for this book. Yes, it touches on porn (encroaching our lives, mixed with consumerism, capitalistic, nihilistic, atavistic), but it also riffs on the inanity of Saatchi’s lovemarks hype and cynicism in advertising (an ad for Channel 4 programming). When Poyner is not contemplating the role of urban gardening on our visual psyches, he invites the reader to consider what effect our interaction with sexual imagery and innuendo has on young minds and whether the cumulative effect will be a collective turn off. The tone is more blog rant than rigorous essay. (RR, Aug-06) |
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In “Book Yourself Solid,” Port provides the reader with a detailed step-by-step account of his method for obtaining clients. According to Port, 93 percent of business owners who implemented his system experienced more than a 30 percent increase in their total number of clients. If you are looking to enhance your personal brand, it may be beneficial to read Port’s thought-provoking book. (MG, July-06) |
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In “A Clear Eye for Branding,” Asacker, a branding guru, transcribes a hypothetical conversation with a business executive sitting next to him on a flight. Throughout the discussion, which resembles a professor-student conversation, Asacker uses real-life examples to help explain the branding business to the inquisitive gentleman. The witty, yet provocative, book is filled with such valuable information that the reader might want to keep a pen and paper handy for notes. (MG, June-06) |
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Covering a region that spans highly branded companies like Banyan Tree and Shiseido to barely branded knock offs, Roll starts out with an intro chapter on branding with a special focus on Asia, and then dives into the region’s unique culture and customer mix. Scattered throughout and filling two whole chapters, the author examines a good mix of internationally known brands (Singapore Airlines, Samsung) and as-yet unknown (Li Ning, Giordano, Jet Airways). Those who are new to branding and new to Asia will find this book useful. (RR, Apr-06) |
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How do old crusties at Puma know what appeals to “young people today”? To target Millennials you need to have an idea of what it’s like to be a kid—now—in today’s world. The authors set out to describe the unique features of this generation, which they define as age 23 and younger. And true to form about generational shifts, Millennials are completely different from their elders in Gen X. In fact if the research is true then the dirty secret about today’s youth is that they are more apt to be squeaky clean. Very US focused, this book is for the armchair sociologist, parents, and anyone targeting youth today. Buy here. (RR, Mar-06) |
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