What do you think?
Rate this book
Brands and Branding
This collection examines the history and definition of brands, their financial and social importance, current best practices in branding, future opportunities offered by globalization, and the potential of Asian brands. Topics of the 15 articles include the visual and verbal identity of well-known companies, the laws governing brand protection, corporate social responsibility, and branding places and nations. Annotation ©2004 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
- GenresNonfictionBusiness
288 pages, Hardcover
First published November 27, 2003
20 people are currently reading
173 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
July 12, 2009
Basic introduction to the history of branding with some interesting anecdotal stories, but not much value for someone really interested in the execution of good branding. Mostly intuitive info.
November 7, 2024
A lot of people thing that marketers who talk about branding are full of hot air. This book does nothing to prove them wrong. Though there were some kernels of useful information, this book was mostly bloviating and marketing jargon.
Read bits of several of the chapters. I stopped 36% of the way through, but I did a great deal of skipping in those 36%.
Read bits of several of the chapters. I stopped 36% of the way through, but I did a great deal of skipping in those 36%.
October 4, 2020
This is not a book. It's a collection of essays that are comically bad.
Each chapter is written by a different person, so you have these wild differences in the quality of writing.
The first chapter is a history lesson with parts that were obviously made up by the author. The second chapter is dense with jargon and is dull as rocks. The third chapter is 15 rambling pages that say the same obvious thing over and over. And the parade continues.
There's overlap between different chapters, as these different authors try to make similar points. Three different chapters devote pages to describe the same dip and rise of McDonalds. Two chapters both use Starbucks and Harley to make the same point about customer engagement. Many of the chapters start with a little history lesson, often repeating the same things other authors already said. A couple of chapters contradict other parts of the book.
The authors seem to often make up facts and also conflate the brand and the company behind it. So if a company had a bad time and then turned to good time, the authors attribute the totality of that success to branding changes, at times supplementing the narrative with CEO's feelings and conversations that I highly doubt the authors are privy to. Other chapters point out successful companies or people having money to buy products, except those terms have been replaced with "brand", to fit the book.
The overall narrative style of the book is bizarre. It's like someone wrote these essays for a school presentation. There's no real attempt to educate the reader on the subject matter. So, you get pages and pages of basic common-sense stuff, simply because it fits the theme and progression of the chapter essay, not because the reader would benefit from that information. A chapter might say that some famous brands do certain obvious things, like market research and positioning, but there's no real explanation for how *you* could do those things. Each author is trying to have their 15 pages of fame and crams their "expertise" without much explanation. There are more than a few references to events, phrases, or companies that the reader is assumed to be familiar with. "This is like company XYZ did". What did they do? "As you can see in company XYZ's slogan." What is it?! "As was the case with New Zealand." What happened?
The book devotes a surprising amount of pages to defense of globalism and corporatism. Several chapters hamfistedly attack "activists" and one chapter is entirely devoted to dismissing common critiques of the existence of huge corporations like Walmart. I have no real idea what that has to do with brands and brand management.
I've read the entire 260 pages and I've not learned a single useful thing, but I did get a nice workout of whatever muscles are used to cringe and eyeroll.
This is a dull, messy, awful clusterbleep of a "book" whose paper would've seen better use on a toilet roll.
Avoid.
Each chapter is written by a different person, so you have these wild differences in the quality of writing.
The first chapter is a history lesson with parts that were obviously made up by the author. The second chapter is dense with jargon and is dull as rocks. The third chapter is 15 rambling pages that say the same obvious thing over and over. And the parade continues.
There's overlap between different chapters, as these different authors try to make similar points. Three different chapters devote pages to describe the same dip and rise of McDonalds. Two chapters both use Starbucks and Harley to make the same point about customer engagement. Many of the chapters start with a little history lesson, often repeating the same things other authors already said. A couple of chapters contradict other parts of the book.
The authors seem to often make up facts and also conflate the brand and the company behind it. So if a company had a bad time and then turned to good time, the authors attribute the totality of that success to branding changes, at times supplementing the narrative with CEO's feelings and conversations that I highly doubt the authors are privy to. Other chapters point out successful companies or people having money to buy products, except those terms have been replaced with "brand", to fit the book.
The overall narrative style of the book is bizarre. It's like someone wrote these essays for a school presentation. There's no real attempt to educate the reader on the subject matter. So, you get pages and pages of basic common-sense stuff, simply because it fits the theme and progression of the chapter essay, not because the reader would benefit from that information. A chapter might say that some famous brands do certain obvious things, like market research and positioning, but there's no real explanation for how *you* could do those things. Each author is trying to have their 15 pages of fame and crams their "expertise" without much explanation. There are more than a few references to events, phrases, or companies that the reader is assumed to be familiar with. "This is like company XYZ did". What did they do? "As you can see in company XYZ's slogan." What is it?! "As was the case with New Zealand." What happened?
The book devotes a surprising amount of pages to defense of globalism and corporatism. Several chapters hamfistedly attack "activists" and one chapter is entirely devoted to dismissing common critiques of the existence of huge corporations like Walmart. I have no real idea what that has to do with brands and brand management.
I've read the entire 260 pages and I've not learned a single useful thing, but I did get a nice workout of whatever muscles are used to cringe and eyeroll.
This is a dull, messy, awful clusterbleep of a "book" whose paper would've seen better use on a toilet roll.
Avoid.
October 20, 2017
As an International Development graduate, I’ve never linked brands with developing in LDCs or DCs, but the connection of the impact a brand has goes way further than its profit numbers and market share.
This book gradually takes you from the Ancient meaning of a brand, through development of brands, nation brands and brands in web 2.0 towards the future of the brands. Each chapter reflects on specific subject that correlate to the next one, building an overall idea of what is a brand and what one can/should do with it.
(4*) As each chapter can stand alone, I’ve been going on/off with this book, sometimes without any desire to read the next chapter.
This book gradually takes you from the Ancient meaning of a brand, through development of brands, nation brands and brands in web 2.0 towards the future of the brands. Each chapter reflects on specific subject that correlate to the next one, building an overall idea of what is a brand and what one can/should do with it.
(4*) As each chapter can stand alone, I’ve been going on/off with this book, sometimes without any desire to read the next chapter.
September 12, 2008
A truly insightful guide to the intrinsic value of brands in today's commercial culture. My only problem with this was that in my market (finance) the pieces of the jigsaw aren't so simple. This book is perfect if you're working in the retail sector and is good regardless if you want to understand basic principles of both branding, budgeting and measuring effectiveness, but it won't write your marketing plan for you! Good read - but don't get carried away with it being a one stop shop!
May 19, 2022
Well…., this is a book to use in the teachers lounge or employee break room light reading with basic discussion of well known companies encompassing the globe and very basic conversations about impact.
May 20, 2014
A must read for anyone and everyone interested in marketing and branding. Written by several authors who's careers have been focused on brand development or maintenance.
June 10, 2014
Very good overview of the key areas of branding. Provided insight into many of the key issues around branding as well.
March 25, 2015
If you've ever needed scaffolding to think conceptually or strategically about brands, this is especially good.
November 7, 2017
Old but gold, good for people who started working or studying in the field of branding, from client side.
July 31, 2021
An essential reading to anyone related to the topic.
Very fulfilling.
Missed one star, just because some small chapters are not as good or vital as the main ones.
Very fulfilling.
Missed one star, just because some small chapters are not as good or vital as the main ones.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews