The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding
927934
I thought it was a very helpful book.  It filled a gap that

will help my people understand more fully what we are trying

to accomplish - create a culture of discipline.
2107882
This book is the branding equivalent of a Swiss Army Knife, you'd never whip out all the tools at once ... but they are damn useful when used individually. The first thing that caught my eye about this book was the structure, created to mirror how an actual geographic atlas might be laid out (hence the title). Carrying through Alina Wheeler's trademark of beautiful layout and design, the book takes you on a journey through just about every important element of branding you could think of, from passion to positioning. Each page uses visuals and curated quotes from thought leaders to get you thinking about how that might apply to your brand. The best way to read this book is to skip back and forth between pages and ideas, with a notebook at your side to jot down notes and ideas that you are sure to get as a result.

This book was shortlisted for the 2011 Influential Business Book Awards - a curated list of the best business books from the past year. The finalists each year are selected from hundreds of marketing and business books released over the past twelve months.

NOTE - This review has been reposted after originally appearing from a now archived Amazon account.
4485726
I am a Marketing and Communication student and reading BrandED taught me the importance of building my personal brand, the power of connecting with people and to constantly informe myself. The Tips and Reflections at the end of each of the 8 Conversations add a lot of value: you will learn how to monitor your digital footprint, identify assets that are needed for a brandED change process or the importance of checking out brands in the marketplace that resonate. Trish Rubin and Eric Sheninger succeed in providing essential keys on branding, for the education field but also for anyone willing to build their personal brand.
850522
This book gives many examples of how successful companies and newer startup companies not only get new clientel but also keep their brand identity fresh and innovative.  Without proper Marketing techniques a companies success will get lost in an endless sea of pop up ads and expensive hand out flyers.  Kate gives many examples of how to gain brand recognition and customer loyalty without over spending on marketing that never really captures your intended audience.
1286974
Don Tapscott and his research team have sought to define the dynamics of the digital revolution through a series of books.  Wikibrands is part of this effort and for people who like Tapscott's style and approach; this is the book for them.  Sean Moffitt and Mike Dover, each affiliated with Tapscott, provide a thorough analysis of the impact of social media on branding and marketing.

Wikibrands makes of a good reference, particularly for those who have been unaware of social media.  The authors offer their version of a common social media marketing model called FLIRT or Focus, Language (content), Incentives, Rules and Tools.  The framework provides a guide for how you conduct a social media based marketing and branding initiative.

Overall Wikibrands provides a solid look at the role of social media in marketing.  It is a solid contribution to this body of research and thinking.  While other books are more `marketing' focused - in terms of short books filled with hype and promise.  Wikibrands takes a measured and focused approach to describing the unique aspects and promise of social media in marketing.

Strengths

The FLIRT model is comprehensive in terms of discussing social media and its use in branding and marketing.  Each letter covers a key topic and just about every social media/marketing book has a similar acronym based model.

The book is comprehensive in its approach and discussion of the `wiki' phenomenon.  This is particularly helpful for people who are new to this space and may not comprehend its impact.

The authors provide a myriad of examples of established and new companies that help illustrate the points in the book.

Challenges

The book asks many questions, seeking to help the reader understand the impact of social media on their situation.  Unfortunately the authors offer little direct advice on how to address these questions.  Rather they tend to discuss the issues and offer multiple examples of the issue but not the path to resolution.

The authors seek to brand things themselves as the book gives the impression that anything with a "wiki" modifier is some how new and different.  It's a little like describing everything as hyper.  Helpful but the branding gets in the way of the message.

Despite pointing to a considerable research base, the authors structure much of the book as a discussion rather than an analysis of what is going on. This weakens some of the analysis, particularly points where you may not agree with the authors.
668525
This book is a very quick, enjoyable read.  We spend our lives surrounded by music, the stars of music and the branding that goes with them.  Now, Steve has narrowed the focus and made Rock and Roll the center of a Marketing book.

Who knew that the Backstreet Boys "Millennium" sold as many copies at Fleetwood Mac's "Rumors?"  Interesting...and that's only one nugget used to backup a point.

Steve takes you through the identification of Brand to the consistencies and differences of successful brands.  Examples used range from AC/DC to Kiss to Bob Marley to Old Spice.  The prose moves along well and the book gives you great examples of branding exercises and makes them connect with whatever Brand you're working.

Whether you have an established brand or are creating a new one, Brand Like A Rockstar will certainly put and keep you on the right course.
4468758
Easy to read and digest book of business branding. The use of examples such as Coca-cola, Nike, P&G and Virgin Brand makes it very easy for a reader to relate to his explanation of growing the core of a business.

He also spends some time elaborating on anchoring to the core product and of brand stretching for the company's core products - i.e. What makes it successful and what does not.

A branding and possibly a strategic marketing book for anyone to read - not necessary only the marketing or branding professionals.
3020519
Exponential Influence advances the field of marketing in todays digital age. It provide a unique framework for utilizing technology to build brand loyalty.  A must read for todays digital CMOs
1549170
An entertainingly unique marketing book that uses 14 well presented case studies as stories which lead to 8 core principles for how to create a BOLDER organization.

If you believe everything you read, you might conclude that the biggest problem facing organizations today is the innovation gap  most need to find a way to innovate more as an entire organization to drive their products or services. The premise of this book is that often innovation matters less than simple bravery. Through sharing the stories of 15 brands as case studies of companies who are bold and brave, it is only the last chapter of the book that is dedicated to sharing an analysis of what makes a BOLD brand and how you might go about creating one. Those last 15 pages are a guidebook to transforming an organization through 8 principles which are presented simply and clearly  they make this book an essential read.

This book was shortlisted for the 2011 Influential Business Book Awards - a curated list of the best business books from 2011. The finalists each year are selected from hundreds of marketing and business books released over the course of the calendar year.

NOTE  This review has been reposted after originally appearing from a now archived Amazon account.
1931442
Mark is giving us a new perspective of branding  the personal branding. The book is full of very smart and creative advice that can be put in todays society. The work methods and ethics of even 5 years ago are not the same as today. So if we want to be smart about it, we need to adjust and adapt in order to survive. If you are anything like me, you will enjoy reading every line of this book!
181591
Great little book to keep handy for a quick dose of inspiration or to walk through the basics of branding.
The  branding concepts are brought to life in a series of compelling graphic illustrations.
Joel Katz is a phenomenal interpreter of information in graphic form and Alina Wheeler offers more of her succinct and intelligent writing. Great companion to Wheeler's Designing Brand Identity.
You can almost imagine the graphic spreads blown up to large posters -- that would be cool!
24897
This book demonstrates how effective branding in an organization can be. Regardless of your political affiliation, this is a wonderful book for anyone interested in marketing, advertising, politics, or graphic design. I purchased an electronic copy of the book via iTunes App Store, but intend to purchase a physical copy as well. This book clearly illustrates the success of good branding. The book itself is a beautiful work of art and would look great on any coffee table. My copy will be siting in the waiting room of my office, right next to my copies of 'How To Measure Anything: Finding the Value of "Intangibles" in Business" and "The Failure of Risk Management: Why Its Broken and How To Fix It" by Douglas W. Hubbard.
3503400
Ekaterina Walter and Jessica Gioglio have written a Bible for the visual age. "The Power of Visual Storytelling" helps both companies and individuals understand how to build their brands through visual storytelling, especially on digital platforms such as Tumblr and Vine. They argue convincingly that communicating visually is like social media: an innate behavior that has become more important to branding because of the advent of digital. Their book shows you how to chart a strategy for visual storytelling and then implement it across a plethora of platforms.

I appreciate how the authors distinguish between visual storytelling and simply creating random pictures and dumping them on Instagram or Facebook. What makes visual communicating visual storytelling, per se, is "the use of images, videos, infographics, presentations, and other visuals on social media platforms to craft a graphical story around key brand values and offerings."

So: Rover USA relying on stunning imagery of a tiger to convey the ferocious and fearless brand attribute of the Land Rover is visual storytelling. Richard Branson using his Instagram account to share dynamic images of himself exploring the world is terrific visual storytelling at the individual level.

The authors also define elements of successful visual storytelling, all of which tie back to a central point: to be a successful visual storyteller, you need to find the right images -- not necessarily the perfect ones -- to build your brand, whether you are a business-to-busines company, business-to-consumer organization, or an individual. In other words, you have to know what you stand for to be a good visual storyteller.

The authors map out an excellent approach for how to get started with visual storytelling, which will remove the mystery and intimidation factor for anyone who has a vague understanding that they need to "embrace visual" but don't know where to get started. Walter and Gioglio also delve into practical, detailed discussions to help you understand how the different visual storytelling tools differ -- for instance, when a GIF is appropriate or why user-generated images can be especially powerful.

They also discuss the relationship between visual storytelling and real-time marketing, which, if anything, should help brands look past the tiresome phenomenon of newsjacking and really understand how to market in the moment.

Their writing style is very approachable, too. You don't need to be an expert in the ways of video or photography to understand their points. In fact, it's really more important that you have brand savvy and an open mind.

I have long advocated for corporations and people to build their brands visually and have written about the topic myself. (Full disclosure: I have interviewed Ekaterina Walter for my own research on the topic.) "The Power of Visual Storytelling" is an important tool to help any visual storytelling advocate state your case definitively.
1709079
In several ways I think that (we) marketing people and advertising people in particular are conservative people. Or maybe I should say not very open to change, not very open to adjust, not very open to listen. It's more inside-out than outside-in. Therefore I think that "(Re)inventing the brand - the new realities of branding" is a MUST for everybody working in or with the advertising industry. It requires, however, an open mind and willingness to reconsider traditional thinking and practice. The book is like a good novel - hard to put away before the last page. And I think the one chapter "Energize the value chain of your brand" in itself makes the book one I my best investments.
Egil Braathe, MBA
Partner & Advisor; Movement Research & Consulting
182589
Far too often the basic "branding" discussion at the executive and board level quickly becomes stuck because few can agree what "branding" is and whether branding even applies to a non-profit or NGO. Some people ("purists") in non-profits have the illogical and counter-productive stance that anything and any term used in the commercial marketplace is not appropriate for a non-profit. Larry Checco does a wonderful job of defining and making "branding" approachable and understandable for staff, executives and directors. He makes it a natural, logical process that everyone will "buy into" and implement.
  I've been a director of many non-profits and chief executive of two -- I wish I'd had Larry's book to help when I was updating and focusing their branding (logo, mission statement, appeals, etc.).
  I recently wrote a book for which I sought out experts on various aspects of marketing, and interviewed Larry because of his expertise in positioning/branding. He's a 5-star guy in my opinion!
  - Bruce Batchelor, author of Book Marketing De-Mystified&nbsp;<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/Book-Marketing-De-Mystified-Enjoy-Discovering-the-Optimal-Way-to-Sell-Your-Self-Published-Book-Practical-advice-from-the-inventor-of-print-on-demand-POD-publishing/dp/1897435002/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">Book Marketing De-Mystified: Enjoy Discovering the Optimal Way to Sell Your Self-Published Book, Practical advice from the inventor of print-on-demand (POD) publishing</a>
1092809
The author has branded content in his DNA and from the brand perspective. He knows where content marketing is going and he makes his point with clear examples.
2409879
This book from 2005 will remain relevant for all times to come due to its propagation of concepts and techniques that are based on "innovation" practices. The book has at its core some components of the SCAMPER technique for generating innovative ideas. (See ThinkPak from Michalko).There are references to practices like passion voting thought not explicitly mentioned as such. How it differs from other books on innovation is because of guidance on strategic canvas, value curve and strategic pricing and thus this book enables you to use innovation to ensure creation of new markets for the new product or service offering.