Fresh air & Qualitative thoughts to manage Brand
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If you're looking for a very technical book on marketing plans or vehicles development and brand asset management, it may not be your choice.
This book offers some fresh thoughts for marketers and brand managers on what's a brand and what kind of areas (e.g. short-term financial trade-off decisions) that will impact a brand's health.
Within this book, this includes some clear thoughts and ideas on how to "maintain" a brand, areas should pay attention to and helpful cases sharing for better illustrate the ideas.  Unexpectedly, the authors captured less advertising part but put more emphasis on the people, culture, product, retail environment rather than marketing / advertising.
If you're looking for a more balance  brand management overview, suggest to go for David Aaker's books, some Kotler's books and finally read this one to have a holistic idea on this topic.
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As a huge connoisseur of brand business books, I think I might have found my new bible! Raj's thoughtful and insightful book creates a compelling case for building a real, valued brand relationship. And illustrates clearly the pitfalls if you don't, or can't. He creates a road map, that in today's environment, is extremely straightforward and clear. It is a must-read both for those starting out in the field, to the seasoned CMOs looking to connect to their customers. Highly recommend!!
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Sandra Sellani has devised an ingenious and impactful method of building a brand from the ground up.  In addition to offering 35 compelling brand strategies, beautifully illustrated by real-world companies, she teaches a smart and simple method of identifying your companys unique brand differentiator a crucial component in developing powerful, lasting brands.  Once you complete the 40-question diagnostic test and brand worksheets, you will look at your companys strategy in a completely different way.  Whats Your BQ? Is a modern-day classic and should be on every business owners must-read list.
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The "leading global brand" in branding methods and approaches, David Aaker, continues to provide innovative and leading-edge contributions to the field with this latest book Brand Leadership.  Building on the Aaker methodology, the authors David Aaker and Erich Joachimsthaler, along  with their supporting team, have produced a masterpiece.
Brand Leadership  advances the previous works (eg. Managing Brand Equity- 1991; Building  Strong Brands - 1996) and includes key guidelines for Branding on the Web.  I find the book to be very organized and concise.  It is also highly  accessible and user friendly.  It is quite an accomplishment and an  ESSENTIAL read for those most serious and aspiring towards excellence in  branding and holistic marketing.
I thought the book in particular:
1.  Demonstrates that marketing is, or should be, a practice of many  inter-related disciplines (or sub-disciplines if you will) and  processes.
2. It articulates that the marketing discipline as a whole,  can not be achieved by giving someone a "quick and dirty"  template to read.  It is a science as well as an art that requires  experience, knowledge and judgement.  The fast track to excellence in  marketing does not exist via a quick technique.  Marketing is a system, a  holistic management process consisting of many distinct disciplines.
3.  Gives an excellent map of the Brand-Relationship Spectrum.
4. Provides  much needed balance and insight on addressing Branding on the Web.  So  concise.  So accurate.  So relevant.
5. Gives a wonderful and insightful  view into contemporary sponsorship.
I would add that what is so relevant  about the book, which is characteristic of the series particularly within  the last two of the brand trilogy, is that it discusses where firms run  into problems.  Knowing what to avoid is as important as knowing what one  needs to do.  It is essential for keeping execution and strategy in  alignment.
Brand Leadership is based on solid experience and research in  the field.  The book will go a long way in helping those managers who are  wise enough to learn from it.
Highly recommend you purchase all of the  books in the trilogy, as they strongly complement and support each other.
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As a business owner, I found this book extremely thought-provoking in helping assess my product portfolio to develop a strong, lasting impression of my brand to customers.  The book is academic in tone, but it weaves in throughout its chapters the many tactics used by companies to build their brands across a variety of industries and markets. It also includes studies in consumer psychology, making it a more balanced read for me (academic and practical). The examples are interesting and creative, with key takeaways at the end of each chapter to reinforce the lessons and themes. The concepts, like many in marketing, are intuitive yet elusive and hard to articulate  but this book does a great job presenting all of them clearly, with the right balance of core branding themes and implementable tactics to solve actual branding problems.

It's overall a worthwhile read, and I highly recommend it to any business owner or even anyone interested in branding. Essential if you're serious about your brand!
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The reality that change is the only constant in every area of our life these days is a well-known fact. But what to do about it, especially when it comes to our careers, sometimes seems like the best-kept secret.

In Career Distinction: Stand Out By Building Your Brand, William Arruda and Kirsten Dixson show how "The New World of Work" is really "The New World of Opportunity" for those who adopt their Career Distinction Mindset, and begin to "think like a Brand."

The authors first take the mystery out of Personal Branding and the idea of a personal brand-identity system, and then they engage the reader in a 3-step process of brand creation and communication.

As a Personal Brand Strategist, I initially intended to scan the book for ways it could be helpful to my clients, people who are making fresh starts in life or career. But I found myself reading every word, considering every tip, completing every checklist, and reflecting on all the ways I can "stand out by building my brand." It was if the book was written just for me!

Like I did, I know my clients, and anyone on a search for the secret to career success, will find Career Distinction the book they've been waiting for.
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Kylander, who teaches at Harvard, has written excellent book based on research she and her fellow author conducted. Her message is that today's brand informs and communicates your strategic mission. The keys are "Integrity, Democracy, and Affinity."  She also wrote several articles on the nonprofit brand based on the research for the book for the Stanford Innovation Review, which are available online. Excellent book!

<a data-hook="product-link-linked" class="a-link-normal" href="/The-Brand-IDEA-Managing-Nonprofit-Brands-with-Integrity-Democracy-and-Affinity/dp/111855583X/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_rvw_txt?ie=UTF8">The Brand IDEA: Managing Nonprofit Brands with Integrity, Democracy, and Affinity</a>
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This is a must read for any marketer or account planner. Weber gives you compelling reasons why branding and classical brand positioning needs to evolve beyond what weve been taught as marketers. He points out a new way to think about branding through what he calls a brand fantasy. He looks at the intersection of neuroscience and marketing to help build his case. The various studies that Weber highlights make a strong case for why decisions aren't all that rational, and therefore branding needs to be thought of beyond a rational brand positioning statement.  He eloquently describes the science part of his argument in laymans terms and I found it to be a fast and fascinating read. Plus, I felt like I was getting a glimpse into the future of marketing.

The concept of a brand fantasy is presented in an easily digestible form and leaves a lot of room for marketers to apply it in their own work. He very clearly articulates the importance of building associations with your brand, and go beyond simply articulating the emotional and rational benefits of your brand. He nicely points out why we as marketers need to pay attention to everything our brands does and says, and why corporate culture is also an important part of this. Weber uses great concrete examples or case studies of brands that apply brand fantasy principles in the design of their brands. These examples are useful in thinking about how to apply brand fantasy principles.

Brand Seduction is a smart and approachable marketing-meets-science book presented in a concise and compelling way. I learned a lot and I appreciated that it was an easy to read and had great examples. I will definitely be recommending it to my clients and colleagues.
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Enough IS Enough is a wonderful, thought-provoking work that explains how to identify those little things that prevent you from moving forward, and gives you concrete methods to explore how you are perceived by others, so you can improve yourself to be able to better provide service to them.

Dr. Ray Charles inspired me to get over one of my "pebbles" and identify a core aspect of the product I have been working on for quite some time. I am now able to articulate the value proposition of our product with increased confidence and clarity.

This is an easy read filled with anecdotes and wisdom that every innovator should absorb to see if there's something "not quite there yet" with their approach to sales, people or interpersonal communication.

He breaks down S.H.O.E. as: Spirit, Habits, Observant, Emotional Intelligence, and ends with some introspective exercises that will open your mind and heart. I know they did for me!
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I have been working on branding since last spring, and expect to complete the process next spring...it's quite an undertaking!!! I work for the American Water Resources Association and am in charge of the entire image-building process. I attended an ASAE Brand Science clinic conducted by Duane Knapp, which was excellent.  I also have his book and two others: Brand Leadership by Aaker, and 22 Immutable Laws of Branding, by Al and Laura Reis.  All 3 books have helped me greatly, but Knapp's book is by far the most helpful.
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In a world on edge -- now comes a book deceptively simple, a personal conversation about branding. Brandscendence's meta-message: only the brand stands. In a hyper-world, the "code" of select brands live, endure and beckon us forward. Interestingly, Brandscendence can be read as a decoder. Why do certain activities in brands lift organizations to new futures? How can one person use it as a blueprint to maximize personal impact? More intriguing, as snap-communicating and globalizing speed crucial, global decisions: what if Kevin Clark's clean observations are tools internalized not just by marketers, but also by long-term thinkers and brand-makers in government, religion, business, politics, public service, education, entertainment? CREATING positive brandscendences in any of those areas could lift where 6 billion of us arrive in the poly-possible future.
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<div id="video-block-RUUJ72OISHL3D" class="a-section a-spacing-small a-spacing-top-mini video-block"></div><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/D1loD4XeWTS.mp4" class="video-url"><input type="hidden" name="" value="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/11htNCs0Z0S.png" class="video-slate-img-url">&nbsp;Hi Im Douglas Burdett, host of The Marketing Book Podcast and Id like to tell you about the book "UnBranding: 100 Branding Lessons for the Age of Disruption" by Scott and Alison Stratten.

So, what is this age of disruption? The authors explain that technological innovations and increased access to information have transformed the traditional practice of branding. These changes have disrupted all our traditional relationships: how we hire, how we find a job, how we research our purchases, how we buy and how we learn about the world around us. And they have changed the dynamic between brands and their markets. Our digital age has put a world of information and connections in our hands, and the way we market and are marketed to has changed forever.

Great branding is really easy to explain and really hard for companies to do. Heres how you do it: be good to your customers, employees and vendors and have a great product and/or service. In other words, branding is in every part of your business how and whom you hire is branding, your front line is branding, what your CEO likes on Facebook is branding. Branding isn't a department or a campaign; in fact, branding isn't in your hands at all. Your brand belongs to your customers it's what they think of when they hear your name and how they tell your story.

The book has 100 chapters - each an entertaining if not occasionally horrifying lesson on how to build or trash the loyalty youve built with your brand. My favorite chapter? Its Chapter One, entitled Logos Dont Matter. That's right, logos don't matter. And they certainly aren't the be-all and end-all of branding. The authors explain that organizations spend so much time and money on logos, but our brands aren't in our business hands; they belong to our market. Your brand changes with each interactiona living, breathing relationship between your organization and the world.

One other really important point made in the book is that human resources is the most powerful branding division in your company. The authors explain that the ethics and practices behind your companys hiring policies are what constitutes branding. Branding is not about logos and colors. Its about being good to your customers, employees and vendors and have a great product and/or service. This book will help you wrap your head around how to approach branding in this disruptive age.

And to listen to an interview with Alison Stratten about "UnBranding", visit MarketingBookPodcast.com
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Erik du Plessis has created a serious piece of branding literature in The Branded Mind. It's not a breezy read, and doesn't offer tips like "5 ways to make your brand memorable." What The Branded Mind offers instead is a well-researched and thoughtful analysis that begins with relevant brain science and ends with practical advice on topics such as calculating an advertising budget. The book is chock-full of charts and graphs to support the author's points, and offers plenty of research citations to back up the data and to provide the interested reader with a way to dig even deeper into interesting topics.

Du Plessis goes out of his way to avoid, and in some cases refute, simplistic notions of buy buttons, emotional factors replacing rational decisions, and even the unconscious/conscious divide touted by so many neuromarketing vendors.

The Branded Mind isn't a book to zip through, grab a few takeaways, and dispose of. Rather, some sections will merit serious study, and you'll want to keep it at hand as a reference when evaluating advice proffered by branding gurus and other "experts."
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Copulsky argues that in today's hyperconnected world, brands have become uniquely susceptible to damage from a host of unexpected sources: the angry customer who starts a website, the bored employee who post a damaging YouTube video, or the company exec who makes an off-the-cuff tweet with unintended results. Consequently, today's CMO's need not only nurture and develop their brands, but also protect and fortify them from these unexpected threats - i.e. creating brand resilience.

Taking inspiration from the U.S. Army's counter insurgency tactics, Copulsky lays out a clear approach to identifying potential sources of brand sabotage, creating mechanisms to protect from those threats, and then developing systems monitor and adapt to the ever-changing nature of those threats.

Although modern CMO's have many responsibilities on their plate, and the mandate to now assume another may seem daunting or unnecessary, but Copulsky's book makes a convincing argument: to maintain success in the long-term, a successful company must recognize and learn to proactively address these new types of brand attacks.  The book's early chapters contain a surprising number and variety of examples cataloging this all to real phenomenon.  Subsequent chapters detail the way to prepare, detect and respond to potential attacks.  The book's approach is well balanced between discussion of the larger strategic issues at play and the specific tools and tactics used in this new type of media environment.
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Finally, someone has written a book that seeks to help companies build the connection among brand promises, delivery and every employee. This is a great, quick read that provides leaders with many examples of how to educate employees on what a company strategy is, what it means to their job, and how they can help achieve objectives to improve results. Organizations wanting to enhance their competitiveness by implementing customer experience and employee performance programs should grab their highlighter and read two essential chapters--Truth 4 (Only Wimps and Egomaniacs Are Afraid to Investigate their Company's Reality) and Truth 7 (Employees Are NOT Your Greatest Asset).  After working in the communications field for more than 20 years, I've seen how not having the right information, such as real brand and employee perceptions, can paralyze a company's progress. Mr. Lederman's step-by-step recommendations will hopefully give leaders the guts to find true brand differentiation and invest in the areas that will lead to lasting results--the employee performance and recognition systems that will pervasively align all employees to deliver the brand consistently to the market.
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Good food for thought and guidance around mass marketing/merchandising being a somewhat lost cause and specializing around "tribes" where the product affinity is much greater.  Brought to mind several examples--Subaru, Starbucks and Apple to where the customers are not just buyers but evangelists for the company and products.
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This is a great resource for anyone responsible for brand management. It is a rare combination of a practical and creative approach to the subject. It is very helpful in outlining the processes involved in brand and identity management and how to carry these processes through to implementation. Any organization could benefit by implementing the ideas and processes the author outlines.