Myths Of Branding

A brand is just a logo - everyone knows that, don't they? After all, it's not as though a good brand can save a bad business, and besides, the digital revolution is making branding irrelevant... Myths of Branding, written by renowned branding experts Andy Milligan and Simon Bailey, explores the huge number of misguided, mistaken and blatantly false myths that abound in the branding arena. From the belief that developing brands is nothing more than fiddling with logos, to the perception that it's a 'soft' area of marketing that doesn't go beyond visual identity - these myths are all surprisingly entrenched, yet could not be further from the truth. Myths of Branding takes the most up-to-date research and evidence to debunk these popular misconceptions, and replaces them with the reality of what it's really like to work in the world of branding. Jam-packed with entertaining anecdotes and useful information that practitioners can learn from, it guarantees a deeper, sharper understanding of the realities of branding and brand management.

A brand is just a logo - everyone knows that, don't they? After all, it's not as though a good brand can save a bad business, and besides, the digital revolution is making branding irrelevant... Myths of Branding, written by renowned branding experts Andy Milligan and Simon Bailey, explores the huge number of misguided, mistaken and blatantly false myths that abound in the branding arena. From the belief that developing brands is nothing more than fiddling with logos, to the perception that it's a 'soft' area of marketing that doesn't go beyond visual identity and that the customer is always right - these myths are all surprisingly entrenched, yet could not be further from the truth. Myths of Branding uses up-to-date case studies and witty examples to debunk these popular misconceptions, and replaces them with the reality of what it's really like to work in the world of branding. Jam-packed with entertaining anecdotes and useful information that practitioners can learn from, it guarantees a deeper, sharper understanding of the realities of branding and brand management. About the Business Myths series... The Business Myths series tackles the falsehoods that pervade the business world. From leadership and management to social media, strategy and the workplace, these accessible books overturn out-of-date assumptions, skewer stereotypes and put oft-repeated slogans to the test. Entertaining and rigorously researched, these books will equip you with the insight and no-nonsense wisdom you need to succeed.

Debunk the most pervasive myths about the world of branding, with this expert overview that separates the facts from the falsehoods. --

Coca-Cola. Harley-Davidson. Nike. Budweiser. Valued by customers more for what they symbolize than for what they do, products like these are more than brands--they are cultural icons. How do managers create brands that resonate so powerfully with consumers? Based on extensive historical analyses of some of America's most successful iconic brands, including ESPN, Mountain Dew, Volkswagen, Budweiser, and Harley-Davidson, this book presents the first systematic model to explain how brands become icons. Douglas B. Holt shows how iconic brands create "identity myths" that, through powerful symbolism, soothe collective anxieties resulting from acute social change. Holt warns that icons can't be built through conventional branding strategies, which focus on benefits, brand personalities, and emotional relationships. Instead, he calls for a deeper cultural perspective on traditional marketing themes like targeting, positioning, brand equity, and brand loyalty--and outlines a distinctive set of "cultural branding" principles that will radically alter how companies approach everything from marketing strategy to market research to hiring and training managers. Until now, Holt shows, even the most successful iconic brands have emerged more by intuition and serendipity than by design. With How Brands Become Icons, managers can leverage the principles behind some of the most successful brands of the last half-century to build their own iconic brands. Douglas B. Holt is associate professor of Marketing at Harvard Business School.

Enhance your marketing practices with a thought-provoking and readable overview of some of the most pervasive myths in the marketing industry, equipping readers with well-researched and practical insights.

In a brash and brilliant style, two of the world's most renowned marketing consultants open reader's eyes to 170 myths that are killing products, services and brands. They steer readers toward radical change that will snatch them from the jaws of death wish marketing. Illustrations.

A fundamental paradigm shift has occurred in marketing and branding. Today the most successful CEOs, executives, entrepreneurs and enterprises set their sites on developing a long-term platform instead of a short-term strategy that supports and builds buzz for their personal or business brand. That’s really the key to the new business mindset — the recognition that branding and marketing are an ongoing, steady stream of small efforts, not a series of gigantic pushes. Social media, blogging and other business development activities — both online and off — are about the persistent, ongoing process of building a platform, creating credibility and increasing the number of people that you funnel into your potential client and network pipeline. Converting those people into clients or fans may take a month, a year or two years, but the new mindset leads you to strategies that will keep that pipeline full. In short, you need to start a bunch of small fires to keep your brand burning hot. How can today’s CEOs, executives and entrepreneurs keep these fires going and powerfully get their messages across, motivate others to action and be authentic — all while simultaneously shepherding initiatives from creation to implementation in high-demand markets? CEO, executive and team branding are key factors that enable effective leaders to achieve peak performance, gain greater influence in their industries and generate increased engagement within their companies. By creating a brand (business or personal) by design instead of default, leaders and companies bring their brand promise into every interaction across the board. A personal, team or business brand is not just a single statement or a clever quip but a multilayered, congruent narrative told across multiple channels — online and off — within the organization and to the business community at large. The power is in knowing how to tell the story. The book will introduce CEOs and executives in Fortune 500 companies and entrepreneurs in SMBs to the SMG Brand Mapping Process©, a process that will guide them in creating personal, team and business brands that work in harmony and parallel with each other.

Promote your business with clarity, ease, and authenticity. The Human Centered Brand is a practical branding guide for service based businesses and creatives, that helps you grow meaningful relationships with your clients and your audience. If you're a writer, marketing consultant, creative agency owner, lawyer, illustrator, designer, developer, psychotherapist, personal trainer, dentist, painter, musician, bookkeeper, or other type of service business owner, the methods described in this book will assist you in expressing yourself naturally and creating a resonant, remarkable, and sustainable brand. Read this book to learn: Why conventional branding approaches don't work for service based businesses. How to identify your core values and use them in your business and marketing decisions. Different ways you can make your business unique among all the competition. How to express yourself verbally through your website, emails, articles, videos, talks, podcasts... What makes your "ideal clients" truly ideal, and how to connect with real people who appreciate you as you are. How to craft an effective tagline. What are the most important elements of a visual brand identity, and how to use them to design your own brand. How to craft an exceptional client experience and impress your clients with your professionalism. How your brand relates to your business model, pricing, company culture, fashion style, and social impact. Whether you're a complete beginner or have lots of experience with marketing and design, you'll get new insights about your own brand, and fresh ideas you'll want to implement right away. The companion workbook, checklists, templates, and other bonuses ensure that you not only learn new information, but create a custom brand strategy on your own. Learn more at humancenteredbrand.com