Book Description
"When everybody zigs, zag," says author
Marty Neumeier in this fresh view of brand strategy. ZAG follows the ultra-clear "whiteboard overview" style of Neumeier's first book, THE BRAND GAP, but drills deeper into the question of how brands can harness the power of differentiation. The author argues that in an extremely cluttered marketplace, traditional differentiation is no longer enoughâtoday companies need âradical differentiationâ to create lasting value for their shareholders and customers. In an entertaining 3-hour read you’ll learn:
- why me-too brands are doomed to fail
- how to "read" customer feedback on new products and messages
- the 17 steps for designing âdifferenceâ into your brand
- how to turn your brand’s âonlinessâ into a âtruelineâ to drive synergy
- the secrets of naming products, services, and companies
- the four deadly dangers faced by brand portfolios
- how to âstretchâ your brand without breaking it
- how to succeed at all three stages of the competition cycle
For a quick peek inside ZAG, go to www.zagbook.com.
Customer Reviews:
Zag is Zagworthy.......2007-09-29
I purchased this book at the same time as the Brand Gap, being confident in the fact they'd both be helpful, well-written, yet densely packed tomes of information - and I was right!
Zag hones in on one element discussed in the Brand Gap - differentiation - and expands it into a 200-so page book. According to Neumeier, differentiation, or creating zag, is one of the most important elements of branding - and it needs to happen at every step of the way, from conception to naming to marketing.
The great thing about Zag is the way it presents the information - much like in the Brand Gap it follows a 'whiteboard', graphic-heavy, basic (but important) facts. This time around however, it pairs the basic format with a strong, easy-to-follow example through the faux development of an educational wine bar chain.
Neumeier then takes the reader through 17 steps (including some helpful exercises) you should take as a business owner, venture capitalist, or advertising professional when determining whether your product is zagworthy - or how to make it so it is.
In terms of why I gave the book 4 stars as opposed to 5...The last section of the book - once the 17 steps are completed and the wine bar is 'fully developed' - is a little bit dense/doesn't seem to flow as well as the rest of the book/series.
Also there is a decent amount of repetition between Zag and the Brand Gap, and I am hesitant in believing that people would pick up one without the other. Although it makes sense to reinforce the principles (and sell more books I'm sure) in some cases, it almost made it hard to differentiate some of the messages between the books, making me feel a bit cheated in that I paid money to read the same pages over.
I have a hunch Neumeier might take the 5 main principles found in The Brand gap and expand each of them into books like Zag did for differentiation - and I can't fault him for doing so. Zag is definitely an improvement on The Brand Gap in that it offers a focused "here's exactly what you can do" strategy, but it still remains general enough that virtually any level of professional (student, beginner, executive etc.) can sit down and walk away a couple of hours later feeling like they learned something.
Zag Zag Zigidy Zag de Zag.......2007-09-21
Knocked this one out in a single flight. Well written, easy to follow. Maybe a little too easy. Would have liked a little more meat. Consider this the Cliff's Notes to Differentiate or Die. Both great books, this is easier to digest. Neumeier is a brand genius, he gets it and he can present it well in a concise format.
A book that zags.......2007-08-23
Zagging is not a new concept. If you like business and performance management readings, probably you are familiar with it already, especially if you've read books by authors like Jim Collins (hedgehog concept), Chan Kim (blue ocean) or Seth Godin (purple cow).
This book provides a unique approach from a marketer's point of view to the concept of real differentiation in the marketplace. "When everybody zigs, zag". Stop being a follower, an imitator, and start being different, start zagging.
You can't stop reading this book, once you get started. It will take you one or two hours, which doesn't mean the author is not providing details and deep insights. In fact, he gives what it takes to make his points clear, captivating, and consistent.
David Aaker says in the back cover of this book: "The presentation alone is worth the price of the book". He is absolutely right. This book zags.
Best Branding Book Ever.......2007-08-22
This is the first review I've ever written on Amazon even though I'm an avid reader. I felt compelled to write this review as a sign of my appreciation for this top notch book. I've read several books on Branding, Identity, Marketing and none compare to this book. If you buy only one book on any of these categories, this should be the book.
Marty's illustrations alone are worth the price for the book. But it was his definition of Branding that brought everything into focus for me. I can't say enough about the book.
Grok branding like never before..........2007-08-15
So much has been written about branding... and so much of it is so dry, it's boring.
What Marty Neumeier has done is to make this essential discipline fun, exciting, practical, and reachable for us all.
If you only read one book on branding, this one will serve you well.
Book Description
The third volume in the best-selling LogoLounge series provides 2,000 totally new logos from designers worldwide. This book, like the previous titles in the series, is compiled in association with LogoLounge.com, a website that was launched by Bill Gardner in 2002. The site is dedicated to logos. Top designers and design firms supply multiple logos to the site. Each LogoLounge book presents thousands of new logos that have been added to the site, providing designers with a timely and invaluable source for design inspiration and a resource for design solutions. The first portion of the book profiles 10 top designers recent work in the area of logo design; the second part of the book contains almost 2,000 logos organized by logo design (typography, people, mythology, nature, sports, etc.)
Customer Reviews:
A designer's bible.......2007-05-14
This series is a must have for any designer. Not only is it great for ideas, but a nice tool to have when a wishy-washy client just isn't sure what they want. If you are a serious designer, you must own all the Logo Lounge books.
Logo Lounge Strikes Again.......2007-05-14
Always a fan, the assemblage of brands from every corner is impressive and helpful. The Lounge has always been and continues to be a wonderful resource for jump-starting logo block.
An Invaluable Resource for Any Graphic Designer.......2007-04-16
Whether you are fresh out of college or a seasoned Senior designer, you will find this book an amazing resource of ideas, trends and just plain good design.
We actually have purchased every volume and they keep getting better and better. Logo Lounge 3 is no different in terms of the unique talent chosen to be showcased in this edition.
If you need a design spark look no further, this is the book of choice.
[...]
AMAZING.......2007-04-14
Great book for inspiration and search for the right ideas. This time RockPub. is making few more pages showing how the logos work in the graphic design environment.
I was excited to see foreign companies using the latest styles in advertisement, like the russian phone company "BeeLine."
Wold highly recoment this book for a graphic design major and advertisement.
Very inspiring.......2007-03-16
I've used this book a couple times now for inspiration, and it doesn't disappoint. It's organized by theme, which is very helpful since it allows you to consider the myriad different ways of approaching the same challenge.
Highly recommended.
Amazon.com
It isn't easy finding a job these days and for those working in the creative fields like graphic design, illustration, photography, filmmaking, and music, a digital portfolio is just the shiny object you need to catch the attention of a prospective employer. But you can't just slap a few files on a CD and call it a night. As Cynthia Baron points out in Designing a Digital Portfolio--a thorough guide to digital portfolios--your first impression is critical and good preparation will pay off.
The books begins with soul-searching: what work are you hoping to get, who's your audience, what style of presentation should you choose, and what technology--Zip, CD, DVD? Effective portfolios from various fields are analyzed, for example, one for an industrial designer or a flash animation artist. If you happen to do both or are otherwise a jack-of-all-trades, Baron outlines your strategy for targeting your audience and deciding how to focus your presentation.
There're several great chapters on prepping your work, collecting it (do you have your process materials, like pencil sketches?), digitizing the non-digital and cleaning it up (like stitching together scans or effective cropping), nitty-gritty items like optimizing and encoding (crucial if you don't want your future boss frustrated by large files), and dealing with that neglected cousin of the visually creative: good written content.
Next, the book considers delivery (for example, Web versus a portable portfolio on CD or DVD), a presentation metaphor (for example, gallery or diary), and the navigational master plan. The chapter on copyrights and attribution are worth the cover price alone. (For example, do you know who owns the artwork you just created for that latest brochure? Do you know how to present a large project on which you worked as part of a team?)
Throughout the book, Baron profiles some stellar examples of digital portfolios, most of which are viewable online, for example, illustrator Michael Bartalos's Web site at bartalos.com. And the appendices offer even more resources to help and inspire you. --Angelynn Grant
Book Description
The world has gone digital--which means that a paper portfolio is no longer good enough. These days, as a creative professional, you're expected to be able to show your work on demand--whether that means emailing it to a client, displaying it on a Web site, or delivering it on CD or DVD. This book shows you how. Using a combination of step-by-step instructions and inspiring examples, veteran author
Cynthia Baron takes you through the entire process of designing a digital portfolio--from developing a concept and choosing a medium, to scanning work created with traditional materials; optimizing digitized art; repurposing digital material; creating a portfolio Web site, CD, or DVD; producing a portable portfolio; and avoiding technical pitfalls when digitizing, organizing, and delivering the final product. You'll also find loads of insights from the professionals who evaluate artist portfolios everyday--agency heads, art directors, and designers--plus handy checklists, a run-down of dos and don'ts, case studies, and tips.
Customer Reviews:
comprehensive material........2006-03-01
Most artists can't do everything - usually they are somewhere in the middle of a chain of production responsiblities that don't include the skillsets involved with presenting a portfolio, digital or otherwise. Many points of insider knowledge are invaluable - I was on the cusp of using PowerPoint for my CD portfolio (my wife has strong skills with this) before being warned that this bussiness presentation software's would be viewed with derision by art directors, and that a high resolution version of a website format is the way to go here - this one parcel of knowledge was worth the price of the book alone, but it is far from the only lesson imparted. Highly recommended - it doesn't stray into realms of esoterica for the sake of pagecount.
Great beginners guide.......2005-08-12
This handbook is targeted at beginners in designing portfolios to submit their artwork or photos when job hunting. It is filled with information, however most is very basic and will only be a review for most readers.
Superb resource for a wide variety of portfolio formats.......2004-11-14
If you set can aside the near 100% focus on digital media (though it is excellent for that kind of format) and not hyperventilate in feeling like you need to come up with Flash or DVDs after reading this, it offers solid points on portfolio content, whatever format you choose.
It covers what should go in, what should not go in, how much should go in, how/if to deal with process pieces, storyboarding,
thematic ties to pull a disparate portfolio together, and sage advice on basics like the kinds of written copy you want to include, such as design briefs, problem statements, and tag lines. It's my favorite book for this effort right now. My husband's, too. I have to pry it off his desk.
It's also savvy when it comes to marketing, so I think it will have a long shelf life in my library for the days when I need to market myself on other things besides landing a job, like marketing my firm.
It has some printed web site design examples which offer visual eye inspiration for printed page layout. It even has great image workflow tips, towards preserving the best image quality with the least needed resolution, that are comprehensible to the lay person as well as meaningful to someone with a high degree of digital photographic processing background.
One of the Best Books on the Topic.......2004-05-07
This is one of the best books on its topic that I have ever seen. From the title, I expected to find advice on preparing images for the screen, how to put them on a CD or DVD, etc. Those things are there, but the book begins in a logical place that I wouldn't have considered. Brown's approach is truly holistic.
Check out page 23 for the first page of a three-page self assessment check list. It has you evaluate your professional strengths and weaknesses, goals and personality.
Chapter 3 asks you a bunch of questions to help you identify who your audience really is and focus on them.
The rest of the book covers various digital formats, how to organize your work, how to get images of 3D and oversized work into your portfolio, including choosing a camera and setting up for shooting.
Ms. Brown covers editing your images to remove the most common problems, such as moire, sharpening needs, bad crops, etc. And ... she devotes a section to creating written content to accompany your stunning images, telling you how to write to that audience you defined earlier.
She explains the differences between a monitor screen and a printed page. You need to know that to design the correct interface for your portfolio. She also has a full chapter devoted to marketing and copyright issues.
The entire book is scattered with quotes (in friendly green type) from experts and those who have gone before you. The quotes tell you what agencies are looking for in a portfolio, how others have found success at this, what things you can do to streamline the process, etc.
The definitive resource.......2004-02-21
For several months I searched for an appropriate textbook for a course that I was developing. Several days prior to the deadline for the course outline, "Designing a Digital Portfolio " was published. After reading the book, I realized this was the authoritative text for anyone in a creative field. The book asks and answers all the essential questions. It is perfect for the technological savvy multimedia programmer or for any artist with limited technology expertise. I urge anyone who is even considering developing a digital portfolio to buy this book. Without qualification, this is the most valuable book on the market
Multimedia Portfolio Instructor/Art Institute/Art Institute Online
Subject Matter Expert / Curriculum Development Multimedia Portfolio
Book Description
Today, corporations are expected to give something back to their communities in the form of charitable projects. In Corporate Social Responsibility, Philip Kotler, one of the world's foremost voices on business and marketing, and coauthor Nancy Lee explain why charity is both good P.R. and good for business. They show business leaders how to choose social causes, design charity initiatives, gain employee support, and evaluate their efforts. They also provide all the best practices and cutting-edge ideas that leaders need to maximize their contributions to social causes and do the most good. With personal stories from twenty-five business leaders from socially responsible companies, this is the bible for today's good corporate citizen.
Download Description
Today, corporations are expected to give something back to their communities in the form of charitable projects. In Corporate Social Responsibility, Philip Kotler, one of the world¿s foremost voices on business and marketing, and coauthor Nancy Lee explain why charity is both good P.R. and good for business. They show business leaders how to choose social causes, design charity initiatives, gain employee support, and evaluate their efforts. They also provide all the best practices and cutting-edge ideas that leaders need to maximize their contributions to social causes and do the most good. With personal stories from twenty-five business leaders from socially responsible companies, this is the bible for today¿s good corporate citizen.
Customer Reviews:
Excellent and Enlightening.......2007-07-21
This is an enlightening book on corporate social responsibility by knowledgeable authors. As a manager you bring with you your own concept of what is right and what is wrong to your organisation. Every decision that you make is the application of these values to the question at hand. This is made more difficult by the pressures of organisational life. These are the pressures of rapid changes, the pressure for greater productivity, competition and superiors, among others. Sometimes managers make decisions which conflict with their own or society's values because of what they see as the pressures of the business world. Dealing with ethical and moral issues is often perplexing. This excellent book provides guidance on how we should we think through an ethical issue, the questions we should ask and the factors that we should consider and how we can ensure that corporate social responsibility issues receive the attention they deserve.
The ways that the authors suggest to enhance corporate social responsibility are practical and simple to implement and should enable companies to benefit from a favourable corporate image which should translate to benefits to the bottom line.
This is a well written book that is easy to follow and understand that is well recommended.
At last: a reference work for corporate philanthropy.......2006-04-05
The days of corporate irresponsibility are past. The public now expects companies to behave according to a higher social standard. And guess what - operating a business built on socially responsible principles pays off. Decision makers at companies large and small are learning that when they build their businesses according to the dictates of social conscience, they reap rewards such as increased profits, an improved corporate image and happier employees. And, they sleep better at night. Author and marketing expert Philip Kotler and social marketing consultant Nancy Lee describe six ways you can develop and implement a corporate social program. They clearly explain and analyze each initiative in its own chapter, including illustrative examples of successful campaigns from leading companies such as Ben & Jerry's, The Body Shop and American Express. Their methods do overlap and they are, at times, redundant. Yet the points are important enough to bear repeating. We think every professional whose company is engaged in corporate social marketing - or needs to be - will find a treasure trove of applicable information in this book.
An invaluable resource on Corporate Social Responsibility.......2005-04-01
Phil Kotler and Nancy Lee have created an invaluable guidebook for companies, nonprofits and their advisors to enhance corporate reputations while improving society. Besides demonstrating how corporate social responsiblity has boosted the bottom line and added value for investors on all sides of the cause world, the authors provide detailed "how to" models for every type of business and nonprofit. This book has quickly become the "must read" bible for CSR and those involved with marketing in the nonprofit sector.
Amazon.com
Experiential marketing, a decidedly turn-of-the-millennium form of corporate persuasion that strives to elicit a powerful sensory or cognitive consumer response, is rapidly superseding the stodgy features-and-benefits approach generally in vogue since the gray-flannel '50s. In fact, says Bernd H. Schmitt, a professor of marketing and director of the Center on Global Brand Management at Columbia Business School, leading enterprises ranging from Gillette and Martha Stewart to Amtrak and Oprah Winfrey are already using such emotionally loaded techniques successfully to develop new products, communicate with customers, create business partnerships, build innovative cyberspace and brick-and-mortar sales outlets, and boost profits. Experiential Marketing presents Schmitt's insightful and thought-provoking examination of this growing trend, along with a series of suggestions (for example, how to create an "us vs. them" atmosphere) for implementing similar efforts. By dissecting a series of relevant campaigns undertaken at the leading-edge firms mentioned above, along with those at other major players such as Harley-Davidson, Volkswagen, Celestial Seasonings, and Taster's Choice, Schmitt demonstrates its effectiveness while deftly pointing out salient techniques that readers might adopt. --Howard Rothman
Book Description
Engaging, enlightening, provocative, and
sensational are the words people use to describe compelling experiences and these words also describe this extraordinary book by Bernd Schmitt.
Moving beyond traditional "features-and-benefits" marketing, Schmitt presents a revolutionary approach to marketing for the branding and information age. Schmitt shows how managers can create holistic experiences for their customers through brands that provide sensory, affective, and creative associations as well as lifestyle marketing and social identity campaigns.
In this masterful handbook of tools and techniques, Schmitt presents a battery of business cases to show how cutting-edge companies use "experience providers" such as visual identity, communication, product presence, Web sites, and service to create different types of customer experiences. To illustrate the essential concepts and frameworks of experiential marketing, Schmitt provides:
SENSE cases on Nokia mobile phones, Hennessy cognac, and Procter & Gamble's Tide Mountain Fresh detergent;
FEEL cases on Hallmark, Campbell's Soup, and Häagen Dazs Cafés in Asia, Europe, and the United States;
THINK cases on Apple Computer's revival, Genesis ElderCare, and Siemens;
ACT cases on Gillette's Mach3, the Milk Mustache campaign, and Martha Stewart Living;
RELATE cases on Harley-Davidson, Tommy Hilfiger, and Wonderbra.
Using the New Beetle and Sony as examples, Schmitt discusses the strategic and implementation intricacies of creating holistic experiences for customers. In an intriguing final chapter, he presents turn-around techniques such as "Objective: To Dream," "Send in the Iconoclasts," and "Quit the Bull," to show how traditional marketing firms can transform themselves into experience-oriented organizations.
This book will forever change your perception of customers, marketing, and brands -- from Amtrak and Singapore Airlines to Herbal Essences products and Gwyneth Paltrow.
Customer Reviews:
Very disappointed.......2004-02-26
With a title like Experiential Marketing, I thought the book would practice what it preached. Instead it took an exciting subject and made elementary points dull and uninspiring.
Resonating and Relevant.......2002-08-15
Experiential Marketing strives to make its case that it's important to relate to customers on an emotional basis. Given how much the decision-making process is linked to emotions and not just sheer logic, Schmitt makes a powerful argument that customers need to feel an emotional connection to the company they purchase from. Schmitt does an excellent job of writing a fascinating piece that is sure to help take marketing into the next step. It's as good as Guerilla PR: Wired, which explores how to use that same emotional connection via the Internet and other technological methods.
Old & Obvious News.......2002-05-10
From the perspective of someone who works intimately with major consumer brands, this book was a huge disappointment. There is absolutely nothing new here, as should be evident when most of the approaches held up as paragons of experiential marketing are 5-15 years old. Schmitt acts as though moving past "features and benefits" advertising is a new and controversial idea, when in fact marketing to people's emotions and aspirations has been accepted practice for at least 15 years. Is academia (Schmitt being a professor, not a practicioner) that far behind what has actually been going on in marketing departments and advertising agencies for so long?
Not to mention that every possible brand tactic under the sun can fall under the wide umbrella of "experiential marketing" -- and Schmitt attempts to make examples from virtually any good marketing idea of the last decade in a cluttered and undisciplined format.
I guess I wouldn't be so peeved if I were brand new to the world of mass marketing, and maybe this book wouldn't be such old news. But even for the neophyte, it's nothing more than a collection of neat marketing ideas with little of a distinct theme to hold them together.
If you want to read about accepted marketing tactics of top brands, it's an OK read, but those examples are all around us anyway. If you want to learn how these ideas originated or how you can think about your brand in a new way, it's of no help.
Frog dissection in marketing.......2002-04-05
My associate bought this book, read it and gave it to me to review (at the site of my school of ad-vertising and marketing I run a book review section). He was amazed and disappointed. And so was I.
THE NAME - What does the name "EXPERIMENTAL Marketing" suggest to an average practi-tioner of the trade? I've tested it on a dozen of businessmen and students of marketing and they were all unanimous - the name suggests staging experiments in marketing. (This accounted by the way for the decision of my associate to buy the book.) As a matter of interest, the name has been translated into Russian as "empirical" marketing, perhaps because the Russian editors found out that the book has nothing to do with experimentation. By the way, there is another book "Experimental marketing", by E. J. Davis. What's it about?
SUBHEADING (How to Get Customers to SENSE, FEEL, THINK, ACT and RELATE to Your Company and Brands) - Behold, vendors of nuts, bolts, bricks, furniture, hardware, apparel, station-ery, and of millions of other mundane, commoditized products. If your customers can neither sense, nor feel, nor think, nor act, nor "relate," this is a book for you. A minor point of grammar - what's it to "sense to your company," "to feel to your company," etc.?
TRADITIONAL MARKETING - The author arrogantly dismisses the so-called traditional mar-keting: "The history of all hitherto existing marketing is the history of functional features and bene-fits. Advertiser and audience, seller and buyer, strategist and client - in a word, marketer and cus-tomer--stood in constant opposition to one another, a fight that each time ended without any deliv-ery of true value." Really?
According to Prof. Schmitt, traditional marketers, those nitwits, view consumers as rationally think-ing robots. For instance, a buyer of lipstick is allegedly concerned solely with its chemical formula. (We'll have to excuse the marketing ignorance of psychologist Schmitt - he hasn't heard of Revlon's famous motto "In the factory we make cosmetics; in the drugstore we sell hope." )
Schmitt: "Let the traditional marketers tremble at the experiential marketing revolution." If we want to continue in one piece, we should scrap the old-fashioned ideas of meeting a client's needs, how-ever sophisticated and subconscious (see Maslow pyramid), customer satisfaction, "outside-in think-ing" (Trout), partnersell, WIN-WIN, platinum rule, and a host of other time-tested "US-made" marketing wisdoms? We must concentrate on how to entertain a harassed housewife in a supermar-ket - previously she was mostly locating on the shelves her habitual products and mechanically put-ting them into her cart. Now we must expose her to a wide spectrum of "consumer experiences."
RESOLUTIONIST - "We are in the middle of a revolution. A revolution that will render the prin-ciples and models of traditional marketing obsolete. A revolution that will change the face of mar-keting forever. A revolution that will replace traditional feature-and-benefit marketing with experien-tial marketing." A new Marx prophesies: "A spectre is haunting the marketplace - the spectre of ex-periential marketing."
FROG DISSECTION - "Experiences may be dissected into different types, each with their own inherent structures and processes." And so are marketings: the SENSE marketing is not to be con-fused with, say, THINK marketing. I admire that military style thinking - if your drill sergeant (say, Prof. Schmitt) tells you that yours is SENSE marketing, stick to it. And don't THINK or, God for-bid, RELATE - VERBOTEN!!!
In the conformable world of Prof. Schmitt's "strategic experiential modules (SEMs)" everything is clear and convenient, everything has its slot, everything takes care of itself. And... "The customers have nothing to lose but their boredom. They have a world of experiences to win."
Needless to say, that prodigy of revolutionary thinking is being received with much acclaim. However amidst much official appraise one finds on Prof. Schmitt's site his condescending reference to those who are too stupid to be converted: "The old school of marketing makes its retort against Experiential Marketing, Schmitt, and everything he stands for...
I am sorry to say, I found myself rather subscribing to the opinion of those "stone-age marketers" and wondering at the origins of the acclaims.
"A New Model".......2000-02-03
In Marketing Aesthetics, Schmitt & Simonson argue that "most of marketing is limited because of its focus on features and benefits." They then presented what they characterized as "a framework" for managing those experiences. In Experiential Marketing, Schmitt provides a much more detailed exposition of the limitations of traditional features-and-benefits marketing. Moreover, he moves beyond the sensory "framework" into several new dimensions, introducing what he calls "a new model" which will enable marketers to manage "all types of experiences, integrating them into holistic experiences" while "addressing key structural, strategic, and organizational challenges." The key word is "holistic"; the key process is Issues
Epilogue
In his Preface, Schmitt introduces his reader to someone he identifies as "Laura Brown." At the end of each of the 11 chapters, Laura Brown reacts to the material presented. Often, she responds with questions which the reader may be tempted to ask. For products but what if a company is an industrial firm? What if it is a consulting firm or a medical practice? How does experiential marketing come into play for these kinds of companies?" Or at the end of Chapter via a brand? What kind of communities are the 'brand communities'? What about communities of real people?"
Obviously Schmitt is a clever fellow. He includes Laura Brown (who turns out to be a real person) to respond to his material with questions such as these so that, in effect, he can say "I am so glad that you asked me about that!" Of course, he then answers the questions. This interaction is playful, adding humor; it is also a brilliant device by which to expand and enrich the flow of Schmitt's ideas.
They are very important ideas indeed. Simultaneously, Schmitt establishes a rock-solid conceptual infrastructure while examining a number of different companies (eg Nokia, Procter & Gamble, Apple Computer, Volkswagen, Siemens, Martha Stewart Living, and SONY) which demonstrate the fundamental principles of Experiential Marketing. One of the book's most valuable contributions is provided in Part Two as Schmitt focuses on what he calls Strategic Experiential Modules (SEMs), each of which has its own distinct structures and principles which must be understood by each manager. SEMs include sensory experiences (SENSE), affective experiences (FEEL), creative cognitive experiences (THINK), physical experiences and entire lifestyles (ACT), and social-identity experiences (RELATE). Schmitt examines each, explains how to achieve the effective integration of all four.
In the Epilogue, he reveals Laura Brown's identity (no surprise there), suggesting that the experience-oriented organization is a "Dionysian organization and focuses on creativity and innovation...it takes a broad, helicopter view focusing on long-term trends, pays attention to its physical environment, and views its employees as human capital." Indeed, he hastens to add, "the experience-oriented organization is keenly interested in promoting its employees' experiential growth." Schmitt thus offers an alternative to the traditional organization which is oriented toward order, structure, analysis, and short term.
If you read Experiential Marketing and then share my high regard for it, I urge you to read also (if you have not already done so) The Experience Economy and The Entertainment Economy.
Average customer rating:
- To manage brand at another angle!
- Good, but where are the metrics? Hard definitions?
- The World is Yours.
- A Sensible Perspective
- Keys to build identity, providing the artistic dimension
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Marketing Aesthetics: The Strategic Management of Brands, Identity and Image
Alex Simonson , and
Bernd H. Schmitt
Manufacturer: Free Press
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ASIN: 0684826550 |
Book Description
There is no way to mistake the ubiquitous trademarked Coca-Cola bottle, or the stylish ads for Absolut Vodka with any of their competitors. How have these companies created this irresistible appeal for their brands? How have they sustained a competitive edge through aesthetics?
Bernd Schmitt and Alex Simonson, two leading experts in the emerging field of identity management, offer clear guidelines for harnessing a company's total aesthetic output -- its "look and feel" -- to provide a vital competitive advantage. Going beyond standard traditional approaches on branding, this fascinating book is the first to combine branding, identity, and image and to show how aesthetics can be managed through logos, brochures, packages, and advertisements, as well as sounds, scents, and lighting, to sell "the memorable experience." The authors explore what makes a corporate or brand identity irresistible, what styles and themes are crucial for different contexts, and what meanings certain visual symbols convey. Any person in any organization in any industry can benefit from employing the tools of "marketing aesthetics."
Schmitt and Simonson describe how a firm can use these tools strategically to create a variety of sensory experiences that will (1) ensure customer satisfaction and loyalty; (2) sustain lasting customer impressions about a brand's or organization's special personality; (3) permit premium pricing; (4) provide legal "trade dress" protection from competitive attacks; (5) lower costs and raise productivity; and (6) most importantly, create irresistible appeal. The authors show how to manage identity globally and how to develop aesthetically pleasing retail spaces and environments. They also address the newly emergent topic of how to manage corporate and brand identity on the Internet. Supporting their thesis with numerous real-world success stories such as Absolut Vodka, Nike, the Gap, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Starbucks, the New Beetle Website, and Lego, the authors explain how actual companies have developed, refined, and maintained distinct corporate identities that set them apart from competitors.
Customer Reviews:
To manage brand at another angle!.......2002-03-17
A brand is very important to a company. It is not just a name you call the product or company. It can in fact give the overall impression of your products or company to customers that helps differentiate from its competitors.
I have read several books about brand such as "The 22 Immutable Laws of Branding: How to Build a Product or Service into a World-Class Brand" and "The New Guide to Identity: Wolff Olins: How to Create and Sustain Change Through Managing Identity", which are mostly about how to well use of the power of brand or how to launch the identity program.
This book is also about brand identity. But it is totally different from what I have read before. Seldom book about brand will concern for the psychological factors of customers. But it does. Customers do not usually act rationally. Many factors, not just the product itself but a total sensory experience will affect them to make purchase decisions.
This book talks about the management of brand identity by using aesthetics, that is, to create an overall customer impressions through visual impacts. The use of symbol, styles, themes, retail spaces and environments etc can satisfy customers' experiential needs - their aesthetic needs, which creates value to customers. All these are illustrated by many great successful cases: Absolut Vodka, Cathay Pacific Airlines, Starbucks, Nike¡K¡K
Try to read this book and manage how to build brand at another angle!
Good, but where are the metrics? Hard definitions?.......2001-07-26
The other reviews have done a fine job of outlining the many positive points for this book. It certainly does do a wonderful job of attempting to move the practice of 'brand equity' forward. Even if you don't agree with many of the ideas in the book, it's a valuable read. But I *do* have two main problems with the piece.
First, by the end of the book, can anyone give a decent, concise definition of what exactly aesthetics is? Of course, it's a difficult question because much of aesthetics lies in the overall whole impression created by a brand, rather than just on packaging, advertisements, and sensory data. But one major problem I had was by about halfway through the book, 'aesthetics' had come to mean just about anything. Marketing communications? Aesthetics. Packaging? Aesthetics. All sensory information given off by a product? Aesthetics. The environment the product is sold or consumed in? Aesthetics. With a definition this loose, of *course* it's critical for marketers to pay attention to aesthetics, and of course they already do to a large degree. While the emphasis of seeing all these things as part of an interrelated whole is an admirable goal, this leads to my second problem.
Second, since aesthetics is such a 'squishy/stretchy' concept, how on earth are you supposed to measure it, or know when youre doing a great job at managing it? The scenarios where a manager would make one aesthetic change, and then see quantifiable results seems rare. It would strike me as more common that aesthetic changes go hand-in-hand with strategy re-assesments and realignments.
Still, even with my general reservations on the book, I can reccomend it as one of the better practicioner-focused books on branding and brand identity to come out in recent years.
The World is Yours........2000-02-18
Double S drops the 'marketing book' of the year. Now you tell me who won, I see them: they run. Ain't one of you got Cynko cells or somethin? Now when TP dropped the word on this book, I check it at my local library. Word is bond. It's phat.
Suits best cop it, and learn from it. This is better than any stuffed up text you'll find.
Clad in a MGM white T, light brown khaki's, gold around my neck, cigar in left hand, brass knuckles on my right. Cap pulled down, eyes shifty. Black Jag, dark tinted windows.
Others try to copy, beat it, with a twist of my wrist, i end all existence.
A Sensible Perspective.......2000-01-06
The authors assert that, within a marketing context, a company must find "a powerful point of differentiation through the use of aesthetics to create positive overall customer impressions that depict the multifaceted personality of the company or brand." How? The book explains how. Substantial attention is devoted to the branding phase during which a symbol is strategically created, conveys a positioning, provides tangible value, and is most effectively managed on a daily basis. "Drivers" of identity are also explained as is the procedure for cross-functional coordination and other components of what should be a cohesive, comprehensive, and cost-effective marketing program.
During the course of Marketing Aesthetics, the authors examine a number of different products for which various companies achieve "a powerful point of (aesthetics as a strategic tool); Lucent Technologies and Continental Airlines (creating identity and image through aesthetics); IBM (corporate and brand expressions); Starbucks and Gillette (styles); Pepperidge Farm Cookies (themes); The Four Seasons (overall customer impressions); LEGO and Bosch (comprehensive identity management); Godiva and Nike (retail spaces and environments); and Volkswagen, Netscape, and Yahoo! (corporate and brand identity on the Internet). Throughout Marketing Aesthetics, the focus is on real-world corporate experience which the authors carefully examine in support of their assertion that "Business processes do not provide value to customers. Core competencies do not. Even brands per se do not. Value is provided only by satisfying needs." Moreover, "In a world in which most consumers have their basic needs satisfied, value is easily provided by satisfying customers' experiential needs -- their aesthetic needs."
Marketing Aesthetics thus explains the most effective strategies for achieving both brand and identity objectives. Those who derive benefit from this book are urged to read the more recently published Experiential Marketing in which Schmitt develops even further ideas introduced in Marketing Aesthetics.
Keys to build identity, providing the artistic dimension.......1999-10-30
Brand management begins with a strategical business perspective, then engages in a marketing oriented brand plan (accompanied by psychographic studies of the consumer) to end up with artistic executions (such as labels, print ads or tv commercials). This multifunctional obligation makes a though order for those who really want to be a complete marketing manager. Companies have to accept that business schools not always prepare future managers in psychological aspects nor artistic appreciation, however these same future managers will be intented to direct marketing research, product design and brand communication. With this book, Alex Simonson and Bernd Schmitt provide a lift for those managers who want to understand these new dimensions of brand management. And, most of all, remind in the urgent need to understand that the consumer is not bound to logical and practical behaviour but rather, is always in the search for an experience, one wich will provide with a sense of good living. An acknowledgement for the authors who have managed to show in a practical format ways to integrate aesthetics to brand identity management.
Product Description
A Clear Eye for Branding uses a conversational mode to help you understand how customers bring their own meaning to your brand and how the brand must constantly meet the customers' expectations in order to stay in its prime. You will see branding in new, clear ways with a renewed energy to put everyone in your organization from top to bottom, on the same path to supporting the brand.
Customer Reviews:
Business girl in Houston.......2007-08-23
This book is an excellent read, it brilliantly add new meaning to the concept of branding and what it really means and the way it works.
Another good book by Mr Asacker.......2006-11-05
I took so many notes in this book. I often review them when I feel like there is a disconnect between me and my clients. Once again Tom shows how important the human connection is along with doing business for your client vs how YOU want to do business. After reading this my business model has changed dramatically along with many happy repeat clients. So often we model our service business after how we like to do things. "That's how I do it" attitude. Along with myself, I've seen many other service businesses crash like this. Read this book and change your business for the better. 5 stars again for Asacker.
Impactful, Clear, Quick, To-the-point.......2006-08-15
This book was great for me because it is structured as a conversation with two speakers making points and counterpoints- the book was like a conversation that might occur right in one of my company's meeting rooms, and for that reason I found it riveting, enjoyable-to-read, and applicable to real life business!
9 Stars.......2006-01-11
This is one of the best books I've read about branding, perhaps the best. It's very interesting, good written, .. simply 100%.
There's a new Tom in town and its not Peters........2006-01-05
This book is definately a hidden gem for business owners large and small. Tom gets right to the point bypassing the marketing babble to give us his clear take on today's most powerful concept in business. One of the few marketing books out there which the author lays it all on the table and shares all his valuable and insightful marketing advice with his readers. It sure is refreshing to finally read a book on marketing with out all the fluff and BS. Check out Tom's blog as well. You'll be glad you did. Good stuff.
Book Description
Learn how extraordinary companies do what they do so well, and obtain the tools and ideas you need to emulate them. Full of case studies and personal reflections by leaders of exceptional companies, this book is designed to help anyone transform their run-of-the-mill business into an extraordinary company–whether you operate a multinational corporation or a mom-and-pop shop. Calloway doesn’t offer any mumbo-jumbo or flavor-of-the-day buzzwords, just simple lessons that lead to real, proven results.
Customer Reviews:
Stand Out From The Competition.......2007-05-14
Joe Calloway has a way of connecting with the reader in "Becoming A Category of One". As you read the pages of this book, you will sense that he is talking to you at a level of your business soul.
In a world where nearly everything is becoming a comodity, Calloway teaches us how to stand out from the crowd. This book is important for bankers, lawyers, accountants, and others who get lumped in as an also-ran with their competition.
Just looking at the cover, how that one apple stands out because of its color, this is how we all want to shine in our careers. But to shine, you must be polished. This book will give you the tools to show how you are unique.
How to Create Your Own Category.......2007-03-05
Becoming a Category of One is primarily about branding, creating a strong corporate culture (but this often overused strategy doesn't smack you in the face 1,000 times in this book the way some crazy HR people do), and finding points of genuine differentiation for a business.
I liked the book. It isn't rocket science, but it has simple, valuable ideas that might get you thinking. It talks about how you can't differentiate on the basis of factors that are already generally common to your marketplace or are "entry-level" in nature and how, if you want to "become a category of one," you should:
1. Know more about the customer than anyone else does.
2. Get closer to the customer than anyone else.
3. Emotionally conenct with the customer better than anyone else.
Calloway goes on to describe how he feels you can accomplish this. You should study the marketplace thoroughly, go into a transaction with more knowledge than anyone else about your product and your customer's needs, and use corporate culture as a method of creating consistency of performance in your suborindates.
Calloway ends with a study of The Tractor Supply Company and discusses how management has taught each employee the importance of corporate values and of "doing the right thing."
If you're looking for a detailed study of branding or positioning, this book isn't for you (although it's still possibly worth reading for ideas). If you're looking for a nice collection of anecdotes, stories, and examples about branding, serving customers, and winning in a commoditized industry (which the author believes every industry to be to some extent), here it is!
A book on excellence masquerading as one on differentiating.......2006-04-26
I chose to read this book because its title lead me to believe I'd be reading about differentiation and creating a "new category" in the business world. I am pleased I read the book, but it was not about creating something new, but instead was about creating something exceptional. The author points out that companies with strategic leadership, exceptional sales people, a state of the art product, stellar operations, and excellent customer service are going to set themselves apart. However, setting oneself apart is not the same thing as creating a category of one. In my view, setting oneself apart means being at the top of a list within a category.
The author admits early in the book that the ideas he presents are not new or his. He says he is just a reporter. I agree. I recommend entrepreneurs read this book to get a feel for many of the things they will have to do to be successful when starting their new business. The author tells us what should be done, but he's kind of thin on telling us how to do it. Fortunately, the "how" is specific to each business and an entrepreneur should be able to figure how what he or she needs to do when preparing his or her business plan.
At one point the author provides a list of 3:
1. Know your customers
2. Get close to your customers
3. Emotionally connect to your customers
This sounded more like it was being directed to a sales team than someone who was leading a company to success. I would have liked the book better if the material about "sales" had been left out. Either the book was supposed to be about creating a great company or it was supposed to be about selling what a company has to offer. I don't think it was about both. Nor do I think it should have been about both.
It would have been nice if the author had pointed out that salesmen have to be great if they want to be successful at selling commodities. And great companies that don't produce commodities do not have to be particularly good salesmen - the products sell themselves.
Innovative yet elemental approach ... BEST professional read ..........2005-11-04
I work in the apparel industry where your brand is everything; compelling your consumer to aspire to the lifestyle & image your product represents. This book was an excellent read in providing an innovative yet elemental though ... stop gauging success by competition and strive for top performance by your own standards of excellence. I would also recommend this read from the personal "brand" perspective; marketing yourself as a unique entity that defies competition. Definitely a book that will stay on my bookshelf for reference throughout my career.
Do you know what your business does?.......2005-09-29
This book is not for every person in business, which is unfortunate because only those who "get" this book will have the years of fulfillment that come from really knowing why they are doing what they are doing and the immense satisfaction and success that comes with that kind of clarity and focus. This is a totally different "how to" business book that requires asking and anwering the most fundamental questions about what you do and why you do it. These are most the difficult questions to answer in a meaningful way, but the rewards are equally great. I had the great good fortune to work in a company that could be another study case for this book, so understand from that perspective the power of what Calloway is talking about. The second half of the book is a little weak and somewhat repetitive, but the first half makes the book more than worth the cover price if you truly want your business to excel and provide a rewarding experience for you and your staff. It's sometimes difficult to admit that, as Calloway points out, we do get what we want most.
Average customer rating:
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Creating Images and the Psychology of Marketing Communication (Advertising and Consumer Psychology)
Manufacturer: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
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ASIN: 0805852166 |
Book Description
The purpose of Creating Images and the Psychology of Marketing Communication is to advance the understanding of the concept of image as it is applied to various areas of interest. It also serves to meet the growing interest in image-related studies by the public and academics, and provides an innovative and holistic approach to the study of image. The text reflects the importance of brand leveraging as the sections cover in-depth discussion on cross-country and tourism images, corporate and sponsorship images, individual and celebrity images, and cultural and social images. It provides a comprehensive and holistic look at the concept of image: the topics range from theories of image creative to other image studies on a country, corporate, and individual level. The sections cover the major topics currently being debated in image marketing and the psychology of communications. Several new and innovative concepts are also introduced in the book.
Creating Images and the Psychology of Marketing Communication is intended for academics and scholars (including students) in the interdisciplinary fields of consumer psychology, marketing, and communication.
Customer Reviews:
Recommended Read.......2004-01-29
I thought "Show Biz" was thoroughly entertaining--and highly pertinent given today's media circus around everything from the California gubernatorial election to today's leading companies. I read Bernd Schmitt's previous books in my MBA marketing classes and find still his approach useful in aligning my marketing team around the customer experience. This book clearly showed me how entertainment is becoming part of the marketing mix, and energized me to use show business to increase my reach and relevancy with customers. I highly recommend it.
The Show and The Business.......2004-01-29
This book is clever and entertaining. It's anecdotal and moves quickly, but packs a lot of punch. It covers a broad span of businesses and illustrates just how this new type of "Show" business is fundamentally changing marketing all over the world. The authors make a strong case for this type of marketing with their commentary on today's consumer/business culture. I think this book would be edifying for industry insiders and anyone at all interested in today's marketing world.
The book itself has a "show biz" appeal to it, but it backs up the "show" by getting down to business. I recommend There's No Business That's Not Show Business for anyone concerned with cutting edge marketing or branding issues today.
This book is a joke!.......2003-11-25
I have read all books from this author. What can I say? His first and second were good. I don't know what happened, but the quality of his books have been falling since then. The book is full of examples of what can you do to bring a little "show" into your "business", too bad it's written for those few people who get to manage a huge brand, or have something of an unlimited budget to play with! Of course I'd like to have live shows for my customers! Of course launching a watch at a fancy New York dance club sounds cool! Of course I'd love a theme park or a museum of my own! After reading some pages you start wondering if Schmitt is writing for someone to read this book or he's just trying to sell his consulting business. After reading pearls like:"if you're starting a $150 million promotional campaign...", I just had to close this book and look for something more interesting to do. (There's a long time I leave a book unfinished, but this one is entitled to this honor). Get real...
Books:
- Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, 6/e, with PowerWeb
- Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, 6/e, with PowerWeb
- Advertising and Promotion: An Integrated Marketing Communications Perspective, 6/e, with PowerWeb
- Advertising: Principles and Practice (7th Edition) (Advertising: Principles and Practice)
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
- Blue Ocean Strategy: How to Create Uncontested Market Space and Make Competition Irrelevant
- Business Market Management: Understanding, Creating and Delivering Value (2nd Edition)
- Creating a Profitable Catalog: Everything You Need to Know to Create a Catalog That Sells
Books Index
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