Title: Brand alchemy – Developing successful brands from the inside out
Authors: Susanna Mitterer and Nick Brice
Published by: Blackhall
I’m tempted to say that you do not need to read this book because the cover says it all. The overall premise is that you need to build a brand on the internal truth of the company – product, strategy, vision and, above all, the people. But as well as arguing the case (very well) for this approach, it provides a comprehensive set of practical tools to develop and deliver a successful brand – something you cannot get from the title alone! Also, be prepared for most of this being change management rather than marketing.
The book is structured into a process to using four overall stages – investigation, inspiration, implementation and integration. This approach is pretty similar to any processes I’ve experienced, but the gems are found in some of the practical tools and tips throughout. It starts with the BRAVE approach (Brand Relationship And Values Equity) and continues in this vein. If you like acronyms you’ll love this book – there are over 20 tools, processes or acronyms. Personally I get acronym fatigue, especially where there are two for the same letters (‘Authentic, Balanced, Congruent’ and ‘Achievable, Believable, Consistent’) but many are really valuable to anyone faced with the responsibility for brand development.
I fundamentally agree with the principles here. It turns traditional marketing on its head and creates a brand that will better stand the test of time. I believe branding can only be developed with HR and marketing people together. This book takes this a stage further with a multi-disciplined team tasked with making the change. This deeper approach has to be a good thing – a sustainable brand is just as much about HR managers recruiting against brand fit as it is marcoms executives applying identity guidelines.
By Simon Ward, MD, Promodus
