Title: Connective Branding
Authors: Claudia Fisher-Buttinger and Christine Vallaster
Publisher: Wiley
Reviewed by: Graham Ellor, director of planning, TDA
Oh no! I thought when asked to review a book on branding. I had images of wading through the same old principles rehashed to sound fresh and innovative. When I read the prologue and introduction, I felt my worst fears were about to be realised. Here were the familiar themes of brands addressing multiple audiences and organisations living their brand values.
However, I persisted and found that this was a book full of hidden gems. I particularly liked the use of case studies and the question-based sections within each chapter act as useful aides de memoire when considering a set of issues. It’s also refreshing to see authors who are not afraid to (politely) criticise brands falling short of the mark.
Because its remit is so wide, the book tries to satisfy audiences from novices through to those more experienced in branding. Potentially this could be off-putting for anyone with a certain degree of brand literacy. However, the book is structured so that this audience can dip in at relevant points, skipping through the rest.
A book spreading its net wide is bound to cover some old ground. It’s always been true that brands aren’t just about communication, and that values should permeate an organisation. Rather than paying lip-service to this, the book shows practical examples where organisations have brought it to life. Additionally, the authors make an excellent point about brands standing for something simple and powerful. I’ve lost count of the number of companies who overcomplicate things with a kitchen sink approach.
From a B2B perspective, although some of the nuances may vary, the underlying principles are applicable and there are plenty of useful and usable insights.
All in all, this is a good (if slightly theoretical) read – I’ll certainly be keeping it on my shelf.
