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Brand New: The Shape of Brands to Come
The world’s leading practitioner of branding predicts the future of companies’ identities in an ever -changing marketing landscape What is the future for brands and branding? Does globalization mean that variety and individuality will be crushed out of existence by massive multinationals? Will everywhere and everything become similar, like the world of airports today? Or will there still be room for brands that thrive on being different? What about the impact of digital technology and increasing customer feedback through the internet and social media? What, in fact, do customers want? Today's businesses, in addition to thinking about price and authenticity, have to deal with corporate social responsibility. How does this affect the products and services we consume? How does it influence the way we feel about organizations? Are corporations here to maximize profits and grow, or to help society, or both? With the rapid rise of new markets in India, China, Brazil, and elsewhere, will new global brands emerge based around local cultural strengths and heritage? If so, what will this mean for the traditional dominance of brands based on Western cultural norms?
Wally Olins's fascinating book looks at every aspect of the world of branding. With his customary flair and no-nonsense prose, he analyzes the problems facing today's organizations, criticizes corporate missteps, praises those companies who seem to be building and sustaining brands efficiently in our brave new world, and predicts the future of branding. No one interested in marketing, business, or contemporary culture will want to be without this book. 25 illustrations in black-and-white
Wally Olins's fascinating book looks at every aspect of the world of branding. With his customary flair and no-nonsense prose, he analyzes the problems facing today's organizations, criticizes corporate missteps, praises those companies who seem to be building and sustaining brands efficiently in our brave new world, and predicts the future of branding. No one interested in marketing, business, or contemporary culture will want to be without this book. 25 illustrations in black-and-white
- GenresDesignNonfictionBusiness
300 pages, Paperback
First published April 7, 2014
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345 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 8, 2017
This reads like a book of opinions written at the end of a long career with a overall sense of setting out someone's last words. Well I don't really know if this will be Olins last words, but it truly is a set of opinions after a long career. Mostly, this works very well.
At its best this book is excellent - well written in a simple clear style that is easy to follow and easy to let wash over you, not something you can say about many business books. At its best the content is enlightening, intriguing and educational. It is not always at its best. None of it is bad, but there is a slight sense towards the end of a slightly random assortment of chapters, included simply because they cover topics related to branding and Olins has something to say about them. This is forgivable, if only because he writes so nicely, and even off-topic he has interesting opinions. But don't expect one big message or a comprehensive guide to branding.
Olins never really sets out what a brand is, but it is obvious he takes a broad view of branding. The first four chapters of the book are excellent - and could be of interest to anyone with an interest in business, let alone branding. These could almost be read as a primer to modern business. The next two are good, but more normal branding materials - answering questions like will big brands take over everywhere, and what is the impact of globalisation on branding. Anyone with a particularly western view of business could gain a broader perspective from reading chapter 6.
The last two chapters extend branding to the concept of branding nations and places. I don't think this works so well. It's not that Olins does not make valid points, but it reads like someone arguing about something they have never quite managed to achieve yet they still want to argue about it. I think these chapters would be better in a separate book. Whereas in the first six chapters Olins comes across as wise and balanced, these final two chapters are intelligent but naive. They seem to miss the whole point that a large democracy has complex politics and varying opinions which will probably always get in the way of successfully branding a country in a consistent way. The examples he gives of successful national branding - Turkey under Ataturk and Singapore under Lee Kwan Yew were hardly exemplars of liberal democracy. It's just a bit odd to end the book on these topics - even though I stress again his writing is good and he makes many interesting points.
At the very end of the book is a short summary of his career. Again interesting and amusing, but this re-emphasises this book is as much opinions at the end of a career than a guide to branding.
Overall? Read this if you like big long-term thinking about business. Also read this if you want to see how well a business book can be written. Don't bother if you are looking for your classic "how to" branding guide or introduction to branding.
At its best this book is excellent - well written in a simple clear style that is easy to follow and easy to let wash over you, not something you can say about many business books. At its best the content is enlightening, intriguing and educational. It is not always at its best. None of it is bad, but there is a slight sense towards the end of a slightly random assortment of chapters, included simply because they cover topics related to branding and Olins has something to say about them. This is forgivable, if only because he writes so nicely, and even off-topic he has interesting opinions. But don't expect one big message or a comprehensive guide to branding.
Olins never really sets out what a brand is, but it is obvious he takes a broad view of branding. The first four chapters of the book are excellent - and could be of interest to anyone with an interest in business, let alone branding. These could almost be read as a primer to modern business. The next two are good, but more normal branding materials - answering questions like will big brands take over everywhere, and what is the impact of globalisation on branding. Anyone with a particularly western view of business could gain a broader perspective from reading chapter 6.
The last two chapters extend branding to the concept of branding nations and places. I don't think this works so well. It's not that Olins does not make valid points, but it reads like someone arguing about something they have never quite managed to achieve yet they still want to argue about it. I think these chapters would be better in a separate book. Whereas in the first six chapters Olins comes across as wise and balanced, these final two chapters are intelligent but naive. They seem to miss the whole point that a large democracy has complex politics and varying opinions which will probably always get in the way of successfully branding a country in a consistent way. The examples he gives of successful national branding - Turkey under Ataturk and Singapore under Lee Kwan Yew were hardly exemplars of liberal democracy. It's just a bit odd to end the book on these topics - even though I stress again his writing is good and he makes many interesting points.
At the very end of the book is a short summary of his career. Again interesting and amusing, but this re-emphasises this book is as much opinions at the end of a career than a guide to branding.
Overall? Read this if you like big long-term thinking about business. Also read this if you want to see how well a business book can be written. Don't bother if you are looking for your classic "how to" branding guide or introduction to branding.
May 15, 2018
Excellent insights as always from a leader in the field
May 30, 2022
A worthwhile read on the large-scale impact of branding in business, countries, and various experiences. Where things started and where things might be headed. It does feel a bit dated (2014) and could benefit from an update.
This book enlightened me on the very existence of RyanAir (and I'm now obsessed with their Twitter feed).
This book enlightened me on the very existence of RyanAir (and I'm now obsessed with their Twitter feed).
August 22, 2019
Una muy buena introducción al mundo del branding para quienes no venimos de ahí. Me encantó el análisis de las marcas ciudad o país, como cuando dice que todos compramos ropa de Zara hecha en Bangladesh, pero de Bangladesh no ha surgido aún ninguna marca de ropa global.
April 17, 2021
Good to read :))
June 12, 2016
Enlightening and makes you wonder how modern day has somewhat missed the mark on advertising by flooding the senses and missing the message. That a brand is not a logo, a logo is just an asterisk, it's what the company, business and or service that is the true brand.
March 12, 2015
Visionario.
January 20, 2016
An interesting view of the future of brands in which global brands keeping getting bigger and more competitive, yet there is more and more opportunity for small local brands--i.e., the beer industry.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews