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Aaker on Branding: 20 Principles That Drive Success
"Aaker on Branding" presents in a compact form the twenty essential principles of branding that will lead to the creation of strong brands. Culled from the six David Aaker brand books and related publications, these principles provide the broad understanding of brands, brand strategy, brand portfolios, and brand building that all business, marketing, and brand strategists should know. "Aaker on Branding" is a source for how you create and maintain strong brands and synergetic brand portfolios. It provides a checklist of strategies, perspectives, tools, and concepts that represents not only what you should know but also what action options should be on the table. When followed, these principles will lead to strong, enduring brands that both support business strategies going forward and create coherent and effective brand families. Those now interested in and involved with branding are faced with information overload, not only from the Aaker books but from others as well. It is hard to know what to read and which elements to adapt. There are a lot of good ideas out there but also some that are inferior, need updating, or are subject to being misinterpreted and misapplied. And there are some ideas that, while plausible, are simply wrong if not dangerous especially if taken literally. "Aaker on Branding"offers a sense of topic priorities and a roadmap to David Aaker's books, thinking, and contributions. As it structures the larger literature of the brand field, it also advances the theory of branding and the practice of brand management and, by extension, the practice of business management.
- GenresBusinessNonfiction
220 pages, Paperback
First published February 1, 2014
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519 people want to read
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November 30, 2025
(The English review is placed beneath the Russian one)
Суть книги можно уложить в тезис о важности нахождения уникальной торговой позиции, т.е. чего-то такого (некого свойства товара/услуги), что не только важно и нужно потребителю, но что не смогут предложить другие бренды, а также поддержание этого уникального предложения в течение многих лет с помощью инноваций. Впрочем, это суть, сердцевина и главная работа любого маркетолога. В мире существует множество брендов, которые обещают удовлетворить любую возникающую у потребителей потребность. В такой ситуации всё сложнее и сложнее не только потеснить старых лидеров на «старом» рынке (что сделать очень трудно), но и занять новую позицию на только что появившемся рынке.
По сути, книга прямо говорит: бренд должен предложить что-то такое от чего потребитель не смог бы отказаться. Это и есть уникальное предложение (которое на то и уникальное что его не могут скопировать конкуренты). Далее уже идёт практическая работа маркетолога по поиску уникальности и работе с каналами коммуникации по продвижению данного бренда. Так как в книге очень много пустословия, найти данное предложение довольно не просто, но в одном месте я всё же нашёл суть того, чем является брендинг. В следующем абзаце Аакер точно и емко определяет эту суть и по факту, этим можно закончить своё знакомство с этой книгой т.к. далее идёт текст, который я бы определил как второстепенный и самоочевидный.
Most hotel chains suffer from being undifferentiated and even bland. In contrast, the Joie de Vivre hotel chain created energy with personality-driven hotels around concepts like a neo-deco feel, the rock scene, literary salons of the 1930s, the theater setting, or French Chateau styling. All airlines seem very similar until you consider the energy created by the personality profiles of brands like Singapore, Southwest, and Virgin. Think of the energy surrounding the personality of the AXE brand—the brand as-a-person is obsessed by and successful with attractive women.
В данном примере мы видим ответ на самый главный вопрос в маркетинге, который любой маркетолог должен задать сам себе: почему клиенты выбирают наши бренды? Если не брать в расчёт вопрос цены, то данный отель нашёл для своего бренда уникальное предложение вокруг которого можно и нужно строить маркетинговую/брендинговую политику, о которой и пишет далее автор, но в связи с тем, что всё это самоочевидно и достаточно интуитивно, особого смысла читать далее, нет.
Говоря о пустословии и о том, как в книге по маркетингу можно легко найти пример из маркетинговой практики, который является примером провальной работы маркетолога, что я отметил совсем недавно в недавно вышедшей книге «Brand Desire Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights», я бы отметил в этой книге такой пример:
The Berkeley-Haas School of Business created a brand vision that stimulated extensive changes in the school, helping them to refine the student body, the faculty, the research programs, and the curriculum. The four core brand vision elements are:
• Question the Status Quo. “We lead by championing bold ideas, taking intelligent risks, and accepting sensible failures. This means speaking our minds even while it challenges convention. We thrive at the world’s epicenter of innovation.” Captures the aspiration of big ideas and the vitality of the innovation process.
• Confidence without Attitude. “We made decisions based on evidence and analysis, giving us the confidence to act without arrogance. We lead through trust and collaboration.” Highly differentiating.
• Students Always. “We are a community designed for curiosity and the lifelong pursuit of personal and intellectual growth. This is not a place for those who feel they have learned all they need to learn.” Makes Berkeley-Haas relevant to alumni and executive programs.
• Beyond Yourself. “We shape our world by leading ethically and responsibly. As stewards of our enterprises, we take the longer view in our decisions and actions. This often means putting larger interests above our own.” Describes a higher purpose.
Как вы думаете, к каким ещё образовательным учреждениями можно применить эту стратегию, это видения? Ко всем. Ко всем т.к. все вышеперечисленные тезисы являются очень неконкретными, расплывчатыми и применимыми к любому образовательному учреждению. В вышеперечисленных тезисах нет никакой уникальности. Это просто красивые слова, за которыми ничего не стоит. Любая школа и любой университет может про себя сказать: «We lead by championing bold ideas, taking intelligent risks, and accepting sensible failures» или «We shape our world by leading ethically and responsibly» или «We are a community designed for curiosity and the lifelong pursuit of personal and intellectual growth». Это пример плохой работы маркетолога.
-----------
The essence of the book can be summed up in the thesis about the importance of finding a unique selling point, i.e., something (some feature of the goods/services) that is not only important and necessary for the consumer, but also cannot be offered by other brands, as well as maintaining this unique offering over many years through innovation. However, this is the essence, the core, and the main job of any marketer. There are many brands in the world that promise to satisfy any consumer need that arises. In such a situation, it is becoming increasingly difficult not only to displace the old leaders in the “old” market (which is very difficult to do), but also to occupy a new position in a newly emerging market.
Essentially, the book states directly that a brand must offer something that consumers cannot refuse. This is a unique proposition (which is unique in that it cannot be copied by competitors). Next comes the practical work of the marketer in searching for uniqueness and working with communication channels to promote the brand. Since the book contains a lot of empty talk, it is not easy to find this proposition, but in one place, I did find the essence of what branding is. In the following paragraph, Aaker accurately and concisely defines this essence, and, in fact, this is where one could finish reading this book, as the rest of the text is what I would describe as secondary and self-evident.
Most hotel chains suffer from being undifferentiated and even bland. In contrast, the Joie de Vivre hotel chain created energy with personality-driven hotels around concepts like a neo-deco feel, the rock scene, literary salons of the 1930s, the theater setting, or French Chateau styling. All airlines seem very similar until you consider the energy created by the personality profiles of brands like Singapore, Southwest, and Virgin. Think of the energy surrounding the personality of the AXE brand—the brand as-a-person is obsessed by and successful with attractive women.
In this example, we see the answer to the most important question in marketing, which every marketer should ask themselves: why do customers choose our brands? If we disregard the issue of price, this hotel has found a unique selling proposition for its brand around which it can and should build its marketing/branding policy, as the author goes on to write. However, since all this is self-evident and fairly intuitive, there is no particular point in reading further.
Speaking of empty talk and how it is easy to find examples of marketing failures in marketing books, which I noted recently in the recently published book Brand Desire Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights, I would like to highlight the following example from this book:
The Berkeley-Haas School of Business created a brand vision that stimulated extensive changes in the school, helping them to refine the student body, the faculty, the research programs, and the curriculum. The four core brand vision elements are:
• Question the Status Quo. “We lead by championing bold ideas, taking intelligent risks, and accepting sensible failures. This means speaking our minds even while it challenges convention. We thrive at the world’s epicenter of innovation.” Captures the aspiration of big ideas and the vitality of the innovation process.
• Confidence without Attitude. “We made decisions based on evidence and analysis, giving us the confidence to act without arrogance. We lead through trust and collaboration.” Highly differentiating.
• Students Always. “We are a community designed for curiosity and the lifelong pursuit of personal and intellectual growth. This is not a place for those who feel they have learned all they need to learn.” Makes Berkeley-Haas relevant to alumni and executive programs.
• Beyond Yourself. “We shape our world by leading ethically and responsibly. As stewards of our enterprises, we take the longer view in our decisions and actions. This often means putting larger interests above our own.” Describes a higher purpose.
What other educational institutions do you think this strategy and vision could be applied to? All of them. All of them, because all of the above statements are very vague, ambiguous, and applicable to any educational institution. There is nothing unique about the above statements. These are just pretty words with no real meaning behind them. Any school or university can say about itself: “We lead by championing bold ideas, taking intelligent risks, and accepting sensible failures”, or “We shape our world by leading ethically and responsibly”, or “We are a community designed for curiosity and the lifelong pursuit of personal and intellectual growth.” There is a great deal of such empty and meaningless text in the book. This is an example of poor marketing work.
Суть книги можно уложить в тезис о важности нахождения уникальной торговой позиции, т.е. чего-то такого (некого свойства товара/услуги), что не только важно и нужно потребителю, но что не смогут предложить другие бренды, а также поддержание этого уникального предложения в течение многих лет с помощью инноваций. Впрочем, это суть, сердцевина и главная работа любого маркетолога. В мире существует множество брендов, которые обещают удовлетворить любую возникающую у потребителей потребность. В такой ситуации всё сложнее и сложнее не только потеснить старых лидеров на «старом» рынке (что сделать очень трудно), но и занять новую позицию на только что появившемся рынке.
По сути, книга прямо говорит: бренд должен предложить что-то такое от чего потребитель не смог бы отказаться. Это и есть уникальное предложение (которое на то и уникальное что его не могут скопировать конкуренты). Далее уже идёт практическая работа маркетолога по поиску уникальности и работе с каналами коммуникации по продвижению данного бренда. Так как в книге очень много пустословия, найти данное предложение довольно не просто, но в одном месте я всё же нашёл суть того, чем является брендинг. В следующем абзаце Аакер точно и емко определяет эту суть и по факту, этим можно закончить своё знакомство с этой книгой т.к. далее идёт текст, который я бы определил как второстепенный и самоочевидный.
Most hotel chains suffer from being undifferentiated and even bland. In contrast, the Joie de Vivre hotel chain created energy with personality-driven hotels around concepts like a neo-deco feel, the rock scene, literary salons of the 1930s, the theater setting, or French Chateau styling. All airlines seem very similar until you consider the energy created by the personality profiles of brands like Singapore, Southwest, and Virgin. Think of the energy surrounding the personality of the AXE brand—the brand as-a-person is obsessed by and successful with attractive women.
В данном примере мы видим ответ на самый главный вопрос в маркетинге, который любой маркетолог должен задать сам себе: почему клиенты выбирают наши бренды? Если не брать в расчёт вопрос цены, то данный отель нашёл для своего бренда уникальное предложение вокруг которого можно и нужно строить маркетинговую/брендинговую политику, о которой и пишет далее автор, но в связи с тем, что всё это самоочевидно и достаточно интуитивно, особого смысла читать далее, нет.
Говоря о пустословии и о том, как в книге по маркетингу можно легко найти пример из маркетинговой практики, который является примером провальной работы маркетолога, что я отметил совсем недавно в недавно вышедшей книге «Brand Desire Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights», я бы отметил в этой книге такой пример:
The Berkeley-Haas School of Business created a brand vision that stimulated extensive changes in the school, helping them to refine the student body, the faculty, the research programs, and the curriculum. The four core brand vision elements are:
• Question the Status Quo. “We lead by championing bold ideas, taking intelligent risks, and accepting sensible failures. This means speaking our minds even while it challenges convention. We thrive at the world’s epicenter of innovation.” Captures the aspiration of big ideas and the vitality of the innovation process.
• Confidence without Attitude. “We made decisions based on evidence and analysis, giving us the confidence to act without arrogance. We lead through trust and collaboration.” Highly differentiating.
• Students Always. “We are a community designed for curiosity and the lifelong pursuit of personal and intellectual growth. This is not a place for those who feel they have learned all they need to learn.” Makes Berkeley-Haas relevant to alumni and executive programs.
• Beyond Yourself. “We shape our world by leading ethically and responsibly. As stewards of our enterprises, we take the longer view in our decisions and actions. This often means putting larger interests above our own.” Describes a higher purpose.
Как вы думаете, к каким ещё образовательным учреждениями можно применить эту стратегию, это видения? Ко всем. Ко всем т.к. все вышеперечисленные тезисы являются очень неконкретными, расплывчатыми и применимыми к любому образовательному учреждению. В вышеперечисленных тезисах нет никакой уникальности. Это просто красивые слова, за которыми ничего не стоит. Любая школа и любой университет может про себя сказать: «We lead by championing bold ideas, taking intelligent risks, and accepting sensible failures» или «We shape our world by leading ethically and responsibly» или «We are a community designed for curiosity and the lifelong pursuit of personal and intellectual growth». Это пример плохой работы маркетолога.
-----------
The essence of the book can be summed up in the thesis about the importance of finding a unique selling point, i.e., something (some feature of the goods/services) that is not only important and necessary for the consumer, but also cannot be offered by other brands, as well as maintaining this unique offering over many years through innovation. However, this is the essence, the core, and the main job of any marketer. There are many brands in the world that promise to satisfy any consumer need that arises. In such a situation, it is becoming increasingly difficult not only to displace the old leaders in the “old” market (which is very difficult to do), but also to occupy a new position in a newly emerging market.
Essentially, the book states directly that a brand must offer something that consumers cannot refuse. This is a unique proposition (which is unique in that it cannot be copied by competitors). Next comes the practical work of the marketer in searching for uniqueness and working with communication channels to promote the brand. Since the book contains a lot of empty talk, it is not easy to find this proposition, but in one place, I did find the essence of what branding is. In the following paragraph, Aaker accurately and concisely defines this essence, and, in fact, this is where one could finish reading this book, as the rest of the text is what I would describe as secondary and self-evident.
Most hotel chains suffer from being undifferentiated and even bland. In contrast, the Joie de Vivre hotel chain created energy with personality-driven hotels around concepts like a neo-deco feel, the rock scene, literary salons of the 1930s, the theater setting, or French Chateau styling. All airlines seem very similar until you consider the energy created by the personality profiles of brands like Singapore, Southwest, and Virgin. Think of the energy surrounding the personality of the AXE brand—the brand as-a-person is obsessed by and successful with attractive women.
In this example, we see the answer to the most important question in marketing, which every marketer should ask themselves: why do customers choose our brands? If we disregard the issue of price, this hotel has found a unique selling proposition for its brand around which it can and should build its marketing/branding policy, as the author goes on to write. However, since all this is self-evident and fairly intuitive, there is no particular point in reading further.
Speaking of empty talk and how it is easy to find examples of marketing failures in marketing books, which I noted recently in the recently published book Brand Desire Spark Customer Interest Using Emotional Insights, I would like to highlight the following example from this book:
The Berkeley-Haas School of Business created a brand vision that stimulated extensive changes in the school, helping them to refine the student body, the faculty, the research programs, and the curriculum. The four core brand vision elements are:
• Question the Status Quo. “We lead by championing bold ideas, taking intelligent risks, and accepting sensible failures. This means speaking our minds even while it challenges convention. We thrive at the world’s epicenter of innovation.” Captures the aspiration of big ideas and the vitality of the innovation process.
• Confidence without Attitude. “We made decisions based on evidence and analysis, giving us the confidence to act without arrogance. We lead through trust and collaboration.” Highly differentiating.
• Students Always. “We are a community designed for curiosity and the lifelong pursuit of personal and intellectual growth. This is not a place for those who feel they have learned all they need to learn.” Makes Berkeley-Haas relevant to alumni and executive programs.
• Beyond Yourself. “We shape our world by leading ethically and responsibly. As stewards of our enterprises, we take the longer view in our decisions and actions. This often means putting larger interests above our own.” Describes a higher purpose.
What other educational institutions do you think this strategy and vision could be applied to? All of them. All of them, because all of the above statements are very vague, ambiguous, and applicable to any educational institution. There is nothing unique about the above statements. These are just pretty words with no real meaning behind them. Any school or university can say about itself: “We lead by championing bold ideas, taking intelligent risks, and accepting sensible failures”, or “We shape our world by leading ethically and responsibly”, or “We are a community designed for curiosity and the lifelong pursuit of personal and intellectual growth.” There is a great deal of such empty and meaningless text in the book. This is an example of poor marketing work.
February 13, 2023
Summarized from the six David Aaker brand books and related publications, the principles presented on this book provide the broad understanding of brands, brand strategy, brand portfolios, and brand building that all business, marketing, and brand strategists should know.
The book provides a checklist of strategies, perspectives, tools, and concepts that represents what you should know in times when it is hard to know what to read and which elements to adapt. "Aaker on Branding" structures the larger literature of the brand field, it also advances the theory of branding and the practice of brand management and, by extension, the practice of business management.
The book provides a checklist of strategies, perspectives, tools, and concepts that represents what you should know in times when it is hard to know what to read and which elements to adapt. "Aaker on Branding" structures the larger literature of the brand field, it also advances the theory of branding and the practice of brand management and, by extension, the practice of business management.
July 27, 2015
A worthy book - a better-than-average high-level overview of trends, insights, and best practices in modern-day branding.
Aaker on Branding was my first encounter with David Aaker, whose reputation is certainly substantial. On the basis of this material, he seems to be the real deal, an optimal combination of academic and practitioner (properly leaning toward the latter).
This book is best for the MBA student/recent grad, or someone moving into marketing/branding from another field. As with all popular writing on marketing, the focus here is nearly exclusively on consumer brands - and generally on nurturing and expanding existing brands with substantial resources and scale.
There’s nothing of note on B2B branding (still a major gap in overall research and practice both), even less on creating a brand from scratch, and most unfortunately, very little on how to measure branding effectiveness quantitatively.
But it’s hard for me to imagine a more useful distillation and summary of how to approach large-scale consumer brand-building in the early 21st century.
The self-published vibe of the book led me to think it would be a lightweight giveaway advertising the services of Aaker’s consulting company. While that’s still certainly the implication, the firm itself is never mentioned, and the book stands on its own. Worth the time and attention if you’re its target audience.
Aaker on Branding was my first encounter with David Aaker, whose reputation is certainly substantial. On the basis of this material, he seems to be the real deal, an optimal combination of academic and practitioner (properly leaning toward the latter).
This book is best for the MBA student/recent grad, or someone moving into marketing/branding from another field. As with all popular writing on marketing, the focus here is nearly exclusively on consumer brands - and generally on nurturing and expanding existing brands with substantial resources and scale.
There’s nothing of note on B2B branding (still a major gap in overall research and practice both), even less on creating a brand from scratch, and most unfortunately, very little on how to measure branding effectiveness quantitatively.
But it’s hard for me to imagine a more useful distillation and summary of how to approach large-scale consumer brand-building in the early 21st century.
The self-published vibe of the book led me to think it would be a lightweight giveaway advertising the services of Aaker’s consulting company. While that’s still certainly the implication, the firm itself is never mentioned, and the book stands on its own. Worth the time and attention if you’re its target audience.
August 7, 2017
Аакер вполне заслуженно считается классиком современного маркетинга. Книга представляет собой настоящий энциклопедический справочник по теме "современный брендинг и выстроенные вокруг бренда ИМК". В бОльшей степени книга рассчитана на маркетологов, работающих в крупных компаниях (мировые, федеральны�� или хотя бы региональные бренды), но и для малого бизнеса можно найти ценные рекомендации.
Брендинг рассматривается как главный "стержень" в стратегии бизнеса, вокруг которого выстраиваются все коммуникации за пределами и внутри организации. Т.е. предполагается, что читатель книги, прочитав её, обладает правом переделать всё стратегическое управление в компании в соответствии с принципами Аакера :). Вряд ли такая власть есть у рядового маркетолога (книгу надо читать CEO и топам); но даже рядовой маркетолог может найти в ней полезные идеи.
Очень много про диалог с клиентами и с собственными сотрудниками; про создание реальных и виртуальных сообществ, основанных на ценностях бренда. Также много конкретных советов, откуда взять / как создать эти самые "ценности бренда" :) .
Из минусов: книга плохо структурирована :( . В упор не нашёл там "20 принципов успеха" (по-моему, их там намного больше ;)). Написана несколько академично, читается тяжеловато. Поэтому лучше сразу читать с карандашом, выписывая те идеи, которые могут быть актуальными для вас.
Брендинг рассматривается как главный "стержень" в стратегии бизнеса, вокруг которого выстраиваются все коммуникации за пределами и внутри организации. Т.е. предполагается, что читатель книги, прочитав её, обладает правом переделать всё стратегическое управление в компании в соответствии с принципами Аакера :). Вряд ли такая власть есть у рядового маркетолога (книгу надо читать CEO и топам); но даже рядовой маркетолог может найти в ней полезные идеи.
Очень много про диалог с клиентами и с собственными сотрудниками; про создание реальных и виртуальных сообществ, основанных на ценностях бренда. Также много конкретных советов, откуда взять / как создать эти самые "ценности бренда" :) .
Из минусов: книга плохо структурирована :( . В упор не нашёл там "20 принципов успеха" (по-моему, их там намного больше ;)). Написана несколько академично, читается тяжеловато. Поэтому лучше сразу читать с карандашом, выписывая те идеи, которые могут быть актуальными для вас.
November 11, 2020
I have read the book “Aaker on branding: 20 principles that drive success”. I’m MBA student & the book was like a task to be completed. However, the book honestly added excellent further value to me in marketing & branding.
The book help me to understand Brading benefits & importance. The author of the book provides clear simple explanations of brand concept with examples, strategies, and action to be taken that help in creating strong business brand. I would recommend reading this book by businessmen too.
The book help me to understand Brading benefits & importance. The author of the book provides clear simple explanations of brand concept with examples, strategies, and action to be taken that help in creating strong business brand. I would recommend reading this book by businessmen too.
August 13, 2019
Vizyon yaratmak, olmazsa olmazlar, süreklilik bölümleri haricinde uygulanabilir bölümler göremedim bu bölümler için 5 🌟 diğer bölümlerde hep amerikan marka örnekleri beni kitaptan uzaklaştırdı.
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May 16, 2025*Aaker on Branding* distills the decades-long expertise of branding authority **David Aaker** into **20 foundational principles** for building, managing, and evolving successful brands. More than a how-to guide, the book offers a strategic framework that bridges **brand development, organizational alignment, customer experience**, and **business growth** in a rapidly changing marketplace.
---
### **Core Premise**
Brands are strategic assets that drive business success—not just logos or marketing tools. To build a powerful brand, organizations must go beyond short-term tactics and commit to long-term strategies rooted in differentiation, consistency, and customer value.
---
### **The 20 Principles (Grouped by Theme)**
#### **1. Strategic Role of Branding**
1. **Branding is strategic** — It’s not just marketing; it’s fundamental to business strategy.
2. **Brands drive business success** — Strong brands improve margins, loyalty, and market value.
3. **Brand strategy must be part of the business strategy** — Brand direction should guide innovation, culture, and operations.
#### **2. Brand Identity and Positioning**
4. **Define a clear brand identity** — Articulate your brand’s core purpose, values, and personality.
5. **Go beyond functional benefits** — Build emotional and self-expressive connections with customers.
6. **Create a brand position that’s relevant, different, and sustainable** — Focus on what sets you apart in the market.
#### **3. Differentiation and Value Creation**
7. **Use brand as a vehicle for differentiation** — Unique positioning is critical in crowded markets.
8. **Develop branded innovations** — Innovation tied to brand values deepens relevance and distinctiveness.
9. **Own a brand "sweet spot"** — Align brand messaging with cultural or customer trends that resonate deeply.
#### **4. Brand Architecture**
10. **Manage brand portfolios wisely** — Optimize sub-brands, endorsed brands, and master brands for clarity and synergy.
11. **Build strong sub-brands when needed** — Use them strategically to target new markets or offerings.
12. **Clarify roles and relationships within brand architecture** — Avoid customer confusion and internal misalignment.
#### **5. Brand Building and Management**
13. **Internal branding is key** — Employees must understand and embody the brand.
14. **Deliver on the brand promise** — Consistency across every customer touchpoint is essential.
15. **Use brand as a platform for customer experience** — Build loyalty by exceeding expectations.
#### **6. Adapting and Evolving the Brand**
16. **Brands must adapt to change** — Stay relevant in shifting markets without losing your identity.
17. **Brand revitalization is possible** — Use strategic innovation and re-positioning to revive stagnant brands.
18. **Leverage customer communities and co-creation** — Engage audiences in shaping the brand experience.
#### **7. Metrics and Accountability**
19. **Measure what matters** — Track brand equity, relevance, and perception—not just short-term ROI.
20. **Long-term brand investment pays off** — Resist the lure of short-termism in favor of sustainable brand value.
---
### **Key Themes**
* **Brands as assets**: Branding should be treated as seriously as product development or finance.
* **Differentiation through meaning**: Successful brands connect with customers on deeper emotional or cultural levels.
* **Consistency + flexibility**: Strong brands balance core identity with the ability to adapt and evolve.
---
### **Core Takeaways**
* Brand-building is not a marketing function—it’s a business imperative.
* Differentiation, consistency, and clarity are the foundation of every great brand.
* Long-term brand health requires strategic thinking, innovation, and customer alignment.
---
### **Core Premise**
Brands are strategic assets that drive business success—not just logos or marketing tools. To build a powerful brand, organizations must go beyond short-term tactics and commit to long-term strategies rooted in differentiation, consistency, and customer value.
---
### **The 20 Principles (Grouped by Theme)**
#### **1. Strategic Role of Branding**
1. **Branding is strategic** — It’s not just marketing; it’s fundamental to business strategy.
2. **Brands drive business success** — Strong brands improve margins, loyalty, and market value.
3. **Brand strategy must be part of the business strategy** — Brand direction should guide innovation, culture, and operations.
#### **2. Brand Identity and Positioning**
4. **Define a clear brand identity** — Articulate your brand’s core purpose, values, and personality.
5. **Go beyond functional benefits** — Build emotional and self-expressive connections with customers.
6. **Create a brand position that’s relevant, different, and sustainable** — Focus on what sets you apart in the market.
#### **3. Differentiation and Value Creation**
7. **Use brand as a vehicle for differentiation** — Unique positioning is critical in crowded markets.
8. **Develop branded innovations** — Innovation tied to brand values deepens relevance and distinctiveness.
9. **Own a brand "sweet spot"** — Align brand messaging with cultural or customer trends that resonate deeply.
#### **4. Brand Architecture**
10. **Manage brand portfolios wisely** — Optimize sub-brands, endorsed brands, and master brands for clarity and synergy.
11. **Build strong sub-brands when needed** — Use them strategically to target new markets or offerings.
12. **Clarify roles and relationships within brand architecture** — Avoid customer confusion and internal misalignment.
#### **5. Brand Building and Management**
13. **Internal branding is key** — Employees must understand and embody the brand.
14. **Deliver on the brand promise** — Consistency across every customer touchpoint is essential.
15. **Use brand as a platform for customer experience** — Build loyalty by exceeding expectations.
#### **6. Adapting and Evolving the Brand**
16. **Brands must adapt to change** — Stay relevant in shifting markets without losing your identity.
17. **Brand revitalization is possible** — Use strategic innovation and re-positioning to revive stagnant brands.
18. **Leverage customer communities and co-creation** — Engage audiences in shaping the brand experience.
#### **7. Metrics and Accountability**
19. **Measure what matters** — Track brand equity, relevance, and perception—not just short-term ROI.
20. **Long-term brand investment pays off** — Resist the lure of short-termism in favor of sustainable brand value.
---
### **Key Themes**
* **Brands as assets**: Branding should be treated as seriously as product development or finance.
* **Differentiation through meaning**: Successful brands connect with customers on deeper emotional or cultural levels.
* **Consistency + flexibility**: Strong brands balance core identity with the ability to adapt and evolve.
---
### **Core Takeaways**
* Brand-building is not a marketing function—it’s a business imperative.
* Differentiation, consistency, and clarity are the foundation of every great brand.
* Long-term brand health requires strategic thinking, innovation, and customer alignment.
June 18, 2021
Picked this up a mini refresher on the world of brand marketing strategy. The quality of thinking behind the book and the scope of the content is excellent. But be warned, the writing style is heavy going in places. I’d definitely recommend for anyone interested in branding, but it does require effort to get through.
On the plus side, it does exactly what it tells you it will do.
It takes 20 topics related to branding and brings the author’s considerable expertise to each one with thinking, case studies and references. You learn a solid credible amount of knowledge about each in a relatively short format. I also liked he managed to find international examples as well as US ones. (though some parts are very US centric still).
He makes key points clearly and credibly, backs them up with evidence and examples and shows why he’s so well thought of as a branding expert.
There were 2 or 3 chapter that felt a little light (like the one on digital). But that’s only because most of the other chapters were really strong. I got what I wanted from this book and it’s a solid piece of work on branding to remind yourself of what matters.
There’s two main challenges that hold it back though.
Firstly, there’s so much crammed into the book, the writing feels dense. There’s no real break or let-up as it’s point after point after point. It’s got a real academic tone to it too, which means it lacks a lot of oomph and energy that you might find in other business writers who have a more down to earth writing style.
At times, it also leans too heavily into consulting and theory. It poses many questions, but it doesn’t always answer them and give you practical ways to progress. Not consistently like this, some chapters are better than others for this, but at times, felt a little bit distant and not taking account of how many businesses actually work in real life.
Enjoyed it overall though. Helped me remember some things I’d forgotten and learned a few new things too. The concept of brand energy was not one I’d come across before.
However, was glad to reach the end as it was starting to feel like hard work by the end.
On the plus side, it does exactly what it tells you it will do.
It takes 20 topics related to branding and brings the author’s considerable expertise to each one with thinking, case studies and references. You learn a solid credible amount of knowledge about each in a relatively short format. I also liked he managed to find international examples as well as US ones. (though some parts are very US centric still).
He makes key points clearly and credibly, backs them up with evidence and examples and shows why he’s so well thought of as a branding expert.
There were 2 or 3 chapter that felt a little light (like the one on digital). But that’s only because most of the other chapters were really strong. I got what I wanted from this book and it’s a solid piece of work on branding to remind yourself of what matters.
There’s two main challenges that hold it back though.
Firstly, there’s so much crammed into the book, the writing feels dense. There’s no real break or let-up as it’s point after point after point. It’s got a real academic tone to it too, which means it lacks a lot of oomph and energy that you might find in other business writers who have a more down to earth writing style.
At times, it also leans too heavily into consulting and theory. It poses many questions, but it doesn’t always answer them and give you practical ways to progress. Not consistently like this, some chapters are better than others for this, but at times, felt a little bit distant and not taking account of how many businesses actually work in real life.
Enjoyed it overall though. Helped me remember some things I’d forgotten and learned a few new things too. The concept of brand energy was not one I’d come across before.
However, was glad to reach the end as it was starting to feel like hard work by the end.
November 6, 2024
Aaker makes a lot out of the ideas of a brand's "higher purpose" and "brand personality" but I'm skeptical that these are relevant to most businesses. I don't think most consumers really need or want their body wash or glass cleaner or even insurance company to have some "higher purpose". That concept feels a bit overdone because consumers mostly just want something that works. Aaker also makes a lot out of the idea of "brand loyalty", but as recent research such as Byron Sharp/Ehrenberg-Bass has shown, loyalty is a bit of a dubious concept that doesn't necessarily matter when it comes to actual marketing effectiveness.
Aaker also makes a lot out of differentiation and innovation, but again, as Sharp's research has shown, many successful brands are not terribly differentiated from competitors. It's more about having sufficient distinctiveness and recognizability. Bit awkward to see that in chapter 6, Aaker cited Ariely's "Predictably Irrational"; Ariely has since been pilloried for having faked and fabricated data on certain studies, so that citation did not age well, though I cannot hold this against Aaker of course.
Part 2: some useful concepts and templates for working through the development of a brand identity. Many examples of various companies and their brand associations. Aaker makes the point that brands can have "core identity" and "extended identity" associations. The requisite investments must be made to build these associations, though, or else you just have false promises that can backfire.
When it comes to "energizing a brand", Aaker has some valid tips, but also some rather impractical ones for 99.9% of companies; e.g., he mentions LeBron James adding energy to the Nike brand. OK, sure David... but only perhaps 0.001% of companies in the world are going to have that kind of marketing budget to afford such a megastar sponsorship.
Overall, a fairly by-the-numbers overview of brand management and some timeless principles and frameworks are in here, but also some outdated assertions that have become questionable in light of modern research on marketing effectiveness.
Aaker also makes a lot out of differentiation and innovation, but again, as Sharp's research has shown, many successful brands are not terribly differentiated from competitors. It's more about having sufficient distinctiveness and recognizability. Bit awkward to see that in chapter 6, Aaker cited Ariely's "Predictably Irrational"; Ariely has since been pilloried for having faked and fabricated data on certain studies, so that citation did not age well, though I cannot hold this against Aaker of course.
Part 2: some useful concepts and templates for working through the development of a brand identity. Many examples of various companies and their brand associations. Aaker makes the point that brands can have "core identity" and "extended identity" associations. The requisite investments must be made to build these associations, though, or else you just have false promises that can backfire.
When it comes to "energizing a brand", Aaker has some valid tips, but also some rather impractical ones for 99.9% of companies; e.g., he mentions LeBron James adding energy to the Nike brand. OK, sure David... but only perhaps 0.001% of companies in the world are going to have that kind of marketing budget to afford such a megastar sponsorship.
Overall, a fairly by-the-numbers overview of brand management and some timeless principles and frameworks are in here, but also some outdated assertions that have become questionable in light of modern research on marketing effectiveness.
April 23, 2021
The book is almost will organized and written in way that ease reading it. This book also is informative for marketer in big companies as well as CEO of small companies. Below you can find what I found most helpful in the book.
The book actually demonstrates branding concepts that I was not aware before and was not even to think of. It was smooth walk through and the most wonderful thing about it, is the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.
The book actually demonstrates branding concepts that I was not aware before and was not even to think of. It was smooth walk through and the most wonderful thing about it, is the quotes at the beginning of each chapter.
May 10, 2019
Good book, as expected from the author. However, I think he was trying to simplify the methods as possible. The book provides great insights and knowledge. Highly recommend to whoever works in communication & branding.
December 23, 2019
Os 20 princípios oferecem conceitos e ferramentas que levam a marcas fortes e ao sucesso nos negócios e também refletem 10 desafios de gestão de marcas que os construtores de marca enfrentarão nas próximas décadas.
June 14, 2020
After reading, you'll understand why there's a reason why he's so frequently referenced. This book encapsulates several of his prior books, which saves you time and provides a great overview of his thinking. After reading, you can always go deeper by going back to the previous work.
August 13, 2020
Well laid out and practical. Good intro book on branding.
November 22, 2020
Quite simple basics of branding. Not great, not terrible.
April 13, 2023
Aaker non mi convince, i suoi libri presentano belle teorie e grandi proclami. Ma chi può veramente fare quello che "predica" questo guru del marketing?
October 12, 2024
While browsing through the articles of an academic who studies branding, I noticed that the references section frequently cited the works of David Aaker. Out of curiosity, I started searching for him online. It turns out, he is one of the few people considered an authority in the field of branding. I immediately ordered two of his books. In fact, this was the book I wanted to read after Building Strong Brands. But when I picked it up just to browse through, I found myself reading the first 60 pages without even realizing it. The book doesn’t focus too much on creating a brand from scratch. Of course, the author lists the principles to follow in order to have strong brands, but he mainly highlights the perception that existing strong brands leave on people. For example, this part of the book really caught my attention.
You may not have the ambition to create a brand, but there will certainly be those who want to gain insights about strong brands. I think this book is worth getting just for that reason.
———————
Markalama üzerine çalışmalar yapan bir akademisyenin makalelerine göz gezdirirken, referanslar bölümünde sıkça David Aaker’in çalışmalarına atıfların yapıldığını fark ettim. Sonrasında sırf meraktan bu kişiyi internette aramaya başladım. Meğerse markalama alanında otorite sayılabilecek ender kişilerden biriymiş. Hemen iki kitabını sipariş ettim. Aslında bu, “Güçlü Markalar Yaratmak” kitabından sonra okumak istediğim kitabıydı. Ama göz gezdireyim diye kitabı elime alınca, farkına varmadan ilk 60 sayfasını okumuş bulundum. Esasen kitap sıfırdan marka yaratmak konusuna çok fazla odaklanmıyor. Tabii ki yazar, güçlü markalara sahip olmak için takip edilmesi gereken ilkeleri sıralıyor ama daha çok var olan güçlü markaları örnek göstererek, bu markaların insanlar üzerinde bıraktığı algıya daha çok dikkat çekiyor. Örneğin; kitaptaki şu bölüm çok ilgimi çekmişti.
Marka yaratmak gibi bir hayaliniz olmayabilir fakat güçlü markalar konusunda fikir edinmek isteyenler illaki olacaktır. Bu kitap sırf bu yüzden bile alınır diye düşünüyorum.
Psychologists and consumer researchers have discovered that people treat all kinds of objects, from pets to brands, like people by giving them names. As a result, they have observed that perceptions and behaviors are influenced when brands are treated like people. In one study, individuals who were asked to come up with creative ideas for how to use a brick and were subliminally shown the Apple logo, produced more unique ideas than those shown the IBM logo. In the same study, participants exposed to the Disney Channel logo exhibited more honest behavior compared to those exposed to the E! Channel logo. The difference in behavior in each case was attributed to the strength of the brands’ personalities.
You may not have the ambition to create a brand, but there will certainly be those who want to gain insights about strong brands. I think this book is worth getting just for that reason.
———————
Markalama üzerine çalışmalar yapan bir akademisyenin makalelerine göz gezdirirken, referanslar bölümünde sıkça David Aaker’in çalışmalarına atıfların yapıldığını fark ettim. Sonrasında sırf meraktan bu kişiyi internette aramaya başladım. Meğerse markalama alanında otorite sayılabilecek ender kişilerden biriymiş. Hemen iki kitabını sipariş ettim. Aslında bu, “Güçlü Markalar Yaratmak” kitabından sonra okumak istediğim kitabıydı. Ama göz gezdireyim diye kitabı elime alınca, farkına varmadan ilk 60 sayfasını okumuş bulundum. Esasen kitap sıfırdan marka yaratmak konusuna çok fazla odaklanmıyor. Tabii ki yazar, güçlü markalara sahip olmak için takip edilmesi gereken ilkeleri sıralıyor ama daha çok var olan güçlü markaları örnek göstererek, bu markaların insanlar üzerinde bıraktığı algıya daha çok dikkat çekiyor. Örneğin; kitaptaki şu bölüm çok ilgimi çekmişti.
Psikologlar ve tüketici araştırmacıları, insanların ev hayvanlarından markalara dek her tür objeye isim vererek insan muamelesi yaptıklarını saptamışlar. Sonuç olarak markalara insan muamelesi yapılınca, algıların ve davranışların etkilendiğini gözlemlemişler. Hatta bir araştırmada, kendilerinden bir tuğlanın yaratıcı bir şekilde kullanımı konusunda fikir geliştirmeleri istenen ve kendilerine sübliminal şekilde Apple logosu gösterilen bireyler, bir IBM logosu gösterilenlerden daha eşsiz fikirler üretmiş. Aynı araştırmada katılımcılar Disney Channel logosuna maruz bırakıldıklarında, E! Channel logosunda olduğundan daha dürüst bir davranış sergilemişler. Her bir durumdaki davranış farkının, markaların kişiliklerinin gücünden kaynaklandığı sonucuna varılmış.
Marka yaratmak gibi bir hayaliniz olmayabilir fakat güçlü markalar konusunda fikir edinmek isteyenler illaki olacaktır. Bu kitap sırf bu yüzden bile alınır diye düşünüyorum.
January 8, 2015
I read half of this for a retreat at work. I honestly couldn't take it seriously after the first couple of typos, not to mention the next dozen (how does it get published like that?) I understand the importance of this book, though, it would have been much more accessible if more recognizable examples were used to demonstrate each point. The author gives some, but not nearly enough for me.
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