I’ve often been asked by colleagues and from those within my inner circle, what were some of the steps I took when deciding to pivot and focus on becoming an expert in the branding space. Prior to 2010, I was a serial entrepreneur and my partners and I handled every aspect of the businesses we operated. Over time I realized that I had become a jack-of-all-trades or as often categorized, a master of none. And that really didn’t sit well with me.
After a lot of self-reflection & evaluation, I found that the parts I enjoyed most about the business revolved around the aspects of branding & marketing. So with having a defined area to specialize in, I put my head down and consumed everything I could find about the field.
Over the following two years, I literally read 100’s of books, articles, & white-papers to expand my knowledge of the elements of branding & marketing and in 2012 launched my agency Cultural Sync.
Of course, I’ve continued my quest for knowledge and insight since then and want to provide you with three books that I personally credit with launching my thoughts on the process of creating impactful brands & positioning your business for growth.
There are obviously tons of great titles out there, but these 3 have been really meaningful to me. So whether you’re looking to enter into the brand consulting space or wanting insight into ways to grow your business or brand, consider checking these out.
Book 1: Building Strong Brands, author David Aaker
As industries turn increasingly hostile, it is clear that strong brand-building skills are needed to survive and prosper. David Aaker uses real brand-building cases from some of the most dominant businesses in history to demonstrate how strong brands have been created and managed.
One of my favorite quotes from this book was “Strong brands do not just happen. They result from the creation of winning brand strategies and brilliant executions from committed, disciplined organizations.”
If you’d like to get it on Amazon, here’s the link.
Book 2: The Brand Gap, author Marty Neumeier
THE BRAND GAP is the first book to present a unified theory of brand-building. Whereas most books on branding are weighted toward either a strategic or creative approach, this book shows how both ways of thinking can unite to produce a “charismatic brand”—a brand that customers feel is essential to their lives.
One of my favorite quotes from this book was “A brand is a person’s gut feeling about a product, service, or company. It’s not what YOU say it is. It’s what THEY say it is”
If you’d like to get it on Amazon, here’s the link.
Book 3: Brand Against the machine
Brand Against the Machine offers proven and actionable steps for companies and entrepreneurs to increase their visibility and credibility, and create an indispensable brand that consumers can relate to, creating lifelong customers. Discover the aspirational currency that makes your brand one that people want to be or want to be friends with. Learn how to be real with your audience and make strategic associations to establish credibility. Brand Against the Machine will help you stand out, get noticed, and be remembered.
One of my favorite quotes from this book was “What you do may not be unique, but you are. This is why putting your personality into your brand is so important. You’re not in a niche or industry that is without competition. The only difference between you and your competition is your brand.”.
If you’d like to get it on Amazon, here’s the link.
What are some of your favorites? I’d love to hear them — especially if you’re in a season of transition. Leave a comment below!