Brand Warfare: 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand

Brand Warfare: 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand
Author: David F. D'Alessandro with Michelle Owens
Publisher: McGraw-Hill
ISBN: 007-139850-3

The Big Deal

Author D'Alessandro observes that American corporations treat brand decisions as mere questions of advertising. However, as the corporation's every decision reflects on the brand, the brand should be the primary consideration for every corporate decision.

The reason this is not happening is that corporations are full of people who think it's their job to keep the brand down; this includes financial types who resent every dollar spent on brand-building, lawyers who slow down the company's crisis response due to concerns over short-term liabilities and clerks who allow scandls to brew because they don't see the point in reporting suspicious things they uncover.

Thus, asserts D'Alessandro, brand builders are faced with two simultaneous battles: externally, with competing brands, and internally, with the obstacles presented by other entities in the organization. To equip brand builders to do battle on both fronts, D'Alessandro provides 10 Rules for Building the Killer Brand:

1. It's the Brand, Stupid.
2. Codependency can be beautiful - Consumers need good brands as much as good brands need them.
3. A great brand message is like a bucking Bronco - once you get on, don't let go.
4. If you want great advertising, be prepared to fight for it.
5. When it comes to sponsorships, there's a sucker born every 30 seconds.
6. Do not confuse sponsorship with a spectator sport.
7. Do not allow scandal to destroy in 30 days a brand took 100 years to build.
8. Make your disributors slaves to your brand.
9. Use your brand to lead your people to the promised land
10. Ultimately, the brand is he CEO's responsibility - and everyone else's too.

Why Read It?

The 10 Rules provide a concise guide for newbie marketers or even veterans who seek a fresh perspective of their work. D'Alessandro draws upon his experiences in the marketing field and provides real-life examples to illustrate these rules, guiding his readers on a highly informative yet entertaining journey into the world of brand building. His rules are common-sense: strive for brand consistency, communicate the right message to your consumers, act quickly during times of crisis. get the best people to work for you, etc. He drives these points home with insightful anecdotes and observations.