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.

Table of Contents:
Introduction: Why This Book?                 Part I.  Recognize That Brands Are Assets 1.    Brands Are Assets that Drive Strategy     2.    Brands Assets Have Real Value      Part II.  Have a Compelling Brand Vision   3.    Create a Brand Vision                   4.    A Brand Personality Connects                 5.    The Organization and Its Higher-Purpose Differentiate      6.    Get Beyond Functional Benefits                    7.    Create “Must Haves” Rendering Competitors Irrelevant     8.    To Own an Innovation, Brand It                   9.    From Positioning the Brand to Framing the Subcategory          Part III.  Bring the Brand to Life   10.    Where do Brand-Building Ideas Come From? 11.    Focus on Customer’s Sweet Spots      12.    Digital—A Critical Brand-Building Tool 13.    Consistency Wins     14.    Internal Branding: A Key Ingredient     Part IV.  Maintain Relevance   15.    Three Threats to Brand Relevance                 16.    Energize Your Brand!                 Part V.  Manage Your Brand Portfolio   17.    You Need a Brand Portfolio Strategy             18.    Brand Extensions: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly     19.    Vertical Brand Extensions Have Risks and Rewards 20.    Silo Organizations Inhibit Brand Building      Epilogue: Ten Branding Challenges                 Endnotes Acknowledgments Note on Author Index

About the Author :
David Aaker, recognized authority on branding, has written six books on brands and brand strategy and another twelve on related topics that together have sold well over one million copies. He developed several concepts including the "Aaker" brand vision model, branded energizers, branded differentiators, the brand relationship spectrum, and framing a category. Aaker is the Vice-Chairman of Prophet, a brand and strategy consultancy, and Professor Emeritus of Marketing Strategy at the Haas School of Business, UC Berkeley. The winner of three career awards for contributions to the science of marketing (the Paul D. Converse Award), marketing strategy (the Vijay Mahajan Award), and the theory and practice of marketing (the Buck Weaver Award), he has published over one hundred articles and seventeen books including "Strategic Market Management" 10th edition, "Managing Brand Equity," "Building Strong Brands," "Brand Leadership" (co-authored with Erich Joachimsthaler), "Brand Portfolio Strategy," "From Fargo to the World of Brands," "Spanning Silos," "Brand Relevance," and "Three Threats to Brand Relevance." His books have been translated into eighteen languages and sold well over one million copies. Named as one of the top five most important marketing/business gurus in 2007, David Aaker has won awards for best article in the "California Management Review" and (twice) in the "Journal of Marketing." A recognized authority on brand equity and brand strategy, he has been an active consultant and speaker throughout the world. A regular columnist for AMA's "Marketing News," he writes the Aaker on Brands blog at davidaaker.com and for the HBR.org blog.

Review :
“Nobody knows brand strategy better than David Aaker. Aaker has taken all of the essential principles of branding and collapsed them into one epic brand book. Whether you’re a seasoned brand marketer or just getting started, this book will provide you with a practical path to creating, nurturing and leveraging strong brands.” -Ann Lewness, CMO Abode Technology ""Professor Aaker has truly given the business world a gift: A highly concise and wonderfully cogent and insightful tutorial on the principles of brand stewardship and leadership."" -Joseph V. Tripodi, Chief Marketing and Commercial Officer, Coca-Cola “David Aaker is one of my favorite brand authorities because he understands that the modern brand is an asset that should create value and drive strategy for corporations. His latest treatise is brand dynamite.” -Beth Comstock, CMO, GE ""I am a devoted user of David Aaker’s work over many years, I like many of you have benefitted from his insights in chunks. Here those chunks are all pulled together, and seasoned with years of his own applied work. It's just outstanding."" -Richard Lyons, Dean, Berkeley-Haas School of Business Administration “Addresses ten strategic brand challenges including created a compelling brand vision, getting digital brand building right, and building the brand internally.” -MaryKay Kopf, Global CMO of the Electrolux Group “David’s new book is for learners and experts alike – a knowledge center for branding principles and strategies every marketer needs to know and practice. Why go anywhere else?” -Elisa Steele, CMO Consumer Apps and Service, Microsoft “Provocative, rooted in substance, a guiding star for modern marketers!” -Steven Althaus, Director of Brand Management, BMW ""David Aaker provides 20 core principles and practical steps to create, enhance and leverage powerful brand asset, which can bring sustainable growth. It is a must read for businessman who want to find a key to future success led by power of brand.""  -Sue Shim, Global CMO, Samsung Electronics “David Aaker has created a must-read review of enduring principles and current challenges for 21st Century marketers.” -Larry Light, Former CMO McDonalds ""David Aaker's many books have been helpful guideposts for my career in business and marketing.   Here is a great book that succinctly summarizes what he has learned in his storied career about building enduring, successful brands.   Apply David's 20 principles:   your brand will be more successful,  and you will be a better leader—guaranteed!"" -Jim Stengel, Former Global Marketing Officer, P&G ""I found the book to be compelling reading for any CMO in this ever changing time and world. It touched raw nerves of challenges we are facing as a company and increased my to do list. And it connected the dots of the evolving role of marketers in organizations."" -John Wallis, CMO Hyatt Hotels Corp ""The real test of marketing genius is not to produce a successful product but to build a lasting brand.  Dave Aaker has done more to help us understand brand building than anyone else."" -Philip Kotler, co-author of Marketing Management, 14th ed.