Branded!: How Retailers Engage Consumers with Social Media and Mobility (Wiley and SAS Business Series) [Hardcover]

Bernie Brennan (Author), Lori Schafer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 19, 2010 | Series: Wiley and SAS Business Series (Book 39)

Written through the eyes of retail and technology executives, Branded! explores retailers who are successfully implementing social media and mobility strategies.
Market-leading retailers are engaging technology-savvy customers though social media and mobility. Branded! reveals how these digital communication channels are an extension of a retailer's culture and strategy resulting in building brand equity. Comprehensive reviews of Starbucks, Zappos, Wet Seal, Macy's, 1-800-Flowers.com, JCPenney, Pizza Hut and Best Buy are featured. Branded!:

• Provides a clear review of social media as well as the rapid changes in the development and use of mobility.
• Demonstrates why retailers cannot 'wait and see', and must move rapidly
• Shows how each company's social media and mobility initiatives are based on the individual personality of the company.
• Discusses sophisticated analytic tools that enable retailers to measure their performance and make informed decisions on the data

Editorial Reviews

Review

' Insightful and well written.' (Retail Systems, May 2011).

From the Inside Flap

Consumers have become technology savvy: they blog about product reviews and customer service, instantly do comparison price checks from their mobile phone in a store aisle, become fans of their favorite retailers and brands on Facebook, show off their purchases on YouTube, and provide accolades—or vent complaints—to their friends and to the masses on Twitter. Successful retailers must not only find ways to differentiate merchandise strategies and stores, but also to engage with consumers where they are already spending a lot of their time: blogging, friending, tweeting, and surfing. Now is the time for executive management to jump into ongoing conversations about their companies and participate rather than sitting on the sidelines. Branded! helps you harness the power of social media and mobility to its fullest potential.

Sharing their decades of experience in retail and technology, Bernie Brennan and Lori Schafer demonstrate how social media and mobility can substantially improve a retailer's market share and brand position. Loaded with examples, Branded! provides comprehensive reviews of leading retailers who are successfully implementing social media and mobility.

Written through the eyes of retail and technology executives, Branded! explores:

• How your world is changing. Customers are now in charge. Retailers who fail to engage will be bypassed

• The powerful impact of social media, including Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr, private social networks, and social gaming

• The lightning speed in the growth of smart phones—connecting retailers and customers—regardless of time or place

• How analytics helps you listen, quantify, and react to the impact of massive volumes of conversational data

• The strategies of leading-edge retailers, including: Starbucks, Zappos, Wet Seal, Macy's, 1-800-Flowers.com, JCPenney, Pizza Hut, and Best Buy

• How open culture and transparency are the hallmarks of these leaders

Unlock the mystery of these rapidly emerging new channels of communication and commerce and strategically engage your customers with Brennan and Schafer's Branded!

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 288 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (October 19, 2010)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470768673
• ISBN-13: 978-0470768679
• Product Dimensions: 6.5 x 0.9 x 9.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (14 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,059,038 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Read It. Apply It. Now. September 28, 2010

By P. Marobella

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Decided to read this book because we work with many retailers and brands that sell through retail. All are at various stages of trying to figure out the space and how it best applies to their business. It was a quick, insightful and well-written read. On my iPad, I have about 50 highlighted notes to integrate into upcoming strategy presentations and consulting engagements. Love the case stories and the depth in which they go. Very valuable insight. Recommend.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Heartbeat of Branding January 6, 2011

By Marc Millstein

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Bernie anbd Lori have teamed up to create what I consider to be one of the truly remarkable books in 2010 on both retailing and the widespread cultural shifts now taking place right before our eyes. The book is special in that it literally takes us inside the retailers who are using social networking and other new tools to successfully communicate with customers, learn new things about how people think and buy today, and then putting those ideas into action to strengthen the brand big time - and hike profits. The interview-like style of the book makes it not only a fascinating look behnd the scenes in this key area of business but also an enjoyable and an unusually easy read -- yet filled with value. The inclusion of consumer insights and thoughts further adds considerable value. Definitely a book to put on any list of gifts for 2011 and a must-read for retailers and consumers of any age at any time.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The BEST book about digital consumers, social media, and retail transformation December 11, 2010

By Scott Andrews

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

When I found this book online and read its description, I chose to purchase it right away. I finished reading it cover-to-cover in less than a week and found it hard to put down. The authors did a superb job of researching and synthesizing retail with consumer behavior in social media, the new era of digital relationships, and the use of mobile and online technologies.

I was impressed with the quality of research data and real-world examples of how top brands are harnessing the power of the social media revolution from both the business and technological perspectives. They hit the nail on the head in finding balance between business application and technology relevance. In my opinion, that's what makes their book such an incredible read. No matter what your role is in a company, this book will be a tremendous resource in gaining knowledge and understanding of how retailers are using social media and relating with the new digital, mobile consumer.

I highly recommend this book to individuals who work for a retailer, work for companies that provide products and services to retailers, and anyone who wishes to read "the movie trailer" of what's to come in the digital retail revolution.