Customer Reviews

A Branded World: Adventures in Public Relations and the Creation of Superbrands

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I have to agree with Steven Willis from Los Angeles. This book might hold up a little stronger if it wasn't written by a publicist who seems like he is just trying to drum up some business. It's like those chiropractic offices that set up booths for free spinal exams at various sporting events. They give you the free exam, then surprise, surprise! Turns out they seem to think your back needs some chiropractic work. It's the same idea here, and while the book has a few instances of making good points, they aren't really strong enough to persuade the reader to adopt the author's point of view. On the positive side, it is written in a manner that is pretty easy to understand so you can finish it quickly enough, but it's just never all that compelling.

This book is not without its good points, particularly the author's ability to address the audience equally regardless of PR background. However, the downsides cannot be ignored. The central theme of the book is credibility and how PR is the surest route to building it. As other reviewers have pointed out, there are a number of arguments based on correlation, rather than cause-effect. Even more irritating are the armchair assessments of what other companies/countries should have done when building their campaigns with no real supporting evidence that the recommended strategies would have been effective. In addition, even though the author asserts that PR is the best way to build a brand, it doesn't appear that the professional PR organizations (which are few and far between) even mention this fact in their charters. So, what it really comes down to is a very specific view of PR, using a very specific PR strategy which, as luck would have it, can't be found at a local PR firm.

It is painfully obvious that the author of this book, also a publicist, is desperately trying get some high-end companies to hire him. Why else would he write a book so utterly useless and void of anything relevant to the marketing of a brand name?

As any CEO with half a brain knows, PR companies are all well and good to protect or rebuild an image that has been depicted poorly within the media. However, to get the brand name out there, they are certainly one of the last places to look.

The author does manage to point out the difference between advertising and PR, to his own fault unfortunately. Companies are looking to use their tightly plotted budgets to get their name out there the best way they can. That way is through advertising, not public relations. You need to be guaranteed that your brand's ad will be seen by the public, and advertising can do this much more effectively than PR. In advertising, you basically get what you are willing to pay for. In PR, there is too much of a gamble that you can spend a lot and see nothing in return.

Sadly, Levine's writing style is also very ineffective in enhancing one's opinion of him as a publicist. He may have done a little research and found the right buzzwords, but it is obvious he doesn't really grasp the meaning of what he is talking about.

I can honestly say I would never hire this guy to represent my company. Even if the day does come when we need to hire a PR firm (God forbid), I would look elsewhere.

The majority of this book reads more like speculation by the author rather than solid fact. The impression this gives the reader is the the author has not dealt with many big brand names on a publicity level. The problem with this is that dealing with smaller entities is quite a far cry from dealing with a major brand such as Nike or Toyota.

I kept reading hoping for some interesting inside scoops into the world of big name brands, but was let down. If you are new to the world of branding you might gain a few nuggets of information from this, but I found it all to be common sense.

Probably one of the most balanced and well thought out approaches to the subject I've read in many years. Instead of folllowing other PR book trends of cramming too much information where it doesn't belong ( namely in dense, bland, lengthy passages), the author's use of subtle literary device manages to illustrate the big picture of this branded world one step at a time. You'll never see the world of advertising the same again.

I do say, nary a passage within this book made for adequate reading. I do like to dabble in the literary works, both fiction and non, whilst having my tea and scones. This one, however, left a sour taste in my mouth (and mind you it was not the tea--me mummie's recipe, God rest her soul). This Levine hooligan should receive a firm rapping on the knuckles for his poor wordsmanship. Tsk, tsk.

This book is a must have for anyone trying to understand the undeniable relationship between public relations and branding.

I have been a publicist for over a dozen years and have read many books on the subject, and been impressed with few. One of my gripes has always been the lack of "real world" accounts from various authors. I have a respect for Michael because he is a fellow colleague with real world experience and he offers up that information here in laymens terms.

You cant expect to read a book about branding or public relations and have the author offer up all their secrets unless him/her no longer practice in the field and could care less about the information they offer. Frankly I would offer commen sense information that would help the average person but certaintly not all as I am a firm believer that you have to protect your bread and butter.

If your new to branding and public relations principles this book will be a great supplement to any public relations textbook. The reader might come away with some helpful hints.

This book will probably not work for small business folks who do not have the budget many of the companies and celebrities mentioned in this book have at their disposal and contrary to popular belief good PR from a professional or firm cost money. Not as much as advertising, but PR is not cheap and why should it be. Kudos to Michael for sharing info about our business which can only help the business.

A very interesting look into the world of public relations and the creation and development of brands. Mr. Levine does a superb job explaining and illustrating the role advertising, marketing and public relations play in the creation and development of a successful brand. A must read for anyone who wants their product or client have a lasting effect in the minds of consumers in today's society.

This brilliant exploration of the role of PR in branding is easy to fathom and written in such a clear and concise style that even novices should be able to appreciate its concepts. But that doesn't mean professionals won't find wisdom here. The devise of the fictional ice cream brand is a masterful stroke, illustrating each point with great clarity.