Customer Reviews

High Visibility

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Hollywood's star system pervades global culture. While there are tens of thousands of aspiring actresses in film capitals around the world, only Reese Witherspoon can command $18 million a picture. Whether you sell real estate, defend criminals, lift faces, opine on the economy, or consult to managers, you are among millions of others aspiring to reach the peak of your profession. And why not? In these and many other endeavors, the top fraction of 1% receive a disproportionate share of the rewards.

The Third Edition of High Visibility can help you win this star system. Having just completed reading the book, there were four sections that particularly caught my attention:

* Chapter 4's Visibility Hierarchy introduced a compelling way to chart an individual's visibility on a two dimensional scale mapping visibility duration (from a day to forever) against visibility reach (from global to international). I found this a useful way to assess one's position in the hierarchy and to consider one's future.

* Chapter 5's 22 Major Storylines highlighted popular media story concepts such as "success/failure/success" or "the big break" illustrating them with individuals who fit these storylines. This list struck me as a very useful way to brainstorm story ideas for editors and writers.

* Chapter 6's four basic charisma strategies fascinated me. Detailing approaches such as "The Impressive Stranger" or "Charisma Through Audience Mastery" I was struck by the example of how Scarlett Johansson's performance in Lost in Translation helped her emerge from the pack.

* Chapter 11's Visibility Life Cycles presented seven standard patterns of visibility which reinforced to me the evanescent nature of fame -- highlighting the need to adapt effectively in order to maintain visibility.

While I was flattered that Chapter 6 began by recounting how I've tried to generate visibility over the years, I found the concepts and anecdotes presented here offered me new and thought-provoking insights.

If you're aspiring to reach the top of your profession, High Visibility is a must read.

NOTE: The remarks which follow discuss the updated third edition of a book first published in 1987 and then revised ten years later. Be aware of the fact that several of the other Customer Reviews are of earlier editions.

As the authors explain in their Preface, "In High Visibility, we address the growth of visibility seeking and the contribution of visibility and strong personal brands to competitiveness and opportunity generation in a systematic format....Central to the book's foundation is the concept of [begin italics] transformation [end italics], the process that aspirants typically undergo to become personal and professional brands. We take the reader through all the stages of the transformation process, including brand generation, testing, refinement, realization, distribution, and sustaining." Here are some of the questions to which the authors respond brilliantly:

1. How to break through a cluttered, fragmented, and global marketplace?

2. When doing so, how to manage and balance the demands of the private-public self?

3. How to prioritize public and private goals and aspirations?

4. How to achieve visibility more cost-effectively?

5. How to formulate an appropriate high visibility strategy?

6. How to integrate technological decisions with that strategy?

7. How to inventory your talent threshold and, when doing so, be realistic?

I greatly appreciate the authors' provision of all manner of reader-friendly sections and devices which both summarize key points and facilitate convenient review later of those. For example, Figure 3-7 (page 46), which illustrates the "Structure of the Visibility Industry"; a boxed check-list (page 75) which identifies and then briefly explains the reasons why intensive transformation and image-building activity, while accelerating in all sectors, are doing so at different rates; another boxed check-list (page 146) which identifies and then briefly explains five focal areas of the cultural environment that are especially important to monitor; and finally, for present purposes, a brief but revealing review (page 287) of the publicist's ten most major functions.

Near the end of their book, the authors discuss business executive Ed Brill and wellness doctor Steven Lamm who have successfully adapted to the new visibility environment by combining their talents with visibility practices and principles. Others who also aspire to do so must focus on two critical issues: "First, no matter how the competitive environment changes, aspirants must pay close attention to the fundamentals of high visibility marketing as they are the centerpieces of any plan. Second, aspirants must be aware of the future challenges that impact the process of attaining visibility and be prepared for powerful responses." The authors then suggest five key principles to guide and inform such initiatives.

For several reasons, this third revised edition of High Visibility is far superior to earlier editions. First and obviously, the authors have the substantial advantage of perspective on what has happened (and not happened) during the last 19 years as more and more people have absorbed, digested, and then applied the core concepts provided in the first edition. Also, as a result, the authors have much more material to work with as the number of opportunities and venues to establish high visibility has so rapidly increased. Finally, the authors have taken full advantage of their opportunity to revise, refine, and develop those core concepts in much greater depth, using current or recent examples previously not available.

High Visibility is a brilliant achievement.

"High Visibility" sheds light in to the sometimes opaque world of publicists and celebrity marketing. Case studies from many different people from all walks of life (atheletes to porn stars)who sought to be in the lime-light are examined throught this book. Why are certain personalities still being sought after since 20 years while others fade away from our memories after only one week? There are many answers but not detailed enough.

I found the most interesting part to be "The Technique of Transformation". Here the authors discuss and show different examples of how a "dying star" made a comeback by redefining their personality and what they represent. Some people are forced to change after a scandle or a peak in performance and must exploit the media in order to thrust their client back on center stage. How the publicist propaganda machine works to take advantage of both print and visual media is explained but I feel it should have been much more detailed. They stopped right when it was becoming very interesting. Then again, maybe this was part of the marketing plan to create more demand for the "High Visibility II".... just joking.

It is a book that all marketing people should read as almost all of the concepts from marketing personalities can be transfered to all products in any industry.

I always wanted to know how some celebs are still around and others aren't. Everyone still talks about Marilyn! And James Dean, and he made, what, 3 movies? So, I thought Rein could answer my questions. He did, but I found Michael Levine's Guerrilla PR: Wired better. Mike covers the how-tos. Irv just does the overall stuff. Still fun to know for Jeopardy, but *how?!* That's what Irv didn't do as well, the down-and-dirty details.

The Importance of Being Visible
By Brett M. Decker
Success in business is often based on philosophical nuances. For example, there is a fine but essential difference between vanity and a desire for high visibility. Vanity, according to one raggedy old dictionary, is excessive pride in qualities or appearances that lack genuine value. The hunt for high visibility, on the other hand, is often part of an effort to add value to individuals, organizations or operations that already have legitimate worth but would benefit by calling greater attention to their positive traits. The newly released, highly revised third edition of High Visibility: Transforming Your Personal and Professional Brand (McGraw-Hill, 2006, $27.95), by Michael Alan Hamlin, Philip Kotler, Irving Rein and Martin Stoller, takes a hard look at why being seen can be as important as having vision.
The book's first nuggets of classical business wisdom center on the fundamental need to establish a brand identity. Essentially, this boils down to crafting, controlling and communicating an individual and recognizable image. As the authors write, the goal is to "deeply imprint the product in the minds of some target audience so that it is well understood, recognizable, desirable--and recalled when buying decisions are contemplated." In this way, branding is one of the fundamental tactics to successful business strategy.
This manner of imaging is no longer chiefly in the realm of corporations, as individuals increasingly are developing their own personal brands. In the case of an entertainer such as Jennifer Lopez, also known as J Lo, personal celebrity is used to sell consumer products based on her fame itself. Or in the case of Richard Branson's Virgin Group, a CEO's swashbuckling image provides an identity for a corporate brand despite the fact that most of its diverse product line has little to do with Sir Richard's personality. He simply adds an instantly recognizable face and reputation to the conglomerate's name.
As these two case studies reveal, visibility is intrinsic to branding. Whether it is by walking down the red carpet at the Academy Awards, giving a speech at a charitable event, or by having her personal life exposed in the tabloids, J Lo maximizes her profit by maximizing her visibility. The more she appears in public, the more of her records or name-brand blue jeans she sells. Or as Mr. Hamlin and his co-authors put it, "In an age when people, places and things can be mass manufactured and easily made into commodities, name recognition becomes one of the few saleable factors that can bring a premium in a competitive marketplace."
Turning a good reputation into a solid brand is not only for superstars and corporate titans. The same rules apply in a small town, in a firm, or within a given profession. At the heart of the matter is the concept of transformation, which is based on studying what is needed at a particular time and changing oneself to be able to satisfy these needs. In other words, it is always smart to acquire skills that are in demand.
Whether you are J Lo or Joe Six-pack, one's skills and experience become more visible--and thus more sought after--by deftly calling attention to where and how these skills add value in a targeted market. This is marketing oneself. As the authors instruct, "Launching a personal quest for high visibility is very much like launching a new product or service." Success comes from studying the market and performing competitively to supply what it demands.
Of course, all good mothers beat it into their kids' brains that it is proper to keep one's head down and not call undue attention to oneself. That can be true, but not all the skills necessary to making money can be honed in finishing school. In The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde quipped that, "There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." The naked truth in this statement is that seeking visibility is nothing to blush about when building and promoting a brand, whether it be corporate or personal. There can be significant value and profit in being a household name. As any savvy old socialite will attest, and as you will be taught in the pages of High Visibility, it truly is important to be seen.
Brett M. Decker is a former editor and writer for The Wall Street Journal and a former editorial board member of the Washington Times.

Just standing in front of the four, multi-tiered shelves full of "Branding" books by the hundreds in your local Barnes & Noble or Borders can be an exasperating experience. Of course you know how important the subject is, but you can't understand why all these branding experts haven't found a real "Brand Differentiation" to their books.

Well High Visibility, by Rein, Kotler, Hamlin and Stoller is really a brand apart from the parking lot of branding books littering the shelves of most bookstores.

There are two levels to High Visibility. Separately they would be each well worth the read and the "$17.61 & free Super Saver Shipping" that Amazon is currently offering.

On the first level, High Visibility is a tightly woven practical presentation and analysis of the strategic design, implementation processes, transformation techniques and commercial implications of modern personal and professional branding. Their conclusions are not mere opinion and wine bar gossips. These are professionally and academically researched and annotated studies which are presented in easy and readable style for those of us who are; shall we say, less academically inclined.

But it is the second level that High Visibility opens the curtain to a strategic view of how society relates to itself. I am not sure whether the authors intended it or not, but it doesn't really matter. The studies, analysis and examples they use shine a spotlight on understanding the effects and implications of what "celebrity" and the often synthetic nature of that celebrity, means to how we as individuals and institutions affect each other. The reach of their celebrity study is breathtaking. From Rudy Giuliani's love life to Michael Moore's packaging of outrage. And given the current attention to the Da Vinci Code, they are almost prophetic in the analysis of author Dan Brown's personal brand and its divergence from the character in his writings.

My only criticism is that they missed the most powerful symbol of the deprivation of celebrity culture....Paris Hilton

The absence of Paris Hilton not withstanding, when both levels of High Visibility are taken together, they paint a complete portrait of the power and implications of modern celebrity branding on the commercial, political and cultural landscapes of the post internet world.

Buy High Visibility! Read High Visibility! Learn High Visibility!

First, I read the 1987 edition of this book. Saying it is pretty much the same and just mildy updated...

This isn't a nuts-n-bolts how-to book on becoming a celebrity. For that, you'll have to read elsewhere. HOWEVER, this is an absolute must-read for all wannabe, current, and former celebrities and those that make people celebrities. I've never come across a book that has exposed the foundations of celebritydom as this book has. It's "Audience Intensity Ladder" alone is worth picking up this book. Since 1987, I've regularly re-read my highlights of this book and I commonly recommend it to the posters of the four business newsgroups I co-moderate. Those being misc.business.marketing.moderated, misc.business.moderated, misc.business.consulting, and misc.entrepreneurs.moderated.

This book is very outdated with very stale and cliche type information. I trashed it soon after I received it.

One quote in this book describes it very well: " Transform the ordinary into the visible, and the visible into the highly visible". A must read.

I was very disappointed in this book and would not recommend it to others to read. Alot of the book was common sense and basic general reading. If you are looking to create high visability this book will not be very helpful in helping you set a plan to create high visability or anything else for that matter. The book doesnt get useful until near the end of the book.