A Master Class in Brand Planning: The Timeless Works of Stephen King [Hardcover]

Judie Lannon (Editor), Merry Baskin (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 10, 2007 | ISBN-10: 0470517913 | ISBN-13: 978-0470517918 | Edition: 1

In 1988, on Stephen King’s retirement JWT published ‘The King Papers’ a small collection of Stephen King’s published writings spanning 1967-1985.  They remain timelessly potentially valuable but are an almost unexploited gold mine.  This book is comprised of a selection of 20-25 of Stephen King’s most important articles, each one introduced by a known and respected practitioner who, in turn, describes the relevance of the particular original idea to the communications environment of today.

The worth of this material is that, although the context in which the original papers were written is different, the principles themselves are appropriate to marketing communications in today’s more complex media environment. 

The book will serve as a valuable reference book for today’s practitioners, as well as a unique source of sophisticated, contemporary thinking.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Every planner needs this book - and the brave ones will give it to their clients, too."  (Admap, November 2007)

"A valuable reference book for today's practitioners, as well as a unique source of sophisticated, contemporary thinking."  (Retail & Leisure International, December 2007)

"...a good book to keep beside your desk...it will help to clear the mind as an ongoing mental workout."  (Market Leader, Winter 2007)

From the Inside Flap

In 1988, on Stephen King’s retirement JWT published ‘The King Papers’, a small collection of Stephen King’s published writings spanning 1967-1985. They remain timelessly valuable but are an unexploited gold mine. This book is comprised of a fuller selection: 20 of Stephen King’s most important articles. Each one is introduced by a known and respected practitioner who, in turn, describes the relevance of the article to the communications environment of today.

Although the context in which the original papers were written was different, the worth of this material is that the principles underlying his thinking are entirely appropriate to marketing communications in today’s more complex media environment. 

The book serves as a valuable reference book for today’s practitioners, as well as a unique source of sophisticated, contemporary thinking.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 396 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (December 10, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0470517913
• ISBN-13: 978-0470517918
• Product Dimensions: 7 x 1.1 x 9.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #203,073 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Exploit This Gold Mine February 1, 2008

By Stephen Wood

Format:Hardcover

The flyleaf gets this right: "an unexploited gold mine." Way back in what now seems almost prehistoric in advertising years (the late 60s), Stephen King was revealing the secrets to the way consumers think (and do not think) and illuminating the way advertising agencies and marketers should think (and should not think) about brands. How do we explain the degree to which his perspective and advice have gone unexploited?

This book, based on King's published writings and fine introductions by savvy marketing thinkers, removes all excuses for failing to develop marketing communications that connect consumers and brands. Among the articles included is one of his seminal essays, "What Is A Brand?" That means we no longer have to decipher his words truncated by a poorly scanned pdf that we downloaded (likely without permission) from a website googled on a tip from some King insider who managed to discover him when so many others did not. It's surprising and fortunate that the ideas he posited over 30 years are still utterly relevant and cogent in a business that's changed in unimagined ways in those ensuing decades. Yet so many agencies and advertisers have failed to learn from and apply his insights.

Gratefully the editors of this book make his work -- and that of other brilliant thinkers like Stanley Pollitt -- accessible and timely to anyone willing to dig in. You now have no excuse. Exploit this gold mine.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must-Read for Anyone Building or Sustaining a Brand March 11, 2008

By Harry Clark

Format:Hardcover

A Master Class in Brand Planning is an invaluable, long over-due introduction to the writings of Stephen King for all marketers in the United States. King, a pioneer in account planning in the UK, spent his career teaching his colleagues, his clients and countless fans how brands work, how to approach brands and importantly how to sustain brands. The brilliance of this compilation of his work is the addition of contemporary commentaries by today's leading thinkers about advertising, marketing and brands. They make this book as relevant and timely as the latest blog on brands. A must-read for people starting out in the business, people building and selling brands, and people teaching marketing in business schools.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Enduring jewels from the King! March 10, 2008

By jaf

Format:Hardcover

Stephen King's writings, as most reviewers acknowledge, are as relevant and stimulating today as they were when he first published them. Between the lines, however, one can still detect the humor and irreverence which were King hallmarks. Stephen was relentlessly rigorous in his approach to brand planning, but at the same time was disarmingly charming and witty. You'll find these qualities here as well.

In an age when desires for instant insights attract attention to short cuts, Stephen King will give 'real planners' tools that require thoroughness and hard work, but which lead to far richer and more rewarding results over time. Brands he touched in his lifetime, and people he inspired, still reign all over the world!

It's a treasure trove, indeed!

Long live the King!