Customer Reviews

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

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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.

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.

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!

Stephen King practically invented Brand Planning.
This work collects the many papers that he published over twenty years work for JWT London. It is brought up to date by the editors who have asked current professionals to comment individually on them.
It is amzing how well they read today and the little difficulty that the commentators have in identifying the underlying and timeless truths for today. I consider it a must for any serious student of Advertising and Marketing. If only he was still around to update our thinking in the Internet Age!

When it says 'master class' it means that it won't tell you what to think but it will teach you how to think, which is much more enduring and useful. Every planner I know should read this and inwardly digest its perennial wisdom.

Stephen King was one of the two fathers of account planning. Despite many of these papers being over 30 years old, they have never been a more pertinent reminder about how to think about creating powerful brands and communication, and the role that ad agencies can play. It's proof that sometimes when trying to find a path forwards it's useful to look at the past. A must read for anyone in the communications industry.

This book, tell us about the importance of the thought in planning. Plannig is a tool very important that increasingly win life with strategy well done.
Planning around the advertising, participate of the a process the creation of value about the problem the client, putting the customer and idea side by side to favor business.
Stephen King and other authors this book make them a presentation the how we could to think, practice, relation with agency, market and customers.
It's a book classic, but very important by way the understanding about planning (and advertising). Bought it!
You don't find formulas.

I view this book a must for every one of my students who think or hope to become an Account Planner or for any job in Advertising. Merry and Judy have done a service to all who work in and teach advertising. Steven's writings are as concise as can be.
It is amazing to see how the basic thought that Steven King developed is still so pertinent now. During a time when many clients are afraid of what's next, this is the perfect time to refresh our thinking and to understand what Steven saw, thus more confidently helping clients.
I ask students to read it so they waste less time guessing and fumbling for an idea or an insight and I suspect the information can be used by educators and professionals for another 40 years.

The true master piece in advertising written by a scientifically minded thinker. It's an invaluable reading to anyone who wants to have a sound and solid basis to discuss and consider any problems in advertising.

Great book and highely recommended!