Customer Reviews

The Revenge of Brand X: How to Build A Big Time Brand - on the Web or Anywhere Else ROUND 2

5 star:		(14)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Rob Frankel is an amusing writer with a tremendous enthusiasm for his subject. His book is full of pointed anecdotes and useful case studies that illustrate the principles he expounds. The book is also an excellent example in itself of a man branding himself -- the hierarchy of "Frankel's laws of branding" for instance. Frankel has a way of making a point from an unusual perspective that becomes obvious and clear after he explains it. However, the book is marred by several flaws. First, some of his examples of poorly branded companies simply don't hold up. He claims that Coca-cola is a weak brand because customers will accept a Pepsi in a restaurant rather than (I assume) leaving the restaurant to find one that serves Coke. No beverage company brand, of course, could ever inspire that kind of loyalty because soda just isn't important enough in anyone's life. Frankel's branding mantra is that it's all about your customers seeing you as the only solution to their problem. Is Coke supposed to be the only solution to my sweet carbonated syrup beverage problem? He's clearly missing an important part of the equation there. Another example is his discussion of Microsoft. After arguing that Microsoft has a terrible brand (which I won't necessarily dispute) he later says that if the branding is wrong, so is everything else. Because that branding problem has really hampered Microsoft from being a successful company. Apple, of course, is one of Frankel's favorite brands. This book would also have greatly benefitted from an editor (it was self-published) who could have tightened the organization, caught some of the inconsistencies, and fixed the embarassing number of hideous typos. For [what it's worth] Mr. Frankel's readers deserve a little more proofreading on his part.

Typical Rob Frankel, no punches pulled. I read this book on a cross country flight drawing many sideways looks from the other executives in first class as I giggled and tee-heed through this wonderful book.

Yes I laughed, and then I cried as I thought of how many companies who needed this information. As a Certified Management Consultant I am called on every day to help companies achieve their maximum potential. The largest fundamental problem is that most companies have no idea of who they are, and most importantly, who they are vis-a-vis their customers. Their entire strategy, how they operate, every decision they makes idealy should flow from this central core. Unfortunately, for most companies, that central core is a great void.

Rob shows you what you are missing, and how to fill in some of those gaps. He does it with humor, if not with a great editor.

A terrific book for the dot coms (and the non dot coms as well) seeking a effective path to emerge successfully from the pack. Frankel gets us to think about branding not as mere logos or names, but as evocative concepts that grab us emotionally, and make us see a product or service as the only solution to our problem. Particularly helpful are "Frankel's Laws of Big Time Branding," and the Action Items following each chapter. "Frankel's Laws of Big Time Branding" are succinct touchstones peppered throughout the book that keep the reader focused on the core concepts to develop a "Big Time Brand," while his "Action Items" are designed to get both the creative and reflective juices flowing to develop an intelligent branding strategy. The book is even entertaining - Frankel writes in a rebellious tone that is meant to stir up the reader, and get him and her to think and believe outside the box.

Ordered the book with high expectations. I fell for the marketing. But am really disappointed. Apparently, though the author can't explain branding, he can market, at least for himself. Don't be fooled.

Beneath the abundance of hype-filled phrases and stories, there is VERY LITTLE substance.

No clear definitions or frameworks.

It is easy to read, but as you read, you keep on waiting for the author to get the real point -- but that never happends. All you get is a bunch of little/random points along the way.

This is a magazine article that was turned into a book by making the font big and including a bunch of useless pages, like the old pictures of websites.

Aaker's books are better.

Rob Frankel offers fresh insights into branding in the Internet age. His treatment of the old media vs. the new media is brilliant. Several case studies also help people understand the value of branding.

Dan Janal author of "Dan Janal's Guide to Marketing on the Internet"

I've been in the branding biz for 15 years and have seen just about everything come down the pike. . Rob's book is without a doubt "BOB" (Best of Breed)! His insights are timeless, and especially valuable in these turbulent times. . I wouldn't be without this book myself, and have been asking my clients and colleagues to read it. . Might as well decommission the rest of my library!

Monumental. Finally. This should be a textbook. The writing is quick, to the point, and devoid of all the fluff that is typically found in marketing books. The concepts and strategies are equally to the point. By the end of Chapter 5, I had 6 pages of notes regarding my company's brand development plans. Specific areas that were particularly helpful in my case were the discussions of brand differentiation and clear message delivery. Rob Frankel, "the branding king", discusses many other issues that are just as important. The book gave me a real feel for how to develop a brand and USE IT to market and sell my product. The extra attention paid to Internet applications, where "Brand is Everything", is priceless for any business that expects to have an Internet presence.

This book should be read by all, from the graphic arts gal to the CEO. It is clear that the development of a brand, beyond just a funny logo, requires that everyone understand the ideas that are laid before us in this text.

To quote from the book, "Branding is not about getting your prospects to choose you over your competition; it's about getting your prospects to see you as the only solution to their problem (SM)". One can see why Frankel & Anderson is becoming the dominant player in Internet brand development.

Great book, especially for those who have never worked in a classical packaged goods brand environment. I managed major brands in food, household products, software, and Internet. I could not agree more with everything the author says. I also agree with all reviewers that the author includes great examples and case studies in the book. However, the book is somewhat expensive and am not sure it is worth the price for those who have strong backgrounds in consumer packaged goods.

I found Rob's book to offer a new look at Branding that has implications in a wide variety of markets. It is not just esoteric marketing claptrap, but offers practical, real world theories and advice for those businesspeople who either recognize or need to recognize the importance of a strong brand in the marketplace. It is a smart, fast-paced read that is suitable for any marketer or businessperson who is interested in getting an edge in the marketplace.

Rob Frankel's "The Revenge of Brand X, How to Build a Big Time Brand on the Web or Anywhere Else" is a practical, often humorous, look at branding. Frankel, who spares no ink to promote his own brand ...lays out his approach to branding in a series of directives and laws.

For example, Frankel's Prime Directive says, "Branding is not about getting your targets to choose you over the competition. Branding is about getting your prospects to see you as the only solution to their problem."

Then there is Frankel's First Law of Big Time Branding: "Brands are not about you.Brands are about them."
Frankel goes on to enumerate a total of ten laws of "Big Time Branding," a law about media hype, two laws concerning web branding, an "Inverse Theory of Branding," a "Ubiquitous Brand Test" and a "DYI corollary" (Doing it yourself works...)

If you really get the meaning of Frankel's First Law of Big Time Branding (Brands are not about you. Brands are about them.) you may be able to forgo reading the rest of the book. However, if you do, you will miss out on some pretty funny and thought provoking material about how big brands have blown it and how some have actually gotten it right.

Besides using examples of well-known brands that have, according to Frankel, done it right or have blown it, Frankel shares some case studies of small to international-sized businesses that have used branding to help them achieve financial success. The book features lists of action items at the end of each chapter. These lists challenge the reader to apply the principles of "Big Time Branding" to their own business making it a book that you'll want to keep close at hand for quick reference as you make decisions that effect your brand.